The current Formula 1 champion, Max Verstappen, only managed to secure second place in terms of speed, well behind Leclerc, while Carlos Sainz came in third.
Verstappen had to sit out for 20 minutes during FP2 because the floor of his RB20 needed to be replaced after he damaged it by running over a kerb in the first practice session.
Although it is still too early to make a definitive judgment, Ferrari seems to have the advantage in qualifying, at least for now. However, Verstappen is expected to be the driver to beat in terms of race pace on Sunday, setting the stage for an interesting race in Australia.
Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso completed the top five, showing that the green cars also performed well at the Albert Park circuit.
On the other hand, Mercedes seemed to be facing difficulties, especially Lewis Hamilton, while George Russell managed to secure sixth place, surpassing his teammate who finished 18th.
The McLarens seemed to be behind the Mercedes, specifically Russell, while Yuki Tsunoda showed a strong performance in the RB, once again outperforming his teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
FP1 was a chaotic session, with drivers losing control of their cars along the track and many damaging their floors. Unfortunately, Alex Albon ended up hitting the wall and had to sit out FP2. Not an ideal start to the Thai driver’s race weekend in Australia.
The worrying news for Williams is that they do not have a spare chassis with them in Melbourne, which could be problematic if Albon’s chassis is damaged.
The first seven drivers were separated by just a tenth of a second in the first practice session, so it is expected that this tight competition will continue throughout the rest of the weekend. However, Verstappen and Red Bull are likely to have not yet unleashed their full potential, so expect them to dominate.
Ferrari also showed promise with Leclerc, although Sainz is still adapting to his car with some modifications made to his seat and seat belts to improve his comfort, as he is not fully recovered yet.
With Lando Norris setting the fastest time, it seems that McLaren currently has the edge over Mercedes this weekend. Hamilton did not seem to be in tune with his W15, unlike Russell, who once again had a better performance. However, this changed at the end of FP2.
The weather conditions remained clear for FP2, although a bit warmer, with ambient temperatures reaching 20 degrees Celsius and track temperatures rising to 37 degrees.
While most drivers quickly went out on track, Verstappen remained in the garage, with his RB20 suspended on stands while mechanics worked to repair the floor he damaged in FP1.
Another disappointed spectator this afternoon 😖
Max Verstappen has not ventured out yet – his car is being repaired after suffering floor damage in FP1#AusGP pic.twitter.com/wcexRHbV3x
– Formula 1 (@F1) March 22, 2024
Hamilton quickly had a small loss of control coming out of Turn 1, at the same spot where he had an unstable moment during FP1, while still working to find his comfort zone in his W15 car.
If you missed it, take a look at Hamilton’s off-track incident in FP1 below.
Check out the highlights from the thrilling first session of the weekend at Albert Park 🎥👇#F1 #AusGP
– Formula 1 (@F1) March 22, 2024
All drivers started the session on medium tires, with Alonso initially leading the pack, followed by Norris and Stroll in second and third place, respectively. This happened ten minutes after the start of the session.
Leclerc also joined the group of drivers who had a moment off track, going off at Turn 10, with his SF-24 car hitting the kerbs quite hard.
The order quickly changed, with Leclerc taking the lead, over four tenths of a second faster than Sergio Perez in second place, while Alonso dropped to third. This happened 15 minutes after the start of the session.
And just to scare the Williams team, Logan Sargeant spun 360 degrees coming out of Turn 11, narrowly avoiding hitting the wall or a nearby car.
As the session approached the 20-minute mark, Verstappen was getting ready to get into his car, with the mechanics making final adjustments.
Qualifying simulations soon began, with Alonso being the first to switch to soft tires and go out for a qualifying simulation. However, he could only secure the second fastest time, unable to beat Leclerc’s previous time on medium tires. It was a messy lap for the Spaniard, as he hit the kerbs hard at Turn 8, but managed to continue unlike Albon earlier.
Stroll, also on a qualifying simulation with soft tires, ended up going faster than his teammate, but made a mistake in the penultimate corner, resulting in a ninth place.
With 37 minutes remaining, Verstappen finally hit the track on medium tires, but his first timed lap only placed him in 19th position.
Look who’s here 👋
Max Verstappen joined us with 35 minutes remaining in the session #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/sKUC9SqJgp
– Formula 1 (@F1) March 22, 2024
Russell, in the middle of the session, had a moment at Turn 1, similar to Hamilton’s earlier incident. There were reports of tailwinds in that area, but Mercedes is facing instability in the rear of their cars.
Drivers continued with their qualifying simulations, with more of them opting to use the soft tires. Several drivers took turns occupying the top position.
Verstappen had an incident with Zhou Guanyu, which left him dissatisfied. A team radio replay revealed that Zhou’s engineer warned him about Red Bull’s approach, but it was too late. “Too late, man,” Zhou commented.
Hamilton’s struggles with his W15 persisted, as he had another off-track moment with 25 minutes remaining and decided to abandon his first qualifying simulation.
With 20 minutes remaining, Verstappen finally began his qualifying simulation with the soft tires, but his initial time was only good enough for third place, with Leclerc in first and Sainz in second at that moment.
After a brief pit stop and a second lap, the three-time F1 champion managed to improve his time and move up to second place, but still couldn’t match Leclerc’s time.
Once the qualifying simulations were completed, teams turned their attention to race simulations in the final ten minutes of the session.
Leclerc had a moment at Turn 1, losing control of his SF-24 due to the tailwind and going straight into the run-off area.
Hamilton then inquired with his team about the lap times set by other drivers. The engineer’s feedback was not encouraging, prompting the British driver to respond: “Something’s wrong.”
Shortly after, Stroll had another incident, running off track and into the escape area on the penultimate lap after locking up the tires heavily.
Leclerc set a lap time of 1:17.277 to secure the fastest time, with Verstappen coming in second, 0.381s behind. However, Leclerc’s time was still over half a second slower than Verstappen’s pole time at the same location in 2023.
Sainz was only half a tenth slower than Verstappen in third place, and 0.115s faster than Stroll, who secured the fourth fastest time in the Aston Martin.
Alonso was nearly a tenth behind his teammate in fifth place, and only 0.039s faster than Russell, who finished sixth in the Mercedes.
Oscar Piastri was the fastest of the McLaren drivers, finishing seventh and staying 0.800s off the pace, with Perez in the second Red Bull just 0.013s behind in eighth place.
Lando Norris finished ninth, 0.078s slower than his teammate, and 0.033s faster than Tsunoda in tenth.
Ricciardo settled for 12th place, behind the impressive Zhou in 11th, while Hamilton was 1.557s off the pace in 18th position, unable to achieve a satisfactory qualifying simulation.
© 2024
Football star Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in Portugal’s 4-2 victory over the Netherlands in Sunday’s football friendly. Ronaldo showcased his skill and leadership by scoring three goals and helping his team secure the win. With this impressive performance, Ronaldo continues to prove his worth as one of the best football players in the world.
The first goal from Ronaldo came at 32 minutes of the first half, when he took advantage of a perfect cross and headed the ball into the back of the net. He showed his speed and skill by dribbling past the Dutch defenders and scoring his second goal at 57 minutes. The third goal came at 84 minutes, when Ronaldo perfectly converted a penalty and secured the victory for Portugal.
In addition to the goals, Ronaldo also showed his leadership ability by motivating his teammates and creating goal-scoring opportunities. His presence on the field is always a threat to opponents, as he possesses a unique combination of strength, speed, and technical skill.
With this victory, Portugal demonstrates its strength as a competitive and promising team. Ronaldo’s performance will certainly be a boost for the team before the upcoming challenges. Football fans around the world are eager to see more brilliant moments from Ronaldo and follow his continuous success in the sport.
In summary, Cristiano Ronaldo shone in the friendly match between Portugal and the Netherlands, scoring a hat-trick and helping his team secure the victory. His skill, leadership, and presence on the field are undeniable, solidifying his status as one of the best football players in the world. Football fans are excited to see what the future holds for Ronaldo and his team.
