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Piastri second-fastest, Lawson off the pace in Australian GP second practice
Oliver Caffrey, AAP • March 14th, 2025 7:40 pm
McLaren's Oscar Piastri has flown around Albert Park on a thrilling opening day of F1 practice | Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP
Freshly re-signed local hope Oscar Piastri has gone second-fastest in the second practice session of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.
The young Australian star was pipped at the top of the times by Ferrari flyer Charles Leclerc to end Friday's track schedule at Albert Park in Melbourne.
Kiwi driver Liam Lawson was 1.201 seconds behind the pace to be 17th after FP2, his Red Bull Racing teammate Max Verstappen clocked in 0.624 seconds behind his Ferrari rival.
Piastri finished just ahead of his teammate Lando Norris in third as McLaren look to continue their momentum from a superb 2024 that led to them winning the constructors championship.
Norris was fastest in P1 earlier on Friday, as he and Piastri loom as genuine contenders to usurp four-time defending world champion Verstappen this year.
Piastri is aiming to become the first Australian driver to stand on the Albert Park circuit podium.
Alan Jones was the most recent local winner of the Australian GP, back in 1980 at Calder Park Raceway, before the race joined the F1 world championship calendar in 1985.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton responded from a lacklustre first practice as a Ferrari driver, going fifth-fastest in P2.
Hamilton, who described his move from Mercedes to Ferrari as the "most exciting period of my life", is aiming to revive his career after a disappointing previous three years.
Earlier, Haas rookie Oliver Bearman lost a tyre after crashing heavily in P1.
The highly-rated teenager, who made his F1 debut as a reserve driver with Ferrari last year, caused the session to be red-flagged for 10 minutes.
Bearman veered into the gravel, before spinning out and losing control of his car into a wall.
The English driver lost his front right tyre in the incident, but Haas declared over the radio that Bearman's car was "safe".
The 19-year-old failed to make it on track for P2.
Oliver Bearman's first practice session at Albert Park ended early after hitting a wall | Photo: AP
It was the second stoppage of the session after gravel on the track previously caused a red flag less than 10 minutes in.
Carlos Sainz, who claimed a surprise victory in Melbourne last year, set the second-fastest lap in his first round racing for Williams after exiting Ferrari ahead of Hamilton's arrival.
Hamilton's new teammate at Ferrari, Leclerc, was third.
The 40-year-old Brit was only one spot ahead of Australian Jack Doohan, who is preparing for his first GP as a full-time driver with Alpine.
Organisers were thrilled with a record crowd - 125,548 - for a Friday session in Melbourne.
A third practice session and qualifying will take place on Saturday, when the temperature is expected to reach 37 degrees.
But heavy rain is expected to fall ahead of the race on Sunday.
