F1

Two years after the Australian Grand Prix was scrapped, Formula One returns Down Under to an upgraded Albert Park in Melbourne.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is 12 points clear of team mate Carlos Sainz after two races. Hamilton has been on pole in Melbourne for the last six editions and eight times in total (2008, 2012, 2014 to 2019), a record for the race. The lowest starter to win was Britain's Eddie Irvine from 11th in 1999 for Ferrari. Fifteen of the 24 races in Melbourne have been won from the front row. This year's race will be the 25th to be held at Albert Park, and 36th Australian Grand Prix. It was held in Adelaide, as the final race of the year, between 1985 and 1995. "Of course I enjoy the battles but I'm also more focused on actually trying to make the car better and to get a better feeling in the car, and then hopefully we don't need to battle in every single race." In its first upgrade in a quarter of a century, Albert Park has been re-surfaced and had corners removed to encourage passing and hopefully put an end to processional race-days.

Carlos Sainz was half a second up on Charles Leclerc in opening practice for teh Australian GP with Sergio Perez P3.

18 Kevin Magnussen Haas 3.380s 18 laps (soft) 14 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1.895s 26 laps (soft) 12 George Russell Mercedes 1.651s 26 laps (soft) 11 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1.483s 26 laps (soft) With the session back underway, Russell left the pits as Norris was coming down – a borderline unsafe release that was apparently the Mercedes driver’s fault as he ignored his team. 7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1.221s 26 laps (soft) “Tyres are a bit gone,” reported the Ferrari driver. 2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 0.571s 21 laps (soft) Hamilton was up to fourth, seven-tenths off the pace. 1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:19.806 24 laps (soft) There was then more complaints about other drivers, this time from Guanyu Zhou, who felt Sainz had “blocked” him. He ventured out 12 minutes into the session.

Carlos Sainz comfortably had the measure of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc and the Red Bull duo to top first practice ahead of Formula 1's 2022 Australian ...

Bottas rounded out the top 10 over AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda and George Russell, while Vettel ended up 13th. He was swiftly joined by MCL36 teammate Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian 0.13s adrift on home soil as Bottas crossed the line another six hundredths in arrears aboard the Alfa Romeo C42. Sainz's benchmark on a scrubbed set of softs arrived shortly after Leclerc had completed a practice start, only for the Monegasque to run off track Turn 1. That triggered a brief 90-second red flag after 21 minutes so the carbon fibre could be cleared. Haas's early season promise only returned 18th and 20th. Norris became the early pacesetter as he was the first driver to post something in the ballpark of a competitive time, the McLaren driver chalking a 1m25.009s after four minutes of the hour.

Formula One heads Down Under for the third race of the 2022 season with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc going head to head at the Australian Grand Prix.

Second practice follows at 7am. When is the F1 Australian Grand Prix? Hamilton was down in 13th and it looks like being another difficult weekend for Mercedes. There was a Ferrari one-two in first practice, with Sainz half a second clear of Leclerc.

Carlos Sainz Jr comfortably had the measure of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and the Red Bull duo to top first practice ahead of Formula 1's 2022 ...

Haas’s early season promise only returned 18th and 20th. He pulled up on the exit of Turn 10 and reported an engine issue as in scenes not dissimilar to the beginning of his car fire in testing at Barcelona, smoke wafted out the back of the Aston. Norris became the early pacesetter as he was the first driver to post something in the ballpark of a competitive time, the McLaren driver chalking a 1m25.009s after four minutes of the hour. Perez had been the first driver to take to the temporary Melbourne street circuit, where in 2020 the race was cancelled late on amid what was then the outbreak and first wave of COVID-19. There he was forced to catch a potential spin and ran through the gravel to compromise his tyres and the following push lap, handing Sainz the initial advantage as Sergio Perez pipped Max Verstappen. In the twice red-flagged opening session on a heavily revised and resurfaced Albert Park track, Sainz took advantage of a trip through the gravel for Leclerc to set the pace by over half a second.

'It's too much': F1 stars call for major Aus GP change over 'painful' situation.

“There’s no reason we can’t do it back-to-back with one of the Middle-Eastern races,” he said. “Melbourne is included, don’t you worry. Russell suggested that the Australian Grand Prix take place immediately after the Middle-Eastern leg. I think it needs to be thought about more.” He added: “As the season is getting longer and longer we need to find a better balance.” As such, Russell believes the race is akin to a double-header, and said it shouldn’t take its place on the calendar as a standalone event.

McLaren's homecoming hero Daniel Ricciardo faced what he called the “busiest Thursday” he's experienced in F1 as the Australian Grand Prix returned for the ...

I was trying to encourage that and see if we could keep the character of the circuit and help out on Sunday. I think everyone’s just stoked to have the race back here; there’s a lot of motorsport enthusiasts and you feel that.” “It’s always been pretty wild here so there’s no denying that.

Perth-born driving prodigy Daniel Ricciardo owns at least three properties across the globe. · Mercedes team driver Lewis Hamilton has an impressive property ...

His UK home is reportedly close to the McLaren factory and is said to be luxurious, featuring a white and grey interior. The home is in a development where NFL star Tom Brady once lived. He recently moved to Monaco to be based with many other F1 drivers. But the up-and-coming driver recently revealed on Instagram that he was building a home in Monaco. The place isn’t finished yet, but I’ll be living here in Monaco when I’m not in the factory or at the track next year. I get the keys at the end of next month so will hopefully be moving in soon.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc beat Max Verstappen to the top spot for Formula 1's 2022 Australian Grand Prix, with the latter opting to complete extra ...

Mercedes Mercedes Mercedes Mercedes Ferrari Red Bull Ferrari Red Bull Ferrari Red Bull Ferrari Red Bull

Formula 1 is racing in Melbourne for the first time since 2019 and it was Ferrari who made the fastest start to the weekend, with Carlos Sainz topping the ...

10.15am: Australian GP Qualifying Hits 7am: AUSTRALIAN GP QUALIFYING* Live Australian GP schedule on Sky Sports F1

Asked by Autosport if he felt any pressure to step aside at Alpine to make way for its FIA F3 and F2 championship-winning reserve driver Piastri, 23, Alonso ...

“He won all the junior categories until now, which obviously shows that he has talent and is very professional and hard working in the simulator and in the factory. “As I said at the beginning of the year, I still feel competitive and fast and feel that I am enjoying time in Formula 1. But Alonso - who, as the oldest driver on the grid, will be 41 years old at the end of his current deal - reckoned he would continue in the top flight for another couple of seasons.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Formula One mania in Australia has certainly not been lost on Daniel Ricciardo. The McLaren driver and local hero, who is gearing up ...

Turns 6 and 11 have also been widened to allow for faster speeds through the back half of the lap, in the hope it leads to more overtaking opportunities. It appears to be the catalyst in a completely sold out 2022 Australian Grand Prix. It's a Thursday and the walk in ... the fans ... I don't know if they thought the race was yesterday, but it felt like a Sunday. Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief Andrew Westacott believes the number could have been even greater had they been permitted to sell additional tickets, with an expected 25,000 set to miss out on a raceday ticket altogether. It's definitely a good crazy and there's a lot of support and love. "But it felt like it was turned up a notch, or two, or three.

Ferrari's promising start to the Formula One season continued on Friday as the glamour team dominated free practice at the Australian Grand Prix at a ...

The team confirmed his car's power unit would need to be changed. After posting the 13th quickest lap in first free practice, his Aston Martin lost power and ground to a halt 15 minutes before the end of the session, with smoke billowing out of the rear. Ferrari's championship leader Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets with a lap of one minute, 18.978 in second free practice after being second to team mate Carlos Sainz in the first.

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc has refuted suggestions that his winning form in 2022 reflects a transition to a “2.0” version of himself.

How much everyone has of margin, it's difficult to know. It's great to be back here. “It's still very clear to me where I need to work on this car to get better and better,” he said. “Obviously seeing the last few years that have been very difficult, and now to be back at the top, gives a lot of motivation to the whole team, to me and yeah, it's good to be here.” And also fighting in between seventh and fourth position, whenever you are doing very good performance, nobody's noticing it, which makes it quite tricky. “I never particularly struggled with pressure, I have a mindset that is just focusing on myself, on the job I have to do in the car, and not thinking too much about results and all that is around.

Mercedes driver George Russell believes having the Australian Grand Prix as a standalone event is 'too tough' on Formula 1 teams amid a 23-race season.

"There's no reason why we couldn't have done a back-to-back with one of the Middle Eastern races. The season started with a Middle East double-header in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. I think it needs to be thought about more.

Lewis Hamilton says nothing that Mercedes does to try to improve its Formula 1 car is working in helping it deliver progress it needs to make.

So we need to try and get on top of things and understand why." "We need to keep digging into the data and understand it. "It's just nothing we change on the car makes a difference at the moment," explained Hamilton after Friday running.

The FIA has reminded the Formula 1 field ahead of the 2022 Australian Grand Prix that wearing jewellery when driving their cars in on-track sessions is ...

With such precedents, should an F1 driver be discovered to be in breach of the rule relating to jewellery and body piercings then it is likely that a similar punishment would be handed out rather an any sporting penalty. Autosport understands the Melbourne move is not reacting to a specific instance of a certain driver being spotted wearing jewellery or leaving a body piercing in when behind the wheel of their F1 car in the 2022 season. The full wording of the rule states: “The wearing of jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition and may therefore be checked before the start.”

Sebastian Vettel insists that he was given permission by a marshal to ride a scooter via the track back to the Albert Park pits after Friday's Formula 1 FP1 ...

“I said, ‘Can I drive it?’ Because I prefer to drive myself. I'm not here to drive a scooter.” “Obviously, we had a problem, and there was a bit of smoke, and I lost power,” he said. Plus the track is different. So it was a bit of a job. Vettel rode it back to the pits waving to the crowd – at some points with both hands – and his crash helmet was perched on top of his head.

Sebastian Vettel was facing potential punishment Friday after riding a moped on the track at the Australian Grand Prix in violation of the rules, ...

F1’s youngest world champion is now in his 15th full season. “The positives are that I felt I was able to get comfortable quite quickly and that we had a good balance in the car, too. “It was a shame to have to finish FP1 earlier than we would have liked -- and then not be able to take part in FP2 -- because today was an important day for me in terms of getting back up to speed with the car and learning a new layout,” he said.

Formula One drivers question where in the schedule Australia's race should sit as Melbourne prepares for its first GP in three years in an unusual April ...

“He is a good guy, very talented....very professional and hard working on the simulator the factory and all our meetings. He has won all the major titles, he is very professional and dedicated and you will see him around soon.“ Mick Schumacher, the Haas driver who is racing in the Australian GP for the first time, said: “Teams have to move back and forwards a lot. He is still very young and hopefully he finds a seat.” “But I think this is about performance. “I think it’s geographically correct ... we are happy I think for the race to be at any point of the season. I just think there’s a better compromise to be had. That’s what makes it very difficult with all the travel.“ “Oscar is a great guy, he is very involved in the team, he is going to have a great testing program. “I am very sure he is going to have a seat in F1 shortly, I don’t know where in the paddock but opportunity comes for the ones who deserve it, and Oscar is one of them. I think it needs to be thought about more. We race very far east with Japan and Singapore, China, not this year but it is on the calendar from next year onwards.

Mercedes driver George Russell believes having the Australian Grand Prix as a standalone event is 'too tough' on Formula 1 teams amid a 23-race season.

"There's no reason why we couldn't have done a back-to-back with one of the Middle Eastern races. The season started with a Middle East double-header in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. I think it needs to be thought about more.

Ferrari fired a major warning to its rivals at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, while Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren showed small signs of improvement.

“Because we’re so far behind and because of the cost cap we can’t afford to just throw things at it and trial and error at race weekend. “We need to obviously close that gap but there‘s nothing substantial this weekend that will do that,” he said. I don’t have a second in my pocket but of course you’ll find a bit as the week goes on.” “I suspect the team working the hardest tonight will be Red Bull,” he said. A week after we went to Saudi and we showed more competitiveness — that was really just a track dependent thing. “You said crazy, It‘s definitely a good crazy. That certainly stood out and it’s awesome. He will meet with the stewards after FP2. Hopefully this circuit, I think it does lean more to a Saudi layout than a Bahrain one and I think that will help us a bit with where we currently are.” “Until then, we need to maximise each opportunity and make the most of the package we have.” There’s a lot of support and love and it’s not just for me, it’s for F1 and I think everyone is just stoked to have the race back here.” He added: “It’s so versatile.

The former world champion came in 13th in his Mercedes, following his disappointing finish in Saudi Arabia.

“We have to find a balance,” he said. With the number of meetings limited to 24 there is concern that a congested calendar could come at the expense of historic races in Europe. “We have gone left, right and centre with the setup but that has resulted in a similar outcome, so we need to get on top of things,” said Russell. Hamilton was 10th at the last round in Saudi Arabia and admitted that the drivers could make little difference to the performance. Hamilton, the sport’s biggest star for some time, may not be in the fight but the enthusiasm for the competition is undimmed in his absence. “Nothing we change on the car makes a difference at the moment and that is the difficult thing,” he said.

Formula 1 drivers have praised changes at Albert Park making the track faster and more fun, but they remain sceptical about them helping produce more ...

But I think it will be to some degree better. "I think we'll get a fun one on Sunday, but I'm cautious to oversell it because I honestly don't know what the facts will be. I think it will be better. It is easy to make mistakes and I think with this car generally compared to last year's, it is a bit easier to make mistakes. To be fair, I don't think there were many overtakes in the past here. I think the track grip is quite nice, the bumps definitely improved.

'Nothing works': Mercedes' grim championship reality laid bare.

“We need to keep digging into the data. “There’s just not a lot we can do. It’s just difficult.” “That’s the difficult thing. “It’s just nothing you change on the car makes a difference at the moment,” he said. “There’s quite a few midfield cars ahead of us and obviously we’re quite a long pace away from the front, so we need to work hard tonight to understand the limitations.”

Melbourne plays host to the third round of the 2022 Formula 1 season. Here's how you can watch qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

Viewers from selected countries can subscribe to F1 TV to stream qualifying on a device of their choice. - Denmark - TV3 / TV3 Sport / Viaplay Can’t find your country or region in the list?

Sebastian Vettel is yet to decide on a name for his Aston Martin Formula 1 car as he wants to “wait for a bit more pace” before christening it.

“I had races where I was feeling a bit ill and raced, but it was not possible,” Vettel said. “Nico I think did really well, obviously with zero preparation to jump in and do that kind of job. It is one of only two teams yet to record a top-10 finish so far this year.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc beat Max Verstappen to the top spot for Formula 1's 2022 Australian Grand Prix – with the latter opting to complete extra ...

As he shot through Turn 12 during a lap on the mediums, Hamilton had to catch two oversteer snaps – the second of which sent him skating across the gravel trap at the corner’s exit. On his third softs flier, Verstappen posted a purple sector in the middle third of the lap, but had to back off late on after sliding off the exit kerbs for the Turn 12 right and then having bounced back onto the track locking up and sliding deep at the final corner. Sainz continued the exchange of best times with Leclerc as he then posted a 1m19.376s, but the championship leader then surged ahead definitively with a third flying lap on another set of softs with 25 minutes to go. Alonso broke the Ferrari dominance at the front with a 1m19.537s just before the halfway point, but just a few moments later Leclerc – who had been through the pits before continuing on the softs – demoted him with a new best of 1m19.487s. Leclerc got back ahead on his first run on the red-walled rubber – a 1m19.771s – albeit with no purple sectors and losing a chunk of time with a slide at the penultimate corner. As the opening five minutes drew to a close, Leclerc shot ahead on a 1m20.898s on the mediums, which he beat a few minutes later with a 1m20.523s.

Lewis Hamilton's seven title-winning Formula 1 cars are set to be displayed together for the first time at this year's Silverstone Classic.

In addition to the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association and Masters Historic Formula One contests, tin-tops and GTs will be represented in the Masters Endurance Legends, Royal Automobile Club Historic Tourist Trophy and Adrian Flux Trophy for Transatlantic Pre '66 Touring Cars grids. The anniversaries of the launch of the MGB, Austin 7, Ford Cortina and AC Cobra are all also set to be commemorated at the event. The McLaren MP4-23 that powered Hamilton to his first title in 2008 will be in attendance, alongside the six Mercedes cars that have carried him to championship crowns between 2014 and 2020.

Russell finished 11th in FP2, with Hamilton down in 13th as Leclerc set the pace for Ferrari at Albert Park.

“They’re quick again, but on the long run everything was quite stable and nice so I’m happy about that, so we definitely made some good improvements today. It is easy to get things wrong.” We need to try to get on top of things and understand why.” It’s probably the most severe I’ve experienced, but it’s just something we have to deal with for the time being. - Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +2.213 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +1.543 - George Russell (Mercedes) +1.234 - Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +1.225 - Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.164 - Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.398 - Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:18.978 “It was a difficult session.

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc has refuted suggestions that his winning form in 2022 reflects a transition to a “2.0” version of himself.

"To have more pressure means you're doing something right, and that you are in the right place. "I don't really know where I'm gaining [on Sainz], I guess it's a little bit everywhere. "And this [cost me] massively at the end of the year. And it's great to be back here. "Yeah, I've had a growth from year-to-year that is linear. "This is not the case.

Follow for the latest news and updates ahead of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix as practice gets underway in Melbourne.

“It is just nothing you change on the car makes a difference at the moment so that is the difficult thing. “Turn 11, it is much different, much more square and a bit more bumpy on the apex. Additionally, there was a problem with his radio volume, which was also noted by the Stewards in their review, that prevented him from hearing calls from his team about ZHO’s approach. “It could be like a MotoGP race where you could be changing two or three times a lap. “So more to come from that tyre but otherwise, I felt like I was getting on the limit. So, the distances of these DRS zones are going to be quite interesting to see. “I think we found a good set in the afternoon. “Obviously there is financial interest in new places that we are going to and F1 is a business. “It stopped our running, which was painful and unfortunately cost us the whole session in the afternoon, which is not ideal. It has left Mercedes and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton with significant work to do, as the team struggle to overcome the difficulties they’ve been having with the aerodynamics of their W13 car. I haven’t been in the car for a while, plus the track is different. The 19-turn 3.385km Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR became the second longest track in Formula E history after a series of changes for Season 7, with only Beijing longer.

Aston Martin says it is “actively” considering its long-term engine options in Formula 1, amid suggestions of a potential tie-up with Audi.

At this point, the new regulations for 2026 and subsequent years are not yet available. Mercedes-Benz’s F1 power unit is a good one. Earlier this year, Aston Martin hinted that it was considering building its own powerunit for the 2026 rules – a project that would appear to be out of step with its current technical capabilities.

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc has refuted suggestions that his winning form in 2022 reflects a transition to a “2.0” version of himself.

"To have more pressure means you're doing something right, and that you are in the right place. "I don't really know where I'm gaining [on Sainz], I guess it's a little bit everywhere. "And this [cost me] massively at the end of the year. And it's great to be back here. "Yeah, I've had a growth from year-to-year that is linear. "This is not the case.

Aston Martin says it is “actively” considering its long-term engine options in Formula 1, amid suggestions of a potential tie-up with Audi.

At this point, the new regulations for 2026 and subsequent years are not yet available. Mercedes-Benz’s F1 power unit is a good one. It is understood that it was in advanced talks with McLaren about a potential takeover, but sources suggest that those discussions have stalled with the two parties not in agreement over the deal progressing in a way that suits both parties.

F1 LIVE: Fears over 'artificial race'; champ's 'eye-wateringly exciting' prospect revealed.

In handing down the decision, the stewards wrote: “At the end of the session, VET sought a way to return to his pit. “The guy came with a scooter and he said, ‘you can jump on the back,’ Vettel said. I’m not here to drive a scooter.” Meanwhile, the marshal was trying to contact Race Control for instructions. VET asked if he could drive the scooter in order to return to his pit. When he didn’t get on, VET departed alone for the pit, without the prior approval to do so. McLaren’s Lando Norris was of a similar opinion saying: “It is fast, it is exciting. “Firstly it‘s great news for F1 that brands such as Porsche and Audi are looking at entering. “I don’t think taking out the corners was the right call. “It’s no worries at all. I don’t know how they’re going to get two cars there.” They did a good job with that.”

The FIA is planning a clampdown on the underwear that Formula 1 drivers use on safety grounds following talks in Australia.

“There were a few people with some concerns for various reasons that we shan’t go into on TV,” Piastri added. Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, he reminded drivers in the event notes that wearing jewellery in the car was not permitted due to concerns about safety and extrication from cars. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that he heard it was an “entertaining drivers’ briefing yesterday”.

Minute-by-minute updates on Saturday practice for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

All changes have been made in the hope of increasing overtaking opportunities and creating more exciting races. Final practice for the Australian GP gets underway at 4am BST (1pm local time), followed by qualifying at 7am BST (4pm local time). Over two years on from the cancelled Australian GP due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, F1 returns to a revamped Albert Park.

Formula 1 drivers have praised changes at Albert Park making the track faster and more fun, but they remain sceptical about them helping produce more ...

But I think it will be to some degree better. "I think we'll get a fun one on Sunday, but I'm cautious to oversell it because I honestly don't know what the facts will be. I think it will be better. It is easy to make mistakes and I think with this car generally compared to last year's, it is a bit easier to make mistakes. To be fair, I don't think there were many overtakes in the past here. I think the track grip is quite nice, the bumps definitely improved.

The FIA has removed one of the four DRS zones from the Albert Park layout for Formula 1's 2022 Australian Grand Prix, with the move made on safety grounds.

“DRS detection 1 will be moved to before Turn 9, DRS activation 1 will be after Turn 10, DRS detection 2 will remain unchanged, with the following activation zones will be renumbered accordingly.” The remaining two DRS zones and their activation points remain unchanged – with the drivers able to activate the system as they head down the main straight and on the track’s second straight that leads to the tight right of Turn 3. The DRS zone that follows the fast Turns 9 and 10 complex remains unchanged, with the activation point for that run moved to just before Turn 9.

Formula 1 could hold a second race in Singapore should plans for Qatar to replace the cancelled Russian Grand Prix in September fall through, Autosport has ...

The 2021 race started at 5pm local time, 15 minutes after sunset. Another option could be to return to Bahrain to user the outer loop layout of the Bahrain International Circuit, which staged the Sakhir Grand Prix at the end of 2020. A similar approach was taken for the pair of races in Bahrain at the end of 2020, when the Sakhir Grand Prix started a few hours later than the Bahrain Grand Prix one week earlier.

Formula 1 has removed one Drag Reduction System (DRS) zone at the Albert Park Circuit for the remainder of the Australian Grand Prix weekend, reducing the ...

“DRS detection 1 will be moved to before Turn 9, DRS activation 1 will be after Turn 10, DRS A statement from the FIA ahead of FP3 on Saturdays states: “For safety reasons, DRS Zones will be reduced to 3 for the remainder of the event. Ahead of the event, it was confirmed that four DRS zone would be in use following significant changes to the track layout.

Formula 1 has dropped the fourth DRS zone on the high-speed run to Turn 9 “for safety reasons” for the rest of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

DRS detection two will remain unchanged, with the following activations zones renumbered accordingly.” It should be a run but without it being cruising past either side. “DRS detection one will be moved to before Turn 9, DRS activation one will be after Turn 10.

The FIA has removed one of the four DRS zones from the Albert Park layout for Formula 1's 2022 Australian Grand Prix, with the move made on safety grounds.

“DRS detection 1 will be moved to before Turn 9, DRS activation 1 will be after Turn 10, DRS detection 2 will remain unchanged, with the following activation zones will be renumbered accordingly.” The remaining two DRS zones and their activation points remain unchanged – with the drivers able to activate the system as they head down the main straight and on the track’s second straight that leads to the tight right of Turn 3. The DRS zone that follows the fast Turns 9 and 10 complex remains unchanged, with the activation point for that run moved to just before Turn 9.

LIVE: 'They're not happy' — F1 stink over controversial change; Ricciardo moment of truth.

If you have DRS open, you have less porpoising,” Chandhok said. Watch Every Practice, Qualifying & Race of The 2022 Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix. Live & Ad-Break Free During Racing on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now > Watch Every Practice, Qualifying & Race of The 2022 Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix. Live & Ad-Break Free During Racing on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

With the Scuderia on top again on Friday, Lando Norris was top for McLaren in FP3 after a truncated session saw both the returning Sebastian Vettel and Lance ...

A bad start to the season just gets worse for the Silverstone-based team. Now a heavy crash in FP3 that leaves the engineers with a frantic race to get his car ready for qualifying. but will they be ready for qualifying? The session was red-flagged twice after a nightmare for Aston Martin, who had already seen Sebastian Vettel - back behind the wheel this weekend after missing both of the opening races of the season due to Covid-19 - career across the gravel and smash into the wall after a high-speed off at turn 10. Not only did he miss the first two races of the season due to Covid, with reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg stepping up for Aston Martin, but he also had engine trouble after only 18 laps in FP1 and was then fined €5,000 for taking a scooter onto the Albert Park circuit. With the Scuderia on top again on Friday, Lando Norris was top for McLaren in FP3 after a truncated session saw both the returning Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll crash for Aston Martin.

Charles Leclerc leads the drivers' standings after two races, with victory at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix followed by a second-place finish behind ...

He was just immune to any feedback and even today he has not properly reflected that he did something wrong. “With 15 minutes to go I was in the garage thinking ‘we’re not going to win this’,” he remembers. “You’re almost in neutral, you’re thinking this is an early night, that’s the way it goes. It was the best weekend McLaren have had so far this season with Ricciardo picking up his first points of the campaign and Norris grabbing his highest finish. Toto Wolff’s team have been behind the pace all season and haven’t won a race yet. The former Red Bull driver managed to rise 10 places to give his team a point, moving them off the bottom of the constructors table. It’s going to take a number of races.” “I will be chasing the people in the wind tunnel, the aerodynamic guys, and just looking at every single area,” he said. Lewis does it every day, but you are guy who always seems to know better’. This means there will only be one hour of practice on the Friday followed by qualifying. Their situation is still not quite as bleak as the one at Mercedes, though, who appear hardly any closer to finding a solution to their lack of pace. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen was left bitterly disappointed after being forced to retire during the Australian Grand Prix when his car suffered further issues with its fueling system.

Results from the third and final practice session at the Australian Grand Prix, Round 3 of the 2022 Formula 1 world championship.

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The FIA is planning a clampdown on the underwear that Formula 1 drivers use on safety grounds following talks in Australia.

Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, he reminded drivers in the event notes that wearing jewellery in the car was not permitted due to concerns about safety and extrication from cars. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that he heard it was an “entertaining drivers’ briefing yesterday”. There are concerns that some drivers have been wearing their underwear which is not in compliance with the FIA regulations, which are in place to protect them in the event of a fire.

Lando Norris topped final practice for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix as both Aston Martin cars crashed out and caused red flags at Albert Park.

Lewis Hamilton also struggled for Mercedes, finishing eighth after narrowly avoiding the wall when running wide at Turn 11 early in the session. “It’s really hard to feel the balance at the moment.” “I don’t get why I’m spinning,” Verstappen said over the radio.

Both Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll crashed their cars into walls as Lando Norris clocked the fastest time of the third session.

The crash by Vettel, who missed the first two races of the season due to Covid-19, continues a testing return to racing for the four-time world champion. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez posted the third-fastest time, while Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished .779 seconds behind Norris with the eighth-quickest time for the session. The 22-year-old Norris completed a lap of the Albert Park circuit in 1 minute, 19.117, with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc .132 seconds behind in second position in a session interrupted by two red flags.

The FIA has clarified Formula 1's safety car restart rules to prevent drivers employing tactics including the side-by-side move Max Verstappen has used ...

“For sure this is a very driver specific preparation that we go through in every race and we start to understand what other drivers do at the restarts,” Sainz added. “We look at everyone – not only Max, let’s say. Autosport sources have indicated that the clampdown is also related to various manoeuvres drivers have been employing at safety car restarts as well as what Verstappen has been doing in the last three F1 races, but that his tactic is simply a high-profile example of what the FIA no longer wants to occur.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Saturday that a potential engine partnership with Audi or Porsche was “eye-wateringly exciting”.

“Firstly it‘s great news for F1 that brands such as Porsche and Audi are looking at entering. It followed Porsche chief Oliver Blume saying last month that a study of entering F1 was under way, with media reports suggesting “negotiations” with Red Bull, the team of current world champion Max Verstappen. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Saturday that a potential engine partnership with Audi or Porsche was “eye-wateringly exciting”.

The FIA has clarified Formula 1's safety car restart rules to prevent drivers employing tactics including the side-by-side move Max Verstappen has used ...

“For sure this is a very driver specific preparation that we go through in every race and we start to understand what other drivers do at the restarts,” Sainz added. “We look at everyone – not only Max, let’s say. The governing body is keen drivers keep a constant speed when running in order behind the leader once the safety car has been withdrawn – until the leader returns to racing speed for good – to avoid a repeat of the enormous accident that marred the 2020 Tuscan GP at Mugello.