Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the opening practice session for the Australian Grand Prix, giving Ferrari an encouraging start to the first race weekend of the new Formula 1 season, Idman.Biz reports.
The Monegasque driver topped the timesheets at Melbourne’s Albert Park with a lap of 1:20.267, finishing nearly half a second clear of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who placed second with a gap of 0.469 seconds. Max Verstappen of Red Bull completed the top three, 0.522 seconds behind the session leader.
The early running suggested Ferrari could be a serious contender at the opening round, with both of its drivers comfortably inside the top positions during the one-hour session. Red Bull’s Verstappen remained close behind, while rookie Isack Hadjar finished fourth for the team.
Further down the order, Oscar Piastri was the leading McLaren driver in sixth, while Mercedes duo George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli ended the session seventh and eighth respectively. Lando Norris struggled for pace and finished nineteenth.
The session also saw difficulties for Aston Martin, with Lance Stroll ending more than half a minute off the pace and Fernando Alonso failing to record a competitive lap time.
Practice sessions in Melbourne traditionally offer the first glimpse of the competitive order for the season, although teams are still expected to experiment with setups and fuel loads ahead of qualifying and Sunday’s race.
