The start of the 2025 Formula One season kicked off with exhilarating practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix as Lando Norris of McLaren and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari emerged as front runners in Melbourne. On Friday, March 14, 2025, both drivers showcased impressive skills and speed, marking them as significant contenders for the upcoming race.
Norris dominated the opening practice session with an impressive lap time of 1:17.252, securing P1, followed closely by fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, who came in fourth with 1:17.670. The duo's efforts pointed to strong teamwork and competitive spirit. Norris remarked on his performance, stating, "A decent first day back in the car. Good feelings, all in all. We’re struggling a bit with the balance, so we need to make a few changes to get it right." Meanwhile, Piastri expressed optimism, highlighting the productive day: "It was encouraging. We’ve tried a few different things and gathered some good information. I'm excited to see what we can do tomorrow."
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc clocked 1:17.461 and finished third during FP1 before outpacing everyone with 1:16.439, achieving the fastest time in FP2. He shared his insights, stating, "The feeling in the car was good and we had solid sessions overall. There is still some room for balance improvement, which is necessary for everyone across the paddock, but it was a good day." His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, had mixed results, with times of 1:18.071 for P12 and 1:16.859 for P5, noting significant adjustment periods with his new Ferrari: "It’s been a learning day as I continue to understand and get to grips with the new car. We made progress, but there’s still balance work to do overnight."
The Mercedes team, with drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, faced challenges as well. Russell finished FP1 with 1:17.716 for P7 but struggled with the soft tire, posting 1:17.282 for P10 during FP2. Antonelli, rookie on the team, had respectable showings with P14 and P16 for each session respectively, commenting positively on his progress: "It was positive first day for the season, getting more confident with each lap and continuing to build my learning."
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had some difficulties, finishing P5 with 1:17.696 in FP1 and P7 with 1:17.063 in FP2. He acknowledged the struggles saying, "Today the grip wasn't great, and we were struggling on all four tires, particularly in sectors one and three." His teammate Liam Lawson meanwhile, finished P16 with 1:18.455 and P17 with 1:17.640, admitting there is much improvement needed for the qualifying: "Day one on new tracks is expected to be challenging, but not this much."
The Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda demonstrated solid practice runs, finishing P9 and P11 respectively during FP1. Tsunoda later reached P4 in FP2 with 1:16.784. Hadjar, after his first day, stated, "It was good today as I felt comfortable from the first lap and made steady progress, especially on long runs."
Meanwhile, Williams also found themselves competitive, with Carlos Sainz showcasing speed at P2 with 1:17.401 and Alex Albon P6 with 1:17.713 during FP1. Sainz reflected on the mixed results of FP2, noting, "We have some work to do on the softs, but our performance is promising."
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin continued to balance themselves within the top 10 with P8 and P10, respectively, after both practice sessions. Alonso commented on the day, "We're continuing to learn about the AMR25 and have found some positives, but we also have areas to improve."
At the end of the practice sessions, Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra characterized the dynamic nature of the open sessions, emphasizing how tight the competition was among the top teams, with just 1 second separating the top 14 drivers. He also indicated the relatively low level of tire graining compared to last year, which could play a part during tomorrow's qualifying.
The anticipation builds as teams refine their strategies for the first qualifying session, scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 4:00 PM local time. With mixed weather predicted and the pressure rising, it’s clear the upcoming races will be fiercely contested.
Fans eager to catch the action live can do so through various channels, including Sky Sports, ESPN, and local broadcasts down under with Fox Sports and Channel 10.
The Australian Grand Prix has always provided stunning moments, and with drivers like Oscar Piastri, racing for McLaren at his home circuit, expectations are high for thrilling performances.
The race itself, set for Sunday, March 16, promises to be another display of speed, skill, and strategy on the stunning Albert Park Circuit.
This will mark the first full season for several drivers elevated from Formula Two, building excitement for new rivalries and potential breakthroughs. The competitive quality of the field indicates each team will battle for every advantage, making this season one to watch closely.