Overview
- FIA formalised a revised pre-start in Australia with a five-second flashing blue signal and barred activation of Straight Mode until after Turn 1 to address start-line safety.
- Oscar Piastri set the FP2 benchmark at 1:19.729, with Kimi Antonelli second and George Russell third, as Max Verstappen lost running to a pit-lane stall, gearbox trouble and a gravel excursion.
- Drivers were forced to lift to conserve charge under the 50/50 hybrid rules, with top-speed disparities and lap times over three seconds slower than 2025 at Albert Park.
- Rivals flagged Mercedes as the reference on long runs despite power-unit and software teething issues, with Toto Wolff cautioning against assuming clear favoritism.
- Aston Martin’s Honda package suffered severe reliability and vibration problems, with Adrian Newey indicating only two working batteries remained as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completed limited laps.