Ferrari are determined to bounce back after a lacklustre 2025 Formula 1 campaign. Last season, they finished fourth in the constructors’ championship, and neither Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton won a single race. They will aim to do much better in their second year together, and their journey starts at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
After an up-and-down preseason testing, the Prancing Horse raised eyebrows in the first official practice, as their racers logged the fastest lap times in Albert Park. However, despite this good news, the Ferraristas are probably not getting their hopes up until they get the actual results they need, especially with Red Bull, Mercedes, and reigning champions McLaren being their top adversaries, per the Australian Grand Prix 2026 odds.
Elsewhere, Aston Martin may start the 2026 Formula 1 campaign already on the back foot, as they have yet to solve the AMR26’s glaring mechanical problems.
Here are some of the latest Australian Grand Prix 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Ferrari leaving a good first impression
Many have wondered how Ferrari will fare with the sweeping changes in the technical regulations for 2026. And so far, they’ve passed the test in FP1 with flying colors, as Charles Leclerc led a one-two finish with veteran teammate Lewis Hamilton.
After completing 33 laps, Leclerc finished with a time of 1:20.267s, only 0.469s ahead of Hamilton and 0.522s and 0.820s ahead of the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad surprised everyone when he finished fifth, 1.046s behind Leclerc. Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Nico Hulkenberg, who started first, rounded out the Top 10.
While Ferrari’s session ran smoothly, their rivals encountered problems in the circuit. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were beset by power and reliability concerns. Piastri bemoaned the MCL40’s lack of throttle, and Norris had gearbox issues that curtailed his running after only seven laps. Lindblad and Alex Albon triggered the Virtual Safety Car after their cars stalled. Sergio Perez’s machine spun at Turn 4 after reporting excessive engine braking.
But more than their recent performance, Ferrari fans might feel optimistic after Leclerc and Hamilton’s disposition has been hugely positive entering the new season. Hamilton has been quite active on social media lately, having promised the Ferraristas that he’ll “give it his all” this year.
Aston Martin are in a world of trouble
Aston Martin are off to a disastrous start already this season, as their engine partnership with Honda hasn’t gone smoothly. For starters, they were late to the Barcelona Shakedown after they missed their production deadlines. And then, they logged the least mileage of any of the 11 teams on this year’s grid during two three-day tests in Bahrain.
According to team principal Adrian Newey, the AMR26’s power unit has a complicated vibration problem, as it reached a point where they couldn’t run their Honda battery for very long before it broke. The vibrations were so severe that Newey warned that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll could suffer permanent nerve damage because of it.
Alonso was absent in FP1, while Stroll was unable to complete consecutive laps before he suffered the effects of the AMR26’s incessant power unit vibrations. After the first practice, Stroll was clearly unhappy about driving his new machine. Aston Martin might not finish the season-opening 58-lap race on Sunday if they can’t solve this problem fast.
History
The Australian Grand Prix has been one of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia. It was first held at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1996, the event has been held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, except in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is contracted to be held at least until 2035.
Lando Norris kick-started his championship campaign by winning this event last year. Norris briefly lost the lead to Max Verstappen when he and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri lost control in intermediate conditions. However, he eventually reclaimed the lead for good, becoming the first driver since Jenson Button to win it for the Papayas since 2012. Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz Jr., Jack Doohan, and Isack Hadjar didn’t finish the race. Michael Schumacher and the late Lex Davison are the winningest drivers in this event with four wins apiece. Among active drivers, Lewis Hamilton has the most wins with two in 2008 and 2015. There has never been a repeat winner since Sebastian Vettel from 2017 to 2018. Interestingly, Ferrari are the winningest team with 14 victories.
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