Formula 1 returns to the scene for the third round of the season. After the back to back Bahrain – Saudi Arabia which once again saw the Red Bull with two doubles the 2024 cars will tackle the semi-permanent street circuit of Melbourne, Australia. A trip that also involves rather particular times for Europeans. Two out of three free practice sessions are held in the middle of the night, while the race will start at 5:00 in the morning, and this time not on Saturday but on Sunday. There is a lot of anticipation for the return of Formula 1, and above all for one of the 20 protagonists of the weekend: Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari Spaniard had to undergo a delicate operation for appendicitis in Jeddah. Replaced by Bearman who took home seventh place in the race, Sainz is eager to get back on track. But it won't be easy. Even though in fact Carlos had a week of absolute rest for to recover his body's response to the stresses of the single-seater could force him to stop again. But let's see how Sainz and the other drivers approached this first hour on track during free practice 1 in Australia.
Are Verstappen and Red Bull really unbeatable?
Red Bull started the season by winning in a landslide with Max Verstappen chasing a fourth consecutive world title. The Dutchman arrives in Melbourne as the favourite. The Austrian team, despite the internal crisis due to the Horner scandal and the rumors about a possible farewell of Adrian Newey, or of Verstappen himself, also responded with Sergio Perez, achieving two doubles out of two. Only Ferrari at the moment seems capable of exerting some pressure on Red Bull, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc having already achieved a podium each in the first two races. However, the Red still has to find a way to make the rear work well, compensating for the lack of load. In Melbourne he brought a different rear wing but the first major updates will arrive in Imola.
Further back, Mercedes and McLaren arrived in Melbourne with the hope of making significant progress. Especially Mercedes who can't find much inspiration in the W15. The Brackley team is still taking advantage of these more "atypical" circuits to understand the car. Apparently limited to a certain window of use compared to those of the competition. In Melbourne it is difficult to predict a result that does not see Red Bull in the lead. Even if several unknowns can reopen the game. The softer tyres, the risk of red or safety flags increasing on a citizen.
What free practice 1 in Australia tells us
In such a complex scenario, collecting data and becoming familiar with a different circuit is essential. So let's see what happened during free practice 1 in Australia.
The first drivers take to the track on medium tires except for the two Ferraris and the two Red Bulls who take to the soft tyres. Different strategies, also in relation to the modifications made to the various single-seaters to adapt to the particular Melbourne street circuit. After the first quarter of an hour of action we find Max Verstappen in the lead, the only one to go under the minute and 19. We remember the Dutchman, he did not collect a retirement from the 2022 Australian Grand Prix. An element that underlines how much the situation has changed in terms of reliability.
The times in this first free practice session are still high compared to last year's Pole, but the track is gradually improving. Norris is in fact the second driver to dip below the one minute and 19 mark after fitting the soft tyre. McLaren is one of the most anticipated teams, especially given the exploits in the final phase of last season and a start to the 2024 season below expectations.
The first gravel excursion of the weekend belongs to Fernando Alonso who, in an attempt to launch himself, loses control of the AMR24, damaging the surface but managing to keep it away from the walls. An exercise that Stroll in Jeddah failed to achieve. However, compared to Fernando, the Canadian seems to be at ease in this first session, with the fourth time behind Norris, who took the lead after the first half hour, Tsunoda and Perez.
Red flag at the end breaks the pace
There is also no shortage of red flags in this session 15 minutes to go. As in Formula 3 and Formula 2, the session was interrupted in Formula 1 due to Alexander Albon making contact with the wall after running too aggressively over the curb. So a lot of work to do for Williams who will have to try to get the Thai on track for Free Practice 2.
The session resumes for the final 8 minutes. The last 8 minutes for Lando Norris' assault on time. Many still can't find the feeling with the single-seater, with many corrections, also by Verstappen, looking for the limit. In addition to Fernando Alonso, Hamilton is also forced to make some excursions to avoid further problems. The situation at Ferrari a few minutes from the end is rather stable. Sainz, back on track after the operation, closed the session in eighth place. His teammate Leclerc in second. The team will also have to evaluate the Spaniard's condition at the end of the session and of the day.
At the end of the first 60 minutes of free practice the ranking shows the following top 10:
Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Perez, Stroll, Sainz, Hamilton and Piastri.
Then meet at 6:00 for Free Practice 2.
