The third and final free practice session for the 2026 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix was filled with chaos from the very start, as George Russell set the fastest time for Mercedes while teammate Kimi Antonelli suffered a heavy crash late in the session.
The session began 20 minutes late after the FIA confirmed that the Turn 5 barriers needed repairs following an earlier collision during the Formula 3 Sprint Race.
When the track finally opened, Franco Colapinto was among the first drivers out for Alpine, soon followed by Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
With 51 minutes remaining, Carlos Sainz triggered a yellow flag after stopping his Williams just before the pit lane entry. The Spaniard reported that his engine had suddenly cut out before he could return to the pits.
A Virtual Safety Car was initially deployed, but the situation soon escalated into a red flag when marshals were unable to move the car quickly. Sainz eventually had to walk back to the garage. At that stage, Hamilton was fastest with a lap of 1:20.572.
When the session resumed, Hamilton continued to lead the timesheets with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and Lando Norris close behind on soft tyres.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli then began to show strong pace, moving within two-tenths of Hamilton before briefly going to the top of the leaderboard. Leclerc soon edged him by half a tenth, but Hamilton responded again with a 1:20.176 to regain the lead.
Williams, meanwhile, endured further trouble when Alexander Albon reported a similar issue to Sainz. His car stopped at Turn 4, although he managed to continue driving. Shortly afterward, Piastri briefly went fastest with a 1:20.164, just 0.012 seconds quicker than Hamilton.
Ferrari then took control of the session as Leclerc broke the 1:20 barrier with an impressive 1:19.827, going three-tenths faster than the rest of the field.
There was also bad news for Aston Martin, who confirmed that Lance Stroll would not take part in FP3 due to a suspected internal combustion engine (ICE) issue discovered in the garage. On the other hand, Audi enjoyed a solid session with Nico Hülkenberg running in the top 10 and Gabriel Bortoleto inside the top six at one stage.
Kimi Antonelli's crash
With 12 minutes remaining, the session saw its biggest incident. Antonelli crashed heavily, bringing out another red flag. The Mercedes rookie, who made his F1 debut in 2025 season, hit the kerb at the exit of Turn 2, lost control, and slammed into the barriers, scattering debris and a tyre across the track. Antonelli had been fourth fastest at the time of the accident.
The session resumed shortly afterward, and in the closing minutes Russell set the fastest lap of 1:19.053, finishing over six-tenths clear of Hamilton, with Leclerc completing the top three.
F1 Australian Grand Prix FP3 Results:
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:19.053 | 23 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.616s | 22 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.774s | 20 |
| 4 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +1.034s | 17 |
| 5 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | +1.084s | 15 |
| 6 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +1.144s | 15 |
| 7 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.271s | 18 |
| 8 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +1.390s | 22 |
| 9 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.406s | 19 |
| 10 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | +1.725s | 18 |
| 11 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1.785s | 15 |
| 12 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.837s | 13 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | +1.930s | 19 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +2.014s | 22 |
| 15 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +2.018s | 26 |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +2.360s | 22 |
| 17 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +2.611s | 17 |
| 18 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +3.667s | 20 |
| 19 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | +4.461s | 12 |
| 20 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +5.344s | 21 |
| 21 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | No Time | 1 |
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