Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Melbourne

Image source, Getty Images

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton struck the first blow of the new Formula 1 era with first and second fastest times in opening practice at the Australian Grand Prix.

Leclerc replaced Hamilton in top spot with a late lap that moved him 0.469 seconds clear of the seven-time champion.

Until then, less than 0.1secs had separated Hamilton, Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Verstappen's new team-mate Isack Hadjar was fourth fastest, 0.820secs off the pace, ahead of 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad, making his debut for the Racing Bulls team.

Aston Martin, whose dire form has been in many ways the story of the new season so far, had a predictably difficult session.

Read the full report here

So, it's ridiculously early advantage to Ferrari and Red Bull at the top of the timesheets after the opening hour in Melbourne but what will title holder Lando Norris be thinking after missing a chunk of running on Friday? The good news is McLaren have got a couple of hours before second practice to sort out any remaining problems.

The new teams on the block will be pleased so far, although Cadillac did lose a couple of mirrors along the way.

If you want to go to bed, feel free. But set your alarm for 04:45 GMT when we'll be back up and running for second practice at 05:00.

See you shortly!

Harry Benjamin, Jennie Gow, Jolyon Palmer and Marc Priestley breakdown every detail of the new season of rules and regulations, plus world champion Lando Norris and Brit rookie Arvid Lindblad also stop by the podcast - which you can listen to on BBC Sounds and watch on the BBC iPlayer this season - to chat about their hopes for the 2026 campaign.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

The undertaking of a project like Audi's (building their own engine for the first time), you can't underestimate how big it is. Audi and Red Bull have both done a phenomenal job in that regard.

11. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

12. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

13. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

14. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

15. Alex Albon (Williams)

16. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

17. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)

18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

19. Lando Norris (McLaren)

20. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)

21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:20.267

2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) ) +0.469

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.522

4. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.820

5. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +1.046

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +1.075

7. George Russell (Mercedes) +1.104

8. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1.109

9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +1.429

10. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +1.702

Right at the end of the session, Charles Leclerc swoops in and steals top spot from Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton with a 1:20.267 on the softs.

Brit Arvid Lindblad is the sole rookie on the grid this year compared to the five or six we had last season. The teenager has taken over from Isack Hadjar over at Racing Bulls for his debut in Formula 1 and at the end of this first practice session, Lindbald goes fifth fastest on the soft compound.

Image source, Getty Images

Oscar Piastri stays a nearly second off the pace in ninth after his flyer was comprised by that Sergio Perez spin. The Australian has kept the soft tyre, while the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen take the mediums for the final minutes of this opening practice session.

Off we pop again and Oscar Piastri is winding up for a push lap in his McLaren but Sergio Perez has spun off in his Cadillac after locking his rear tyres. "I'm having a lot of engine braking," says the Mexican driver.

The marshals are on the scene to give Alex Albon a helping hand with his stricken Williams.

Just before that stoppage for Albon, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton picked up a lovely slipstream which propelled him to the top of the board with a 1:20.736 on the soft compound.

Yellow flag - Albon stopspublished at 02:21 GMT

02:21 GMT

Williams are another team who have found the going tough before the season has even started. Alex Albon said on Thursday the car is a bit overweight at the moment and the team will probably be at the back of the midfield this year.

And now Albon has come to a stop on track. He calls into base to say he's "lost power steering and everything" around Turns 10 and 11.

Charles Leclerc versus Max Verstappen in a championship fight - discuss.

The Dutchman finds more pace in his Red Bull - 0.040 seconds to be exact - and climbs over the Ferrari of Leclerc to sit at the top of the timesheets once again.

His team-mate Isack Hadjar has just had a lock-up on his latest lap and ending up running wide off the track.

Image source, Reuters

World champion Lando Norris is having to watch on from the McLaren hospitality suit, as his car is undergoing some work in the garage which the team say is "precautionary gearbox checks".

Charles Leclerc can harvest energy with the best of them and the Ferrari man goes straight to the top after his first push lap on the softs with a 1:20.829, ahead of the Red Bull pair Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.

Yellow rubber has been switched out for red now, as more cars opt for some soft running in first practice.

Max Verstappen leaps to the top with a 1:20.908 followed by his brand new team-mate Isack Hadjar, 0.179 seconds behind.

Charles Leclerc has charged up the battery and is ready for a flyer in his Ferrari. What can the Monegasque driver do? ...

Image source, Getty Images

James: Aston Martin potentially not scoring a single point in 2026 was not on my F1 bingo card, but here we are.

Harry: Hearing Bottas over the radio gave me the kind of nostalgia hit you really don't expect at nearly 2am on a Friday.

Dan: So exciting to see Ferrari up the top of the timings. I'd love to see a Lewis title charge.

George Russell has been tagged as the favourite to take the title this season, as many people feel Mercedes have hit the jackpot with their car and engine under the new regulations.

Russell has just headed out on the soft compound, so now we'll get to see the Briton push hard around Albert Park.

However, he can't knock down the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull, and after his first push on the softs, Russell goes fifth on the timesheets, eight tenths away from Charles Leclerc's best marker on the mediums.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Melbourne on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Ferrari and Red Bull have started this session really impressively. They are running 1-2-3-4. It is a surprise, I have to say, because everybody in the pit-lane thought after pre-season testing that Mercedes were in the best place.