Oscar Piastri of McLaren claimed the top position in the final practice session at the Australian Grand Prix, marking a significant highlight as Lewis Hamilton finished eighth ahead of his debut in Ferrari qualifying. Piastri, aiming for his first win at his home race, clocked a time of 1:15.921, a mere 0.039 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen followed closely, just within a tenth of a second behind, driving for Red Bull.
Lando Norris, Piastri’s teammate, showcased strong speed but ended the session tenth after a costly mistake in the final sector, which prevented him from capitalizing on a potential top-three finish. Ferrari, once seen as a strong contender against McLaren, struggled during this session as Charles Leclerc, Friday’s pace-setter, could only achieve fourth place, 0.267 seconds behind Piastri, citing issues with oversteer.
Hamilton, less vocal on team radio, faced his own challenges, unable to complete a final qualifying simulation due to an error that left him nearly half a second off the pace. Meanwhile, Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton at Mercedes, delivered a commendable performance finishing fifth.
Williams solidified their status as a competitive midfield team, with Carlos Sainz narrowly edging out teammate Alex Albon for sixth place. Verstappen showed notable improvement compared to Friday’s struggles, while his new teammate Liam Lawson faced setbacks with a power unit issue that curtailed his session after just two laps.
British rookie Oliver Bearman continued to encounter difficulties in his F1 debut season, spinning his Haas into a gravel trap after a prior crash had already limited his practice time. Despite avoiding major damage, Bearman’s preparations for qualifying have been significantly impacted, having participated in only 40 minutes of the practice sessions.
Australian GP Practice Three Timesheet
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:15.921 |
| 2) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.039 |
| 3) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.081 |
| 4) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.267 |
| 5) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.285 |
| 6) Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.331 |
| 7) Alex Albon | Williams | +0.337 |
| 8) Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.457 |
| 9) Yuki Tsunoda | RB | +0.534 |
| 10) Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.676 |
| 11) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +0.786 |
| 12) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.798 |
| 13) Isack Hadjar | RB | +0.811 |
| 14) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1.027 |
| 15) Jack Doohan | Alpine | +1.072 |
| 16) Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +1.225 |
| 17) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.349 |
| 18) Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.452 |
| 19) Oliver Bearman | Haas | No time set |
| 20) Liam Lawson | Red Bull | No time set |
Upcoming Schedule for the Australian GP
Saturday, March 15
- 4:15 AM: Australian GP Qualifying build-up
- 5:00 AM: AUSTRALIAN GP QUALIFYING
- 7:00 AM: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
- 7:30 AM: Australian GP Qualifying Replay (9 AM on Main Event)
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
- 7:55 AM: Australian GP race replay
- 10:00 AM: Australian GP highlights
- 7:00 PM: Villeneuve Pironi – Racing’s Untold Tragedy
