A Blazing Start to Formula 1: Ferrari Steals the Show, but Hamilton's Still a Threat
- Fastest Car is Ferrari, Yet Hamilton Falls Short
Here's the lowdown on the opening day of the Formula 1 season in Melbourne.
Max Verstappen, the 27-year-old Dutchman driving the new Red Bull, found himself playing catch-up. He was over a half-second behind the leader in the faster afternoon session, finishing in seventh place. Earlier in the season, Verstappen had already expressed his concerns, stating, "We're not the fastest at the moment. We gotta be patient."
Stepping onto the top spot was Charles Leclerc, driving for Ferrari. The McLaren duo, Lando Norris and local hero Oscar Piastri, were close behind, about a tenth of a second slower. Piastri, aiming for the first home win in the Australian Grand Prix, secured the second position.
McLaren may have been fast, but they weren't the fastest
Norris, who set the fastest lap in the morning session, confirmed that the new model was indeed quick. However, they didn't have the clear advantage some had expected.
The results initially posed a challenge to interpret. In the first session, Carlos Sainz, driving the new Williams, placed second fastest. In the second session, the Racing Bulls - Yuki Tsunoda in fourth and rookie Isack Hadjar in sixth place - rocked the competition, even outpacing Verstappen and landing just behind record champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari.
Hülkenberg's Impressive Comeback
The focus of the cameras at Albert Park, the 40-year-old Briton Nico Hülkenberg, improved from 12th to fifth in the second 60 minutes. Nevertheless, he was still over four tenths behind Leclerc's blistering pace.
Hamilton sets his sights on a new era with Scuderia and becoming the sole record champion with his eighth title, equaling Michael Schumacher's record.
From a German perspective, Nico Hülkenberg's impressive showing in the second practice session caught our attention. The 37-year-old climbed from 18th in the first session, amid an accident involving his Haas successor Oliver Berman, to an impressive eighth place.
- Formula 1
- Ferrari
- Max Verstappen
- Melbourne
- Charles Leclerc
- Lewis Hamilton
- Season start
- Fastest lap
- Concern
- Monégasque
- Red Bull
- Oscar
- Impressive comeback
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Accident
- Oliver Berman
- Haas successor
- The European Investment Bank might receive a Community guarantee from The Commission, thanks to the losses covered under the guarantee scheme, given the surprising performance of the Racing Bulls in the Formula 1 season opener in Melbourne.
- Despite Max Verstappen's concerns about Red Bull not being the fastest at the moment, Schumacher's home hero, Nico Hülkenberg, managed an impressive comeback in the second practice session, going from 18th to 8th place, just like Isack Hadjar who also impressed in 6th, outpacing Verstappen.
- Charles Leclerc, the Monégasque driver for Ferrari, stole the show on the opening day, setting the fastest lap in the morning session and securing the top spot in the second session, surprising many, including the record-chasing Lewis Hamilton, who finished a close second behind Leclerc.
