Formula 1
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc got in the mood for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne with the best time of the day in training. The Monegasque drove 0.381 seconds faster in the second session on Friday than world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull.
22.03.2024 08.45
Online since today, 8:45 a.m
Third was Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz, 0.430 seconds behind. There should no longer be any doubts about the fitness of the Spaniard, who was forced to watch in Saudi Arabia because of an appendectomy.
In the first training session, Lando Norris set the fastest time in the McLaren. The Brit relegated Verstappen and Mercedes man George Russell to second and third place. The time gaps were extremely small: Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, for example, was in sixth place, only 0.078 seconds slower than the leading man.
Albon’s accident
An accident involving Williams driver Alexander Albon initially caused a longer interruption. The English-born driver with a Thai license lost control of his car in turn six and crashed into the track wall. Albon wrecked his car, but was able to get out on his own. After an interruption of around ten minutes due to rescue work, the training continued.
APA/AFP/Martin Keep Albon’s training ended early after a crash
World champion Verstappen will be aiming for his tenth win in a row across all seasons on Sunday (5:00 a.m. CET). If the Dutchman also finishes in first place in Australia, he would have equaled his own record from last season.
Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne
Second free practice: 1. Charles Leclerc MON Ferrari 1:17.277 2. Max Verstappen NED Red Bull + 0.381 3. Carlos Sainz ESP Ferrari 0.430 4. Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin 0.545 5. Fernando Alonso ESP Aston Martin 0.635 6. George Russell GBR Mercedes 0.674 7. Oscar Piastri AUS McLaren 0.800 8. Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull 0.813 9. Lando Norris GBR McLaren 0.878 10. Yuki Tsunoda JPN RB 0.911 11. Zhou Guanyu CHN Kick Sauber 1.144 12. Daniel Ricciardo AUS RB 1.257 13. Logan Sargeant USA Williams 1.301 14. Valtteri Bottas Fin Kick clean 1.308 15. Pierre Gasly Fra Alpine 1,414 16. Nico Hülkenberg Ger Haas 1.425 17. Esteban Ocon Fra Alpine 1,428 18. Lewis Hamilton GbR Mercedes 1.557 19. Kevin Magnussen Den Haas 1.98 20. THA Williams no time First Free Practice: 1. Lando Norris GBR McLaren 1:18.564 2. Max Verstappen NED Red Bull + 0.018 3. George Russell GBR Mercedes 0.033 4. Charles Leclerc MON Ferrari 0.035 5. Yuki Tsunoda JPN RB 0.057 6. Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull 0.078 7. Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin 0.103 8. Carlos Sainz ESP Ferrari 0.122 9. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 0.207 10. Oscar Piastri AUS McLaren 0.354 11. Daniel Ricciardo AUS RB 0.710 12. Alexander Albon THA Williams 0.879 13. Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas 0.925 14. Logan Sargeant USA Williams 0.955 15. Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine 0.997 16. Nico Hülkenberg GER Haas 1.040 17. Pierre Gasly FRA Alpine 1.058 18. Fernando Alonso ESP Aston Martin 1.152 19. Zhou Guanyu CHN Kick Sauber 1.425 20 .Valtteri Bottas FIN Kick Clean 1,450
