Charles Leclerc tops FP1 at the Australian Grand Prix as Lando Norris’ McLaren suffers gearbox issue

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Charles Leclerc has topped the timing sheet for the first practice of the 2026 season in Melbourne with Fernando Alonso forced to miss out on the action.

Nico Hulkenberg in the new Audi team was the first to make his way onto the track. Both Haas drivers followed shortly after, with the field eager to get running at Albert Park following the sweeping 2026 regulation changes.

The new season got off to a chaotic start, with Kimi Antonelli triggering the first yellow flag at Turn 5. Oscar Piastri’s McLaren soon lost power, while Arvid Lindblad broke down at the end of the pit lane, all within the opening five minutes.

McLaren’s difficult start continued when reigning world champion Lando Norris reported downshift issues, prompting the team to quickly bring him back into the garage. Neither driver appeared happy with the McLaren during the first half of practice, as they both dipped in and out of the pitlane.

A suspected power unit issue forced Fernando Alonso to sit out the practice session. Teammate Lance Stroll did make it onto the track but returned to the pits after just three laps. It adds to a disappointing start to the season for Aston Martin, with new team principal Adrian Newey recently revealing troubling details about the AMR26’s vibration issues.

Fernando Alonso is forced to sit out the first FP1 of 2026 at the Australian Grand Prix

How long will it be before Alonso loses faith in Honda?

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With the 2026 cars producing less downforce, lock-ups were widely expected during the session. Max Verstappen was the first to suffer a major one, though he was able to carry on without any problems.

Franco Colapinto was next to struggle with a front lock-up, which sent him wide into the gravel at Turn 3. Although the Argentine is not officially classed as a rookie, this is his first appearance at the Australian Grand Prix. Alpine were quick to bring Colapinto back into the garage for checks, hoping to get him back out on track for some valuable running before the end of FP1.

At the halfway point of the session, Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets for Ferrari, with the Monegasque driver separated from team-mate Lewis Hamilton by the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.

While several of the front-running teams switched to the soft tyres in an attempt to set flying laps, McLaren’s difficulties continued, with Lando Norris out of the car with 25 minutes remaining as the team reported a gearbox issue. These early practice sessions are crucial during the first phase of a new regulation cycle, and the lost running could prove costly for the British driver.

McLaren quickly set to work changing the gearbox on Norris’ car, but it soon became clear he would not return to the track during the first practice session, as the Brit was spotted in the team’s hospitality with friends.

Aston Martin were not the only team struggling with vibration issues, as both Cadillac drivers, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, lost wing mirrors from their MAC-26 cars.

After a relatively uneventful session considering the major regulation changes, Alex Albon’s Williams came to a stop between Turns 10 and 11 with just over 10 minutes remaining. The Thai driver told his race engineer: “I’ve lost power steering, and everything,” before helping marshals push the car clear during a Virtual Safety Car.

It appeared to be a difficult first session for Williams, with the car reportedly still around 20kg overweight, and many pundits noting a disappointing showing from the Grove-based team. Ahead of the weekend, Ted Kravitz noted that both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz looked “down,” a potentially worrying sign for the team.

Leclerc topped the timesheets towards the end of the session, edging out team-mate Lewis Hamilton for the fastest time with just moments remaining. The Ferrari pair led the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, with rookie Arvid Lindblad rounding out the top five.

Mercedes endured a relatively quiet session, although Kimi Antonelli struggled on multiple occasions at Turn 3. George Russell led his team-mate in seventh and eighth respectively, raising questions over whether the Brackley-based squad were hiding their true pace.