Ferrari’s Leclerc sets pace in Australian GP practice session, Hamilton second

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the opening practice session for the Australian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the new Formula One season held at Melbourne.

Running at the Albert Park Circuit, Leclerc posted a best lap of 1:20.267 in the closing stages of the session, putting him 0.469 seconds clear of Hamilton.

Following them, the Red Bull Racing pair of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar finished third and fourth, respectively. Arvid Lindblad impressed on his first outing for Racing Bulls by securing fifth place.

Early issues for several teams

Reigning world champion Lando Norris endured a difficult start to the weekend. The McLaren driver completed just seven laps before a gearbox problem forced him to stop running. His team-mate Oscar Piastri also encountered trouble on the opening lap and radioed the team: "I've got no power."

The issue triggered a virtual safety car early in the session. Piastri eventually returned to the circuit and recovered to finish sixth. George Russell placed seventh for Mercedes.

New regulations add complexity

The session marked the first proper running under Formula One’s new technical regulations. The updated hybrid power units now split output evenly between combustion power and electric energy.

Because the electrical energy available per lap is limited, drivers must carefully decide when to deploy it and when to recover it through braking.

This balancing act is particularly challenging at the Albert Park Circuit, which features long straights that quickly drain energy but relatively few heavy braking zones to recharge it. The cars have also become smaller and lighter under revised aerodynamic rules.

Further interruptions

The session saw another virtual safety car when Alex Albon stopped his Williams on track and told the team: “I've lost power steering, and everything." After the restart, Leclerc improved his time on the final lap to secure the top position.

Difficult start for Aston Martin and Cadillac

Aston Martin struggled throughout the session. Fernando Alonso did not leave the pits, while Lance Stroll managed only three laps. Team chief Adrian Newey had earlier suggested that severe vibrations linked to the new Honda power unit were causing concerns for both drivers.

Meanwhile, the new entrant Cadillac Formula One Team, had a challenging debut practice. Valtteri Bottas finished 17th, while team-mate Sergio Perez ended the session 20th.

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