Leclerc blazes down under

Melbourne, Australia (AFP) — Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc powered to the quickest time ahead of Oscar Piastri in second practice at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Friday, with Lewis Hamilton fifth and Max Verstappen only seventh.

Leclerc outshone new teammate Hamilton with a best lap round Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit of one minute 16.439 seconds on soft tires, 0.124 clear of McLaren’s Piastri.

Monaco’s Leclerc set the pace with 25 minutes to go and no one could catch him, with the other McLaren of Lando Norris third ahead of surprise package Yuki Tsunoda in an RB.

“It’s too early to come to any conclusions,” Leclerc said.

“We will only get a first idea of the respective pace of all the teams in qualifying.

“All in all it was a good day and we look forward to tomorrow, when we want to target pole position.”

Seven-time world champion Hamilton was fifth as he gradually adjusts to life in a new car after his shock move to Ferrari from Mercedes after 12 years.

The Briton cautioned this week that everything at Scuderia was different and there could be a transition period while he settles in.

He was better than in first practice, where he came 12th, but still 0.420 seconds behind his teammate.

“We were not completely satisfied with FP1 but we made some good progress in FP2 and got some solid longer runs in, which was important,” Hamilton said.

Rookie Isack Hadjar came sixth in the second RB ahead of world champion Verstappen, who clocked 10 laps fewer than Leclerc as he pitted for fine-tuning.

Verstappen is chasing a second win in Australia after his 2023 victory to kickstart his bid for a fifth consecutive world title, a feat only Michael Schumacher has achieved.

More pace

“Today the grip wasn’t great and we were struggling on all four tires, particularly in sector one and in the final sector,” said the Dutchman.

“It feels like we are not up there at the moment but we will work to find more pace.”

His new teammate Liam Lawson, who took over from the axed Sergio Perez, fared even worse, slumping to 17th.

Mercedes also struggled with George Russell 10th and Kimi Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton, 16th.

But McLaren, who took the constructors’ title last season, was content, with Norris calling it “a decent first day back in the car.”

“Good feelings all in all,” said the Briton, who is the bookmakers’ favorite to win the world title this year after pressing Verstappen hard in 2024.

On a perfect Melbourne afternoon, Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto led the way out of the pits as the lights went green, but it was Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who set the opening time.

All the drivers started on medium tires except Mercedes, who opted for hard tires, and Norris quickly surpassed Gasly to go top.

But that was soon bettered by Russell, then Williams’ Carlos Sainz as they jockeyed for places.

The times kept coming down with Leclerc, the first under 1:17 with a Ferrari 1-2 after 20 minutes, after Hamilton surged second before all the cars pitted.

Most teams came out on soft tires and Norris again asserted control with Verstappen a lowly 15th at the halfway point.

But Leclerc pounced soon after to take the lead and despite Piastri going close, he could not be toppled.

In an eventful first practice that was red-flagged twice, Haas rookie Ollie Bearman smashed into the barriers and lost his rear right wheel in an accident that left debris littering the track.

He climbed out uninjured, but the car was such a mess that he failed to show up for second practice.

Norris topped first practice ahead of Sainz.