Australian GP Practice Analysis: Who Looks Fastest After Friday?
- Racing Statistics
- 9 hours ago
- 8 min read
Formula 1 is finally back, and the first practice sessions of the Australian Grand Prix have already given us plenty to talk about. While it is still too early to draw final conclusions, the data from FP1 and FP2 has started to reveal the different strengths of Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
The biggest theme after Friday is simple: no team appears to have shown its full hand yet. Even so, there are already some important clues about who looks strong over one lap, who seems dangerous over a race stint, and where each car is gaining or losing time.
Mercedes look ominous on long runs in Australian GP
If there was one team that stood out most in FP2, it was Mercedes.
The second practice session is usually more representative for race pace because it takes place closer to the time conditions the drivers will face on Sunday. Looking at the longer runs, Mercedes produced the most impressive race-style stints of the leading teams. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli completed strong sequences of laps, with Russell especially looking very competitive.
Russell held an advantage of roughly four tenths over Antonelli on comparable runs, which is notable even if fuel loads, setup differences and engine modes remain unknown. Compared to similar Ferrari and McLaren runs, Mercedes also appeared to have the upper hand.
What makes that pace even more interesting is that Mercedes were not dominating the top speed charts on those longer stints. In fact, their trap speeds were relatively modest compared to some rivals.
That raises the possibility that their long-run speed was not simply the result of aggressive engine modes, but instead a sign of genuinely efficient race pace.
That is why Mercedes have emerged from Friday looking particularly threatening heading into the rest of the weekend.
Ferrari’s low-speed strength is hard to ignore
Ferrari also made a strong impression, although their performance profile looks quite different from Mercedes.
The standout feature of the Ferrari on Friday was its strength in low-speed corners. Across multiple comparisons, the Ferrari consistently carried better minimum speeds than its main rivals. That suggests the car is rotating well in the slower sections and allowing the drivers to keep momentum where others are losing a little more speed.
That strength showed up clearly in FP1. Charles Leclerc’s lap was especially eye-catching, not just because it was fast, but because it came on heavily used soft tyres. Setting the benchmark on older rubber suggests there may have been even more lap time in the car if Ferrari had chosen to go for a fresher, more aggressive run.
Lewis Hamilton also reflected similar Ferrari traits later in FP2. The Ferrari continued to look strong in the low-speed parts of the lap, reinforcing the idea that this is a car characteristic rather than a one-off driver effect.
The main question is whether Ferrari were simply turning things up earlier than others. That has often been a talking point in the past, and it could again be the case here. Still, even if Ferrari were pushing more than some rivals, the performance was real enough to suggest they are firmly in the fight.
The telemetry tells a fascinating story
One of the most revealing parts of Friday came from the telemetry comparisons between the front-runners.
In FP1, Mercedes showed a major advantage in one section of the lap around Turn 6. There, Russell was carrying dramatically more speed than the Ferrari and Red Bull. The reason appeared to be energy deployment. While Ferrari and Red Bull started to lose electrical assistance and began “clipping,” the Mercedes kept deploying and continued accelerating strongly.
That gave Mercedes a major gain in that part of the circuit.
But the picture changed completely in the long flat-out run between Turns 8 and 9. In that section, Ferrari and Red Bull were much faster in a straight line, while Mercedes lost huge chunks of time. Russell was giving away several tenths through that stretch alone, simply because the car could not maintain the same level of deployment for as long.
This created a fascinating trade-off. Mercedes looked very strong in one phase of the lap, but vulnerable in another.
McLaren, which shares Mercedes power, showed a very similar pattern. That hints this may not be just a car-specific issue, but something broader linked to deployment strategy or power unit management.
The big unknown is whether Mercedes and McLaren were deliberately holding back on those longer flat-out sections, saving something for qualifying, or whether this is a genuine limitation under the 2026-style energy management demands.
McLaren are competitive, but still hard to define
McLaren do not yet look like clear favorites, but they definitely look competitive.
The team seemed stronger in Australia than it did during testing, and the data suggests the car is very much in the mix at the front. Like Mercedes, McLaren appeared powerful in certain deployment zones, especially earlier in the lap, but also gave away speed in the longer flat-out sections.
Oscar Piastri’s comparisons showed many of the same traits as Russell’s. In some areas the McLaren gained strongly, but in others it lost enough time to prevent the lap from looking complete.
That leaves McLaren in a slightly unclear position. They are fast enough to be taken seriously, but the full picture is not yet visible. The pace is there, though Friday did not provide the kind of evidence that would make them obvious favorites.
They are in the fight, but there is probably still more to come.
Red Bull may still be hiding a lot
Red Bull are perhaps the hardest team to judge after Friday of the Australian GP.
Max Verstappen’s laps showed flashes of real pace, especially in the higher-speed sections where the car looked strong and efficient. In some straight-line phases, Red Bull matched or came close to Ferrari and Mercedes, suggesting the underlying speed is clearly there.
At the same time, Verstappen’s day did not look like a fully representative one. He did not complete the same amount of soft-tyre running as some of the others, had only limited qualifying-style preparation, and there were signs in the data that he may have left lap time on the table. Slight hesitation on throttle application and a less complete run profile make it difficult to know exactly where Red Bull stand.
That is why Red Bull remain dangerous. They may not have topped every chart on Friday, but they also may not have revealed much. If there is one team that could still make a noticeable jump in qualifying, it is probably Red Bull.
FP2 showed a shift in Mercedes’ approach
One of the most interesting developments between FP1 and FP2 was how Mercedes changed.
In FP1, Mercedes looked very strong in shorter deployment bursts but weak in the long flat-out sections. In FP2, that balance shifted. Suddenly, Mercedes had the highest top speeds and looked much more competitive in the sectors where they had struggled before.
That suggests either the team increased deployment, changed its setup, or simply ran a different mode. Even then, some clipping remained visible compared to Ferrari and Red Bull, so the issue may not have disappeared completely.
Still, the fact Mercedes were able to improve in that area without completely losing their other strengths is a very encouraging sign. It points to a team that may still have room to tune the package further as the weekend continues.
Ferrari still look strongest in the slow corners
Even as the balance changed in FP2, Ferrari’s identity remained consistent.
Hamilton’s lap continued to show the same low-speed strength that Leclerc displayed in FP1. Ferrari looked especially good in the slower corners, where its minimum speed and rotation remained impressive. That gives the impression of a car that is naturally comfortable in technical sections, even if it may not always be the best in high-speed direction changes.
There were also signs that Hamilton was still dealing with a slightly nervous rear end in some places, forcing him into lifts others did not need. Even so, his trademark late braking stood out in the data, often allowing the Ferrari to attack corners very aggressively.
So while Ferrari may not yet have looked perfect, the speed is clearly there.
Tyres may have distorted the headline order
As always on a Friday, tyre context matters.
Not every lap was done on equally fresh rubber, and that makes a direct ranking dangerous. Leclerc’s strong FP1 lap came on older soft tyres, which strengthens Ferrari’s case. Hamilton’s FP2 run also came on tyres that were not brand new. On the other hand, Verstappen had very limited running on softs, meaning his true pace may not yet have been fully shown.
Track evolution also played a role. Some drivers improved later in the session not just because they drove better, but because the circuit was rubbering in.
That means the raw lap times alone do not tell the full story. The context behind them matters just as much.
Audi could be a surprise package
Behind the top four, Audi produced one of the more encouraging displays.
They did not look ready to challenge the front-runners, but they appeared to be right in the conversation for best of the rest. Nico Hulkenberg in particular seemed to be in the mix on both quicker laps and longer runs, which is impressive considering this is a relatively new package.
That could make Audi one of the more interesting midfield stories to watch as the season develops.
Aston Martin and Cadillac look to be struggling
Not every team came away from Friday feeling positive.
Aston Martin’s running did not offer much encouragement, with limited and unusual stints making them difficult to rate highly. The overall impression was still one of caution, with reliability and pace both open concerns.
Cadillac also looked off the pace, appearing likely to start the season near the back. That is not a huge surprise, but it does underline how difficult their early weekends may be.
Williams, meanwhile, remain harder to judge because the available runs were too inconsistent and limited to draw a confident conclusion.
What Friday really told us
The clearest conclusion from practice in Melbourne is that the competitive order is still not settled.
Mercedes look especially strong over long runs and may have the most convincing race pace so far. Ferrari look sharp in low-speed corners and may have shown genuine one-lap speed, even without using the freshest tyres.
McLaren are clearly competitive, though still slightly difficult to read. Red Bull remain the biggest wildcard, with signs they may still have plenty in reserve.
In other words, Friday gave us clues, not answers.
That is what makes qualifying so important. It should tell us whether Ferrari have shown too much too soon, whether Mercedes really are as strong as they looked on the long runs, and whether Red Bull have been hiding a more serious level of pace than the data currently suggests.
For now, the most accurate conclusion is this: Mercedes look ominous, Ferrari look sharp, McLaren are close, and Red Bull are still lurking.
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