Australian GP: Oscar Piastra fastest in practice three as Lewis Hamilton is just eighth ahead of qualifying | F1 news
Oscar Piastra surpassed the final practice for McLaren at the Australian Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton was only eighth ahead of his Ferrari qualification debut.
Top teams appeared closely in the last 60 minutes of training in the introductory circle of the Formula One season, but Piastra, who tried to win for the first time in his home race, which is at the top of the time table at the top with 1: 15,921.
The Australians put it on just 0.039 away from the Mercedes George Russell, and the ruling world champion Max Verstappen is also within a tenth of a second of the leading time for Red Bull.
Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris also owned a strong pace, but he was only 10. After throwing out in the last circle sector, which looked set to put him at least in the first three.
Ferrari appeared on Friday as McLaren’s most likely challengers, but they were some kind, because Friday at Temp Leclerc, he could only manage the fourth, ending 0.267 with Piastra, while complaining about too much overd this.
Hamilton was less vocal over team radio, but it seemed like he had experienced similar struggles while blowing the final qualifying simulation at the final moments of the session with an error in the first sector, leaving the sevenfold world champion almost half a second of the pace in eighth.
Italian teenager Andre Kimi Antonelli – Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes after his move to Ferrari – produced a solid show that requested fifth place.
Williams has strengthened its status such as the central detachment that is most likely to cause the four best four in qualifying, as Carlos Sainz dropped teammates Alex Albona in sixth place.
While Verstappen, which persecutes the fifth consecutive driver’s title, showed a significant improvement on Friday, his new teammate Liam Lawson was on his way to just two rounds before the edition of the power unit ended the session early.
British rookie Oliver Bearman continued the nightmare to start his first full season at F1, as the second accident left him extremely ready for qualifications in the same day.
Bearman, who missed all the other practice on Friday after damaging his car with a large drop in the introductory session, this time he inserted his Haas into a gravel trap after immersing the wheel on his approach to turn 11.
Although the car seemed to avoid any greater damage to the incident and should be ready for qualifications, Bearman managed to participate in just 40 minutes from three hours of practice.
Sky Sports F1 -ov Australian GP -ASA LIVE
Saturday, March 15th
- 4.15: 00: Australian GP qualifying buildup*
- 5:00: Australian qualifying GP -A*
- 7:00: TED -O’s qualifying notebook*
7.30: 00: Australian reprise GP for qualification* (9:00 on Sky Showcase) - 21.55: F3 Race features*
Sunday 16th March
- 12.25: 00: F2 Race features*
- 2.30 hours: Australian GP Building-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 4:00: Australian Grand Prix*
- 6:00: Australian reaction GP -a: Plated flag*
- 7:00: Ted’s notebook*
- 7.55pm: Australian reproduction of GP race
- 10:00: Australian GP prominent (also on Sky Showcase)
- 7:00 pm: Villeneuve Pironi – Racing’s Compled Tragedy
*Also at the main event Sky Sports
Check out all 24 racing weekends from the Formula 1 2025 Live Season Sky Sports F1Starting from the Australian GP from March 14 to March 16. Stream Sky Sports with now – No Treaty, cancel anytime
