The timesheets of the first practice session of the Australian Grand Prix were topped by Lando Norris, followed by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
The wait is over—Formula 1 roared back into action this weekend with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s iconic Albert Park Circuit. Free Practice 1 set the stage as teams and drivers shook down their 2025-spec cars, fine-tuning setups ahead of Sunday’s 58-lap showdown.
Albert Park, a high-speed, semi-street circuit, has seen thrilling moments over the years, from dramatic multi-car crashes to strategic masterclasses. With new tyre compounds from Pirelli, unpredictable weather conditions, and a fierce battle expected between McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull, this opening weekend promises plenty of intrigue.
Green Flag for FP1
The lights turned green and all the drivers except Albon initially went out on the yellow tyres – the mediums.
Lewis Hamilton made a slight braking error at first, the tyres smoked – a lock up was the result. But he continued his first stint in this practice session.
Lando Norris set an initial competitive time of 1:18.765, with Lewis Hamilton initially in second place, +0.325 seconds behind.
Times tumbled quickly, with Oscar Piastri beating the time of Norris and Hamilton, but Leclerc set the fastest time of the first 10 minutes: 1:18.317.
Liam Lawson first made himself noticed by lightly touching the wall at Turn 7 – but he was also able to continue his first run.
Further down the pecking order were Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, who returned to the pits after a few laps to make further changes to their cars.
Esteban Ocon, who switched from Alpine to Haas, radioed that the car felt almost “too smooth” – a positive sign for Haas, who have had some rollercoaster seasons since joining the grid in 2016?
Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly also set times between the suspected frontrunners, with a 1:18.634 and a 1:18.570.
Leclerc set another quick lap with a 1:17.880s. For comparison, last year’s pole time was 1:15.915s, meaning there was still significant pace to be found.
With the track still in its early stages of evolution, grip levels were low. However, as more laps were completed, rubber was laid down, improving traction and leading to faster lap times.
First Red Flag of the season
Red flags were waved with just under 40 minutes on the clock because a large amount of gravel was being thrown up between turns 6 and 7. Among others, Max Verstappen and Alpine rookie Jack Doohan were involved, as both went over the kerbs and took part of the gravel trap with them.
During this break, the Red Bull mechanics took a look at Lawson’s car and checked the underbody to see if there was any potential damage.
Track action returned at the Australian GP
The first to switch to a different tyre compound was Max Verstappen. He used the time to drive the C5 tyre, the red soft. He initially set a 1:17.696, which was not beaten by George Russell on the soft tyre – the Brit was +0.020 seconds slower on this lap.
Peter Bayer of the Racing Bulls told German Sky Sport that they would be focusing on set-up in the first practice session of the Australian GP. However, Bayer’s two drivers, Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda, felt comfortable in the newly painted car so far. Hadjar set a 1:18.218 on the mediums, which earned him a position in the top 10 for a while.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz (now with Williams) also took advantage of the last 25 minutes of the first session and put on their red tyres. Sainz set a 1:17.401, with Leclerc just behind him with a +0.060.
The first crash of the season
Ollie Bearman came over the kerbs in turns 9 and 10 due to oversteer, skidded across the gravel trap and ended up in the barrier.
Most importantly, the young Brit was able to get out unscathed and returned to the pit lane.
The red flag to clear up the car was lifted after about 10 minutes.
The final 10 minutes ticked down
Norris and Tsunoda caused the first exciting moment of the Australian GP after the green flag was waved. Tsunoda was determined to defend his position, blocking Norris to maintain track position. After a few tense and frustrated corners, Norris ultimately backed off, opting to reset and prepare for a push lap after two warm-up laps.
Piastri launched into a hot lap, but his out-lap was compromised as he found himself caught behind the battling pair.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton radioed: “I’m struggling to turn the car.” – he was around 0.600 slower than his teammate Leclerc on one lap.
Shortly before the chequered flag, Norris was able to move back into first place with a 1:17.252.
With 30 seconds left in the session, George Russell was just able to avoid crashing.
Final results
- Lando Norris
- Carlos Sainz
- Charles Leclerc
- Oscar Piastri
- Max Verstappen
- Alex Albon
- George Russell
- Fernando Alonso
- Isack Hadjar
- Lance Stroll
- Yuki Tsunoda
- Lewis Hamilton
- Jack Doohan
- Kimi Antonelli
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Liam Lawson
- Pierre Gasly
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Esteban Ocon
- Oliver Bearman
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Racing
