F1 Australian Grand Prix qualifying as it happened

This is the first year for Active Aero and it's already causing some confusion after the FIA wanted it to be disengaged for the fast sprint from T6 and T9... but after initially announcing it would be disallowed, it has been reinstated. So, as you were, basically.

That comes at the expense of Williams, which look out of sorts with its apparently porky, and of course Aston Martin, which has dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons thanks to the litany of issues being thrown up by the Honda engine.

Honda, eh? Why does it feel like we've been here before... sorry, Fernando.

In the midfield, Racing Bulls - particularly this year's lone rookie, Arvid Lindblad - looked best of the rest, which might be a hint of what fellow Ford-engined Red Bull might have left to give when it matters.

Shout out to Audi, which has arrived looking impressively in the mix for points alongside Racing Bulls and Haas on its maiden weekend, which is no mean feat for a new project and given where Sauber were this time last year.

As marshals busily repair a pummelled air fence at T5, let's get back to F1 and cast an analytical glance over Friday Free Practice to spot any clues of what to expect from FP3 and Qualifying.

Different programmes or not, it was no surprise to see the 'big four' - Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes - annex the leading spots at the end of FP2, such was their clear margin over the midfield in testing.

In what definitive order they will shake out in qualifying is less certain. Mercedes had the edge on Ferrari on the long runs, but McLaren's Oscar Piastri was quickest of all in terms of single lap pace.

McLaren and Red Bull both had some gremlins to work through, while Verstappen found, over stepped and threw gravel over the limit. 

Those in the know don't want to err too far from their George Russell pick, but Red Bull - with its apparent battery deployment tricks - might be a bigger threat than we have seen so far in qualifying trim.

The first support race of the 2026 season - the Formula 3 Sprint - has been and gone a bit sooner than anticipated after the encounter was red flagged and ultimately called after just four laps.

The reason? Two Premas buried deep in the barriers at Turn 5 after collecting one another in what was a very early candidate for blooper of the year - both drivers were unhurt in the crash, though the stomping demeanour of both afterwards doesn't rule out some bruising words being flung in the garage they share later.

Half-points or not, however, it's a 1-2 straight out of the box for Van Amersfoort Racing, which will go down well with Otmar Szafnauer, the ex-Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin/Alpine boss having been announced as managing partner at the start of the weekend

Much has been said of the new regulations in the build up to this weekend's inaugural action, but while the race is where it ultimately matters, the biggest test for the new tech is more likely to be seen in action during qualifying.

Harvesting and energy recovery over a single lap will be key and it's a very fluid situation, to such an extent it could see drivers starting a time attack conservatively in order to leave enough battery to push at the end of it.

It's going to be a lesson in balance and one that drivers and teams have intimated they're still tweaking.

After Friday threw up some alternative running strategies to skew the results, expect FP3 to provide a clearer clue of what we can expect come the end of qualifying, and ultimately, Sunday's race.