Lando Norris Shines in Australian Grand Prix Practice as Oliver Bearman Crashes
Lando Norris has kicked off the 2025 Formula 1 season by topping the first practice session at the Australian Grand Prix, showcasing impressive speed amid a challenging day for rookie Oliver Bearman, who experienced a significant crash.
Despite earlier downplaying his status as a pre-season favorite, Norris clocked a remarkable 1:17.252s in the final moments, finishing 0.149 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz, who performed notably well for Williams after transitioning from Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton, now with Ferrari, found himself in 12th place, lagging six tenths behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished the session third. Oscar Piastri showed promise in fourth position, just four tenths off Norris, while Max Verstappen aims for his fifth consecutive drivers’ title from fifth place.
George Russell secured seventh for Mercedes but had a close call, spinning and narrowly avoiding a collision with the barriers at Turn 4.
Bearman’s session took a turn for the worse, causing the second of two red flags. He lost control of his Haas after running off track at Turn 10, resulting in a crash into the barrier. This incident, alongside an earlier interruption to clear gravel from the track, led to nearly one-third of the hour-long session being lost.
Stay tuned for further updates as the Australian Grand Prix weekend unfolds!
| Australian GP Practice One Timesheet: | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:17.252 | |
| 2) Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.149 | |
| 3) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.209 | |
| 4) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.418 | |
| 5) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.444 | |
| 6) Alex Albon | Williams | +0.461 | |
| 7) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.464 | |
| 8) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.484 | |
| 9) Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +0.595 | |
| 10) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.805 | |
| 11) Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +0.809 | |
| 12) Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.819 | |
| 13) Jack Doohan | Alpine | +0.980 | |
| 14) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.138 | |
| 15) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +1.186 | |
| 16) Liam Lawson | Red Bull | +1.203 | |
| 17) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.253 | |
| 18) Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +1.334 | |
| 19) Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.887 | |
| 20) Oliver Bearman | Haas | +2.060 |
Upcoming Schedule for the Australian GP Weekend:
Friday, March 14
- 2:55 AM: F3 Qualifying
- 3:40 AM: Team Principals’ Press Conference
- 4:45 AM: Australian GP Practice Two (session begins at 5 AM)
- 6:25 AM: F2 Qualifying
- 7:15 AM: The F1 Show
Saturday, March 15
- 12:10 AM: F3 Sprint
- 1:10 AM: Australian GP Practice Three (session begins at 1:30 AM)
- 3:10 AM: F2 Sprint
- 4:15 AM: Australian GP Qualifying build-up
- 5:00 AM: AUSTRALIAN GP QUALIFYING
- 7:00 AM: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
- 9:55 PM: F3 Feature Race
Sunday, March 16
- 12:25 AM: F2 Feature Race
- 2:30 AM: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday
- 4:00 AM: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
- 6:00 AM: Australian GP reaction: Chequered Flag
- 7:00 AM: Ted’s Notebook
Stay connected for thrilling coverage of all race weekends in the 2025 Formula 1 season, including the highly anticipated Australian GP.
