Oscar Piastri led the final practice for McLaren at the Grand Prix Australian after Lewis Hamilton was only eight ahead of his qualifying debut Ferrari.
The best teams appeared closely in the last 60 minutes of the practice in the formula 1 season opening, but it was the piastri, seeking to win his home race for the first time, which led the time sheet with a 1: 15,921.
This placed Australian only 0.039s clear by Mercedes’s George Russell, with the reign of the world champion Max Verstappen also within a tenth and a second of the main time for Red Bull.
Piastri’s teammate, Lando Norris, also possessed a strong pace, but it was only 10th after giving bail in the last sector of a lap that seemed determined to place it at least in the first three.
Ferrari appeared on Friday to be McLaren’s most likely challenger, but were out of sorts as Friday’s new Leclerc could only manage the fourth, finishing 0.267 back from the piastre as he complained of many overvalues.
Hamilton was less vocal about Radio Team, but it seemed to suffer similar battles while exploding a recent qualifying simulation in the closing moments of the session with a mistake in the first sector, leaving the seven -time champion almost half a second at the pace at eight.
Italian young Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Hamilton’s replacement in Mercedes after his blocking movement in Ferrari – produced a strong show to demand the fifth.
Williams cemented their status as the midfield team will most likely challenge the top four teams set in qualification while Carlos Sainz brought out the Alex Albon teammate.
While Verstappen, who is attending a fifth consecutive driver’s title, showed significant improvement after fighting Friday, his new teammate Liam Lawson was on track for just two laps before an energy unit issue ended early.
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The Craig Slater rounds up the best of action you may have lost from Friday’s practice at the Australian Grand Prix.
British Rookie Oliver Bearman continued a nightmare in his first full season in F1, as a second accident in so many days left him under prepared to qualify.
Bearman, who lost all the second practice on Friday after damaging his car with a large collision at the opening session, this time rolled his Haas in a gravel trap after plunging a wheel on his approach to turn 11.
While the car seemed to avoid any major injury from the incident and should be ready to qualify, Bearman has been able to participate in just 40 minutes of three hours of practice.
Direct GP Australian program of Sky Sports F1
Saturday March 15
- 4.15AM: Australian GP GP Remembrance **
- 5 Morning: Australian Qualification GP*
- 7 Morning: TED Qualifying Notebook*
7.30AM: Replay Australian GP Qualifying* (9 morning on Sky Showcase) - 9.55 Afternoon: F3 Characteristics Race*
Sunday March 16
- 12.25AM: F2 Characteristics Race*
- 2.30AM: Australian GP Construction: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 4 morning: Australian Grand Prix*
- 6 Breakfast: Australian reaction GP: Controlled Flag*
- 7 Morning: TED Notebook*
- 7.55 Morning: Australian Review GP Gara
- 10:00: Main Points of Australian GP (Also on Sky Showcase)
- 7 Afternoon: Villeneuve Pironi – Untold’s Racing Tragedy
*Also in the main event of Sky Sports
Look at all 24 weekends from Formula 1 season 1 2025 Sky Sports F1Starting with the Australian doctor on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with now – without contract, cancel at any time
