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Australian GP
F1 Australian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying
Saturday's action from the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park
Over two years on from the cancelled Australian GP due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, F1 returns to a revamped Albert Park.
The key track changes see sections of the circuit widened, the Turn 9-10 chicane taken out to increase speeds in a flowing back section and the entire layout has been resurfaced. All changes have been made in the hope of increasing overtaking opportunities and creating more exciting races.
Sebastian Vettel is back for Aston Martin after missing the opening two races having tested positive for COVID-19 and had an eventful Friday after suffering an engine failure in FP1 which ruled him out of second practice, while he also picked up a €5000 fine for riding a scooter on-track back to the pits after FP1.
F1 world championship leader Charles Leclerc topped Friday practice for Ferrari from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, after Carlos Sainz Jr was fastest in FP1.
Final practice for the Australian GP gets underway at 4am BST (1pm local time), followed by qualifying at 7am BST (4pm local time).
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Summary
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Summary
- Leclerc grabs pole for Australian GP beating the Red Bulls, Sainz only ninth
- A second red flag came when Alonso crashed out at Turn 11 after possible hydraulics problem
- Out in Q2: Gasly, Bottas, Tsunoda, Zhou, Schumacher
- Out in Q1: Albon, Magnussen, Vettel, Latifi, Stroll
- Earlier red flag after a ridiculous crash between Latifi and Stroll
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Leaderboard
- Leclerc, Ferrari, 1m17.868s
- Verstappen, Red Bull, 1m18.154s
- Perez, Red Bull, 1m18.240s
- Norris, McLaren, 1m18.703s
- Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m18.825s
- Russell, Mercedes, 1m18.933s
- Ricciardo, McLaren, 1m19.032s
- Ocon, Alpine, 1m19.061s
- Sainz, Ferrari, 1m19.408s
- Alonso, Alpine, no time
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Hello and welcome to Autosport's latest Formula 1 live text commentary.
It's approaching 4am UK time on a Saturday and we're just beginning live updates so that can only mean one thing, it's qualifying day for the Australian GP!
But, before qualifying begins in just over three hours from now, we've got one final practice session for the teams and drivers to get used to the reconfigured Albert Park layout.
Drivers have described the track modifications as "exciting", although some are sceptical about whether overtaking will actually increase as a result of the tweaks: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-drivers-hail-exciting-new-track-layout-despite-overtaking-scepticism/9718609/
What Friday practice showcased, aside from being an unpleasant reminder to us of just how early in the morning the Australian action is for UK dwellers, is that we've got another enthralling battle on our hands. ALEX KALINAUCKAS has crunched the numbers and looked at the data and believes another thrilling battle between Ferrari and Red Bull could be in store this weekend: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/the-data-that-shows-red-bull-vs-ferrari-in-australia-is-set-for-a-jeddah-repeat/9715469/
One driver unlikely to feature in that lead fight is Sebastian Vettel. It was another difficult day for Aston Martin yesterday as, on his F1 return following a COVID-19 hiatus, Vettel suffered a loss of power in FP1 and had to sit out the entire second session. To compound his misery, he was fined €5000 for commandeering a moped and riding back to the pits on the Albert Park track: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/vettel-fined-for-australian-gp-fp1-scooter-excursion/9716702/
Given that less than perfect start to the 2022 season, it's no wonder the German is waiting for an improvement in Aston's fortunes before christening his latest challenger with its name. Perhaps it will be Eve Moneypenny (although possibly more suited to team-mate Lance Stroll's machine)? Or, if Aston's struggles continue, perhaps Vettel will wave Goodnight with a Mary? We have a bit longer to wait to find out: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/vettel-will-wait-for-more-pace-before-naming-aston-martin-f1-car/9709356/
Breaking news
But enough of that, there's some breaking news ahead of FP3, one of the four DRS zones in place for this weekend has been scrapped amid safety concerns. It's the one from the sweeping Turn 8 right all the way up to the Turn 9 fast left kink
Green flag
And we're now underway as FP3 begins!
We've got three cars straight out onto the track: the two Alfa Romeos and Magnussen's Haas
They're now joined on track by Albon's Williams and the other Haas of Schumacher
But, despite the lack of running at this venue in recent years, there's hardly a flurry of activity at the beginning of this one-hour session. Still just those five cars have headed out so far
In this slow start to the session, one of the other talking points before action got underway was underwear. Yep, you read that right. The FIA is planning a clampdown on what drivers wear underneath their overalls: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/fia-set-for-clampdown-on-f1-driver-underwear/9735344/
The McLarens have now headed out on track, but so far no-one has yet posted a time.
Stopwatch
We do now have a time on the board and it's Norris who has set a 1m21.247s, so still several seconds off yesterday's pace.
Breaking news
Here's the full story on that tweak to the DRS zones for today: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/fia-removes-one-drs-zone-at-albert-park-on-safety-grounds/9735930/
We've now got a flood of other drivers heading out on track, including Vettel - who had so little running on Friday. Both Red Bulls have also headed out
Stopwatch
Perez now goes fractionally faster than Norris's opening benchmark with a 1m21.024s on the mediums, a tenth quicker than what Verstappen manages.
Leclerc, Sainz and Russell are now the latest to experience the overcast conditions at Albert Park but six drivers are still yet to head out in this session.
On that note, Tsunoda is only just getting into his AlphaTauri! Clearly the Japanese is in no rush today
Now we're 15 minutes into the session, several more drivers are venturing out and Russell has become the fourth to post a time - albeit 10s slower than the Red Bulls. The Mercedes may have got off to a slow start this year, but not that slow!
Stopwatch
Leclerc now shoots to the top of the timesheets on the soft tyres, setting a 1m20.689s.
Stopwatch
The benchmark is being continually lowered now as Perez drops it to 1m20.436s as Bottas's Alfa goes second.
Stopwatch
But, as soon as we type that, there's further improvements as it's now Sainz heading Ricciardo at the top of the timesheets
Replays have just shown Perez getting very close to the barriers at the final corner but the Mexican got away with that one.
Stopwatch
It's now Alonso that's quickest, doing a 1m20.119s in his Alpine.
Yellow flag
We've got a yellow flag in sector three and it's because of the struggling Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton - how often have we said that?
Red flag
But now Vettel's dismal weekend has got worse as the Aston has clouted the wall at Turn 10. It never rains but it pours and there's a lot of a damage to the front of that car.
It's going to be a busy few hours for the Aston Martin team as the front suspension has been savaged in that impact. Vettel is now walking across the empty track but no sign of a moped this time after his escapades yesterday.
Quote
Replays show there was a snap of oversteer as Vettel went through Turn 10. "Sorry I lost the car - I had a snap between Turn 9 and 10," he apologises on the radio.
It was good to see Schumacher slowing down immediately after the incident and checking that his compatriot was OK after that shunt.
That red flag has come at a point where four other drivers haven't set a time, while Hamilton's sole effort is an unrepresentative 18s off the pace.
Up at the top of the leaderboard is Hamilton's old rival Alonso, from Sainz, Ricciardo, Perez and Bottas so quite a jumbled order as we approach the mid-point in this session.
Marshals are busy recovering the mangled Aston of Vettel and it shows just how much damage there is to the front of the car. Meanwhile, Vettel has now found a moped but is riding on the back of it and off the track this time!
Vettel, helmet still on, is now deposited back into the paddock. It's not quite the return the four-time champion was looking for this weekend.
Green flag
We're now back under way in Albert Park with all sorts of action among the pack of cars heading out on track.
Yellow flag
And Verstappen is the latest to go off, getting it all wrong at the final corner! But, unlike Vettel, he doesn't hit the barriers
Alonso is still quickest as things stand, but it's now Leclerc up to seocnd from Norris - great to see the McLarens showing some more pace this weekend, with Sainz then heading Bottas
Yellow flag
Russell is now the latest driver to go off! He gets it all wrong at the first corner and has to rejoin partway through the following turn.
Stopwatch
Perez and Leclerc had briefly knocked Alonso off top spot but he's now improved again on the softs with a 1m19.660s - a tenth faster than Perez's best.
By: autosport.com
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