Support categories to headline opening day at Albert Park

The opening day of the FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 is ready to go, with plenty of action to see at the famed Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit. Thursday is the day on which the final preparations for the first race of Formula 1’s new hybrid cars are made and for the support categories to take centre stage with their first practice and qualifying sessions, and races for the weekend.

The first cars to appear on the track will be for the Porsche Carrera Cup practice session at 9:45 am, with a second at 11:35 am. The fabulous Porsches will also feature in the opening race of the weekend, over 13 laps, at 3:35 pm. Headlining the 21st year of the fabled series will be current champion Dylan O’Keeffe and two-time title winner Harri Jones. As well as nine series rookies, international driver Marcus Amand returns to make a guest appearance, which is sure to challenge the local drivers.

The headline category for Thursday will be the Supercars, which will take on the circuit over four races in the second round of the championship. The 24 drivers will have two 30-minute practice sessions, at 10:35 am and 12:25 pm, before twin qualifying sessions. The first session at 2:20 pm will set the grid for the first race, and the second at 2:42 pm will set the starting order for Friday’s race. The opening race of the weekend kicks off at 4:55 pm, over 19 laps, providing the first opportunity for drivers to close the gap on series co-leaders Broc Feeney and Matt Payne. This will be the first appearance at the track for the next Toyota Supras, with the brand making its debut in Supercars last month. Defending champion Chaz Mostert has already rattled the cage of existing brands, while the Chevrolet effort is likely to be led by Anton De Pasquale and David Reynolds.

There will be two all-important systems checks for the international drivers and teams in the opening rounds of the F2™ and F3™. The first session, for FIA Formula 2™, comes at 1:05 pm, and the FIA Formula 3™ cars will be on the track at 3:00 pm, with both sessions set to run for 15 minutes. These sessions provide a vital opportunity for the field to acclimatize to the street circuit before the intense competition begins over the remainder of the weekend.