Ferrari is overwhelming in Melbourne: Leclerc's best time shocked!

Ferrari is overwhelming in Melbourne: Leclerc's best time shocked!

The Formula 1 Grand Prix of Australia in Melbourne promises to be an exciting weekend after the first training sessions were completed on Friday, March 14, 2025. Charles Leclerc drove the best time of the day in Ferrari, while Max Verstappen remained behind the expectations in the new Red Bull.

Leclerc set the fastest round in the second training session (FP2) and showed that he was on the right track. Oscar Piatri and Lando Norris von McLaren followed in places second and three with times of 1: 16.563 and 1: 16.580 minutes. Verstappen, on the other hand, could only reach a seventh place, with a gap of 0.624 seconds to Leclerc, which apparently frustrated him. The champion explained that he had difficulty with vehicle balance and grip and that the team had to find more speed to be competitive. "We are not the fastest at the moment, patience is in demand," said Verstappen after training, such as Speedweek reported.

Verstappen and the competition

Max Verstappen drove to fifth in the first training session (FP1) and was 0.444 seconds slower than Lando Norris, who set up the best time in this session with 1: 17.252 minutes. Carlos Sainz, who now drives in Williams, also drew attention to himself by taking second place in the first training session. In the second session, Yuki Tsunoda from the Racing Bulls also showed a strong performance and ended up in fourth place.

Lewis Hamilton, who is traveling in the second Ferrari, was able to improve in fifth place in the second training session in the first training session. The seven -time world champion strives to become his eighth title to become a record world champion alone. Nico Hülkenberg also collected positive impressions and improved from 18th to eighth place in second training.

accident and further developments

The day was also overshadowed by an accident when Oliver Berman had an incident in the first training session. This led to additional challenges because the teams had to ensure that they were able to optimally prepare their cars for the upcoming sessions.

The upcoming races could be shaped by the different performance of the teams in the training units, as the statistics of the current season show, which can be read on Motorsport-Magazin . Carlos Sainz will continue to be under observation, while Williams team boss James Vowles warns for caution.

The training in Melbourne has shown that the competition in Formula 1 2025 is intense. The teams are working hard to improve their performance while the drivers are preparing for the upcoming challenges. Whether Leclerc, Piatri or the other drivers who start at the weekend can keep their placements.