Circuit change made Saturday:
“However on Saturday morning the governing body informed teams that the Turn 8-Turn 9 section would be dropped as a straight mode zone for safety reasons.”
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-australian-grand-prix-fia-drops-straight-mode-safety-fears/
This afternoon’s Formula 3 race, set for 20 laps, was shortened to eight laps (seven counted) after a serious crash caused barrier damage that put the race past the time limit.
On Lap 8, Prema Racing teammates Louis Sharp (NZL) and James Wharton (AUS) collided in Turn 5. Both cars impacted the outside wall heavily, with Sharp’s car ricocheting back onto the circuit, thankfully being avoided by oncoming traffic.
The yellow was waved and then the field returned to pit lane. As less than a half race was done, only quarter quarter points to the top five were awarded based on seven of 20 laps completed. The race completed eight laps but the FIA rules backdated the lap.
https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-australian-grand-prix-wharton-sharp-f3-crash-prema-formula-three/
Thanks for the update.