Lando Norris topped the first exercise in the 2025 Formula 1 season on the Australian Grand Prix as British rookie Oliver Bearsman suffered a big crash.
Norris had played his and McLaren’s status as favorites before the season on Thursday, but flashed some of the results that many expect to give Brit a great opportunity to demand his virgin F1 title.
He set a time of 1: 17,252s for the reigning designers in the final moments of the session to end the 0.149s free of Carlos Sainz, who impressed Williams after his move from Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton was only 12. In his first race weekend session for Ferrari and ended six tenths of a second behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who was third.
The seven-time world champion, whose first practice performance for Ferrari was the center of attention after his move from Mercedes, said over Team Radio that he “fought” to reverse SF-25.
Oscar Piastri was four tenths of his McLaren teammate Norris at the fourth, while Max Verstappen was marginally further back in fifth place for Red Bull as he began his search for a fifth consecutive driver’s title.
Alex Albon backed up Sainz’s speed by taking sixth to Williams, while George Russell ended seventh to Mercedes, survived a late scare as he spun after driving onto the grass by turning 4 and managed to stop his car just below barriers.
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Karun Chandhok breaks down what happened during the first exercise session on the Australian Grand Prix.
Bearman, who runs in his first full campaign after performing three race performances last season, caused the second of two red flags during the session as he ran into the gravel at the end of turning 10 and then slammed into the barrier after failing to regain control of his Haas when it came from the trap.
Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle said, “He just missed the tip, ran wide. I think he didn’t know so early enough was probably a little too gung-ho and thought he would save it.
“It was a little too confidential and it will have knocked some of this confidence.”
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Liam Lawson gets a little too close to barriers in his Red Bull under P1 of the Australian GP.
This interruption along with a previous delay to allow gravel to be removed from the track where it had been kicked up by cars ran off line on Turn 6 meant that almost a third of the hour -long session was lost.
Liam Lawson, who starts his first full campaign with Verstappen at Red Bull, who has previously appeared in 11 races for the Junior Squad Racing Bulls for the past two years, survived an early afraid of his own after kissing the wall at Turn 9, before finally ending 16.
Isack Hadjar ended the highest of the six rookies and took ninth to Racing bulls. Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Sauber’s Gabriel Leftoleto were 13, 14 and 15.
Sky Sports F1’s Live Australian GP Plan
Friday 14. March
- 2.55: F3 Qualification*
- 3.40: Team Principals’ press conference
- 4.45: The Australian GP practice two (session begins at 05.00)*
- 06.25: F2 Qualification*
- 7.15: F1 -Show*
Saturday, March 15th
- 12.10: F3 SPRINT*
- 1.10: Australian GP practice three (session begins at 1.30)*
- 3.10: F2 SPRINT*
- 04.15: Australian GP-qualifying Building*
- 05:00: Australian GP qualification*
- 07:00: Teds qualifying notebook*
- 7.30pm: Australian GP -Qualification PLAY* (9 am at Sky Showcase)
- 21.55: F3 FEATURE RACE*
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Strategy alytics and former Aston Martin leader of strategy Bernie Collins breaks down your best chances of winning the F1 calendar opening, the Australian Grand Prix
Sunday 16 March
- 12.25: F2 Feature Race*
- 2.30: Australian GP-Building: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 04:00: The Australian Grand Prix*
- 06:00: Australian GP -Reafreaf: Controlled Flag*
- 07:00: Teds Notebook*
- 7.55: Australian GP Race Replay
- 10:00 pm: Australian GP -Height Points (also on Sky Showcase)
- 19:00: Villeneuve Pironi – Racing’s countless tragedy
*Also on Sky Sports Main Event
See all 24 races weekends from 2025 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1From the Australian GP this weekend. Stream Sky Sports With Now – No Contract, Cancel anytime