Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the tempo in Friday follow on the Australian Grand Prix, edging McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, whereas world champion Max Verstappen struggled with dealing with points.
Leclerc topped the timesheets with a lap 0.124 seconds faster than dwelling favorite Piastri, who was simply 0.017secs forward of teammate Norris. Lewis Hamilton, making his Ferrari debut, completed fifth, 0.420secs off his teammate’s tempo.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bull was the shock identify in fourth, whereas his rookie teammate Isack Hadjar positioned sixth, forward of Verstappen’s senior Pink Bull. Verstappen deserted his soft-tyre qualifying simulation after scuffling with cornering at Flip Three, leaving him exterior the highest six.
Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg took eighth, adopted by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Mercedes’ George Russell.
Throughout race simulations, Norris appeared to have one of the best tempo, lapping round 0.2secs faster than each Leclerc and Verstappen. Hamilton trailed his Ferrari teammate by the same margin. Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who impressed within the first session, remained aggressive on race gas, working between the tempo of Leclerc and Hamilton.
Mercedes opted for exhausting tyres of their race runs, whereas Ferrari, McLaren, and Pink Bull used mediums, making direct comparisons tough. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who positioned sixteenth on single-lap tempo, matched Russell’s occasions in long-run circumstances.
The session ran with out main incidents, except for Hulkenberg’s transient off-track tour at Flip Six. This contrasted with the sooner session, which noticed two crimson flags, together with a heavy crash for Haas driver Oliver Bearman at Flip 10. The Briton’s automotive suffered intensive harm, stopping him from taking part in second follow.
Off observe, all 10 groups have signed their industrial agreements with System 1, securing their dedication to the game till 2030. Nevertheless, additional negotiations with governing physique FIA stay pending earlier than closing contracts are accomplished.
The Australian Grand Prix weekend continues, with the race scheduled to start at 04:00 GMT on Sunday, 16 March.