Grand Prix

Latest F1 Weather Forecast for the Australian Grand Prix

The 2026 F1 Season is kicking off in Melbourne! Here is the weather the drivers, teams, and fans will expect heading into this exciting new era of Formula 1.
Kaitlin Tucci|
Mclaren F1 Car
Mclaren F1 Car | IMAGO / NurPhoto

The Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park remains one of the most exciting races on the Formula 1 calendar for a multitude of reasons. It is the season opener. The track is perfect for wonderful racing. The weather is unpredictable.

Last year, the Australian Grand Prix was heavily affected by rain to the tune of 5 DNF'ed drivers and one driver, Isack Hadjar, crashing on the formation lap before the race even began.

Now, in 2026, we have added an entirely new layer to the difficulty of a season opener. Everything is new! There are 22 cars set to enter the Australian Grand Prix, each of which has an entirely new car and new regulations, dependent on Aston Martin's final decision, of course.

Aston Martin, Testing, 2026
Aston Martin, Testing, 2026 | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team

Although testing took place over three weekends in Barcelona and Bahrain, the point remains that none of these teams have competed in a race with the new 2026-era F1 cars and regulations.

The question now remains: Will the weather make Sunday's race even more difficult for the drivers and teams?

F1 2026 Australian Grand Prix weather forecast

Friday, March 6 - Free Practice 1/ Free Practice 2

  • Mostly sunny and dry throughout the day with light cloud coverage. Track temperature is expected to be increasingly warm for the teams, although air temperature is mild.
  • Free Practice 1 temperature expected 68 Degrees Fahrenheit / 20 Degrees Celsius
  • Free Practice 2 temperature expected 71 Degrees Fahrenheit / 22 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 5% 

Saturday, March 7 - Free Practice 3 / Qualifying

  • Saturday, there will be a slight drop in temperature due to cloud coverage and increased wind gusts throughout the day.
  • Free Practice 3 temperature expected 66 Degrees Fahrenheit / 19 Degrees Celsius
  • Qualifying temperature expected 66 Degrees Fahrenheit / 19 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 5%

Sunday, March 8 - Race

  • Sunday will be warmer than the prior two days with little to no cloud coverage and direct sun heating up the track significantly by midday.
  • Race start temperature expected 74 Degrees Fahrenheit / 23 Degrees Celsius
  • Chance of rain: 0%

Weather forecast information was accurate at the time of publish. Forecast is subject to change.

Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren, arriving at the team motorhome at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring, Budapest. | McLaren Racing

During the last Australian Grand Prix, it was McLaren's Lando Norris who took home the first trophy of the season, setting the tone for his eventual World Drivers' Championship and McLaren's World Constructors' Championship.

Who will take home the first race win of the new era in Formula 1?

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Kaitlin Tucci
KAITLIN TUCCI

Kaitlin Tucci has been a fan of motorsport for close to a decade. Before joining On SI in 2025, she contributed heavily to the marketing and media efforts at FanAmp, a motorsports startup for which she was the Head of Marketing. She has contributed to a number of publications covering series such as Formula 1, IndyCar, IMSA, and more... Kaitlin graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with both a degree in Business/Marketing and Political Science. She works full time as a marketer at high-growth tech startups while spending her weekends immersed in the world of racing. Kaitlin was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, but has lived in New York City for the past 5 years with her 'giant chihuahua' Willow. You'll often catch Willow watching races alongside Kaitlin, but unfortunately she doesn't have enough airline miles to join her at the track just yet.

Home/News