Oscar Piastri leads McLaren ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari | Australian GP 2026 FP2 report. Full results and recap from FP2 at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri delighted the home crowd by setting the fastest lap during the second free practice session of the 2026 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver topped the timesheets at the Albert Park circuit, finishing ahead of the two Mercedes cars of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Ferrari followed closely behind, confirming that the leading teams remain separated by very small margins at the start of the new Formula 1 season.

Lewis Hamilton placed his Ferrari in fourth position, just 0.321 seconds away from the fastest time, while teammate Charles Leclerc completed the top five. Despite Ferrari appearing slightly less dominant than in the opening session, the overall gaps between the top teams remained extremely tight, suggesting that the competitive battle in Melbourne could be very close heading into qualifying.

FP2 classification – 2026 Australian Grand Prix

FP2 session recap from Melbourne

Ferrari set the early benchmark in the first free practice session, but during FP2 the Mercedes-powered cars responded strongly. After the Scuderia’s dominance earlier in the day, the second practice session at Albert Park saw the teams running Brixworth power units move to the front.

McLaren ultimately secured the fastest lap of the session, with Oscar Piastri giving the local fans something to celebrate. The Australian driver delivered an impressive lap that placed him two tenths of a second ahead of the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The Brackley team, widely considered one of the main favourites for the 2026 season, also placed George Russell in the top three. The British driver ended the session 0.320 seconds behind Piastri’s benchmark time.

Russell finished FP2 with a margin of just one thousandth of a second ahead of fellow Briton and former teammate Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver placed fourth and managed to edge teammate Charles Leclerc, who ended the session in fifth position.

Behind the leading group came Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, followed by an impressive performance from Arvid Lindblad. The young Racing Bulls driver secured eighth place, ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and the Haas of Esteban Ocon, whose team once again appeared competitive in the midfield battle.

At the opposite end of the timesheets, Aston Martin and Cadillac were the teams that appeared to struggle the most during the session. For Cadillac, which is making its debut on the Formula 1 grid this season, the situation was particularly difficult.

Sergio Perez was unable to record a single timed lap during the session. The Mexican driver spent a long period in the garage, and when he eventually returned to the track he was forced to stop almost immediately, parking his Cadillac MAC-26 on the grass shortly after leaving the pits.

Weekend schedule for the Australian Grand Prix

Formula 1 action in Melbourne will continue tomorrow morning with the third and final free practice session scheduled for 2:30, followed by the highly anticipated qualifying session at 6:00.

On Sunday, March 8, fans will once again need to wake up early, as the 2026 Australian Grand Prix will officially launch the new Formula 1 World Championship season. The race is scheduled to begin at 5:00 in the morning.

For a complete overview of the weekend timetable and television coverage details, you can find the full guide here: 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix TV times and streaming guide.