Final practice for the Australian Grand Prix ended in dramatic fashion as George Russell put Mercedes on top with a blistering final lap at Albert Park Circuit, while his teammate Kimi Antonelli suffered a heavy crash.
The third session of the weekend was heavily disrupted. It began 20 minutes late due to barrier repairs following an earlier Formula 3 crash and was then halted twice by red flags. Despite the interruptions, Russell delivered a late statement of intent before qualifying, setting a stunning 1m19.053s lap.
That effort put him six tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton and seven tenths ahead of Charles Leclerc, both driving for Scuderia Ferrari.
Early Running Interrupted By Sainz Stoppage
Hamilton initially led the early running as teams worked through programmes on Pirelli’s soft tyres. But the first red flag came quickly when Carlos Sainz Jr. stopped his Williams car at the pit entry during his out-lap.
The stoppage added to a difficult weekend for Williams after hydraulic troubles hampered Alexander Albon during Friday practice.
When the session resumed with 38 minutes remaining, the pace intensified. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli briefly beat Hamilton’s benchmark before Leclerc moved ahead with a 1m20.271s lap.
Home favourite Oscar Piastri then thrilled the Melbourne crowd by going fastest for McLaren with a 1m20.164s. Leclerc quickly reclaimed the top spot, dipping into the 1m19s with a 1m19.827s effort.
Antonelli Crash Sparks Late Scramble
The session was interrupted again in the closing stages after Antonelli suffered a heavy crash at Turn 2. The young Italian appeared to bottom out over the inside kerb before spearing into the outside wall.
Although the young Italian climbed out unhurt from his car’s wreck, the damage left Mercedes facing a race against time to rebuild his car before qualifying.
After a short clean-up, the session resumed for a frantic final four minutes that produced a long queue at pit exit as drivers attempted one last qualifying simulation.
It was only then that Russell revealed Mercedes’ true pace, delivering his decisive lap to top the times.
Mixed Fortunes Across the Field
Piastri ultimately finished fourth, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar impressed once again in fifth for Red Bull Racing. His team-mate Max Verstappen was sixth, with the bulls roughly one second off Russell’s pace.
Antonelli still classified seventh despite his crash, ahead of McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris. Gabriel Bortoleto put Audi F1 Team ninth, with Oliver Bearman completing the top 10 for Haas F1 Team.
There were small positives for Aston Martin as Fernando Alonso managed 20 laps and posted a 1m22s benchmark in the AMR26. However, team-mate Lance Stroll failed to run after an internal combustion engine issue was discovered during preparation.
With Sainz unable to set a lap and Stroll sidelined, the slowest times went to the Cadillac Formula 1 Team pair of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez in 19th and 20th respectively.
Heading into the first qualifying session of the season, however, it was Russell and Mercedes who laid down the clearest marker.
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