In a minor boost before qualifying at Albert Park, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in the final free practice at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix on Saturday. Leclerc, who was also the quickest in the second practice session on Friday, clocked a time of one minute 16:714 seconds with his final flying lap around the street circuit.
His time was 0.02 seconds better than Red Bull’s world champion, Max Verstappen. Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz initially held the top spot with a fast time on medium tyres but ended up third-quickest ahead of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who posted his best time on soft tyres after struggling on the compound.
Hamilton’s teammate George Russell, who expressed frustration on the team radio about always encountering Hamilton on flying laps, managed to secure the fifth quickest time. Fernando Alonso came in sixth for Aston Martin, followed by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in seventh and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in eighth place.
Lance Stroll from Aston Martin had the ninth-fastest time, with Lando Norris from McLaren rounding out the top 10. Alex Albon, who had to swap into Williams teammate Logan Sargeant’s car after wrecking his own during Friday’s practice, had a small skid at turn nine and complained about his rear tyres being “totally gone.” Despite this, he finished with the 13th fastest lap.
The final free practice session provided valuable insights for the teams ahead of qualifying, with Leclerc showing promising pace. The competition between Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes continued to be intense, with each team pushing hard to gain an advantage.
As the drivers prepare for qualifying, the stage is set for an exciting battle for pole position at the Australian Grand Prix. The fans eagerly anticipate seeing which driver will come out on top and establish an early advantage in the championship standings.
With changing track conditions and unpredictable weather, the qualifying session promises to be a thrilling affair, with drivers pushing their cars to the limit in search of the fastest lap time. Stay tuned for more updates as the drama unfolds at Albert Park.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Gerry Doyle)
