George Russell set the pace in FP3 at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, delivering the fastest lap of the weekend so far during final practice at Albert Park in Melbourne on Saturday.
The Mercedes driver recorded a 1:19.053 lap, finishing 0.616 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari as teams completed their final preparations before qualifying.
The session, however, ended dramatically when Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli crashed heavily in the closing stages, leaving the Brackley-based team scrambling to repair his damaged car ahead of qualifying later today.
The combination of Russell’s dominant lap and Antonelli’s accident made the final practice session one of the most eventful moments of the opening Formula 1 weekend.
What happened during FP3 at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix?
The Australian Grand Prix FP3 session was disrupted multiple times as teams pushed their cars to the limit in qualifying simulations while also dealing with the challenges of Formula 1’s latest technical regulations.
Russell produced his fastest lap in the final minutes, placing Mercedes firmly at the top of the timesheets. His 1:19.053 lap not only topped the session but also became the fastest lap recorded across all practice sessions during the weekend.
Ferrari appeared to be the closest challenger. Hamilton finished second, 0.616 seconds behind Russell, while team-mate Charles Leclerc secured third place, another tenth of a second further back.
George Russell leads FP3 with a 0.6s gap to Lewis Hamilton in P2 and more than 1s ahead of Oscar Piastri in P4 😳
Hello, Mercedes-AMG F1!#F1 | #AusGP pic.twitter.com/IIYpsOfQD1
— Everything Formula (@evrythngformu1a) March 7, 2026
Earlier in the session, Carlos Sainz’s Williams stopped just outside the pit lane, forcing a red flag and briefly halting running while marshals recovered the car. Sainz ultimately recorded only one lap and failed to set a competitive time.
The stop-start nature of the session highlighted how teams are still adapting to new regulations while running their cars in aggressive qualifying setups.
2026 Australian Grand Prix FP3 Results
| Position | Driver | Team | Laps | Best Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 23 | 1:19.053 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 22 | +0.616 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 20 | +0.774 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 17 | +1.034 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 15 | +1.084 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 15 | +1.144 |
| 7 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 18 | +1.271 |
| 8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 22 | +1.390 |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 19 | +1.406 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 18 | +1.725 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 15 | +1.785 |
| 12 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 13 | +1.837 |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 19 | +1.930 |
| 14 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 22 | +2.014 |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 26 | +2.018 |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 22 | +2.360 |
| 17 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 17 | +2.611 |
| 18 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 20 | +3.667 |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 12 | +4.461 |
| 20 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 21 | +5.344 |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 | No time |
| 22 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1 | No time |
Hasil FP3 GP Australia.
Russell jadi tercepat, nyaris tembus 1 menit 18 detikan pic.twitter.com/cpVeyYeJpY
— Behind The Grand Prix (@BTGrandPrix) March 7, 2026
How severe was Kimi Antonelli’s crash?
The most significant moment of FP3 occurred in the final stages when Kimi Antonelli crashed heavily, leaving his Mercedes badly damaged.
The Italian rookie lost control and hit the barriers at speed, scattering debris across the circuit and forcing a temporary halt to running.
Initial images from the pit lane suggested significant damage to the front suspension, nose structure, and aerodynamic components.
Because FP3 ended close to the scheduled start of qualifying, Mercedes engineers now face a tight turnaround to rebuild the car.
Kimi Antonelli into the barrier! 😱
Here’s the sizeable crash which ended the Mercedes driver’s FP3 👇#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/ZC1PrM1JE0
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 7, 2026
Formula 1 teams typically have only a short window between sessions, meaning extensive repairs could risk Antonelli missing part of qualifying if the work is not completed in time.
Despite the crash, Antonelli still finished seventh on the timesheet, highlighting the strong pace Mercedes showed throughout the session.
Is Mercedes the team to beat in Melbourne?
Russell’s performance strengthened the growing view inside the Formula 1 paddock that Mercedes could hold a competitive advantage at the season-opening race.
During Friday’s practice sessions, several rival teams suggested Mercedes appeared particularly strong in race simulations, with some estimating the team’s pace advantage at close to one second per lap under certain conditions.
Russell’s fastest lap in FP3 reinforced those claims. His time placed Mercedes clearly ahead of Ferrari and McLaren heading into qualifying.
Ferrari remains the most likely challenger. Hamilton and Leclerc both looked comfortable during early runs and consistently stayed near the top of the timesheets.
Which teams impressed and which struggled?
Several teams delivered mixed performances during final practice. McLaren showed solid pace but still trailed Mercedes significantly.
Australian driver Oscar Piastri finished fourth, just over a second behind Russell, while reigning world champion Lando Norris struggled to match his team-mate’s speed and finished eighth.
Red Bull also faced minor technical concerns. Max Verstappen reported a potential steering column issue over team radio late in the session, which may explain why he finished sixth behind team-mate Isack Hadjar.
Audi continued to show encouraging early-season performance, with Gabriel Bortoleto securing ninth place. Meanwhile, British rookie Oliver Bearman rounded out the top ten for Haas.
Further down the order, Aston Martin endured a difficult session. Lance Stroll failed to set a lap time after an engine problem kept him in the garage, while Fernando Alonso finished 18th despite completing 20 laps.
