The Alpine becomes the third car.
The Ferrari team continues to command at the Albert Park Circuit, in the Australian GP. After the first place achieved by Carlos Sainz in Free Practice 1, his partner, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, has headed the classification of the second practices.
Leclerc has surpassed Max Verstappen by two tenths and Sainz, who has been third, by almost four. The man from Madrid, however, has not pushed his Ferrari to the limit. Fernando Alonso, on the other hand, has achieved a magnificent fourth place.
VIDEO: What you need to know about the Australian GP F1 2022
Brilliant Friday for the Ferrari F1 team, which has managed to lead both free practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix. To the first place of Carlos Sainz in Free Practice 1, we must add the leadership of Charles Leclerc in Free Practice 2. The Italian team, winner in Bahrain, starts again as favorite.
But Red Bull is not going to make it easy for him. In fact, Max Verstappen was the second fastest rider in the second practice sessions, stopping the clock just over two tenths off Leclerc’s best time (1:18.978). Carlos Sainz was third, four tenths behind his teammate without squeezing the Ferrari, making one less fast lap attempt.
Behind them was placed a Fernando Alonso who came to lead the session for a few moments. With a new engine after the problems suffered in the units assembled in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the Spanish driver could be in possession of the third best car on the grid, although to confirm that we will have to wait until qualifying on Saturday.
Alonso was even able to overtake Sergio Pérez and his Red Bull, and also his Alpine teammate, Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who was sixth again. Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo completed the top ten positions.
None of the Mercedes managed to enter the ‘top 10’. George Russell was eleventh and Lewis Hamilton thirteenth. The star team, without improvements, still can’t find the rhythm this season.
The one who could not even shoot in Free Practice 2 was Sebastian Vettel after the mechanical problem suffered in his Aston Martin in the first test session. The German, who has missed the first two races of the season due to COVID-19, will go into Saturday’s crucial day hardly knowing his car in race conditions.
Formula 1 will return to action tomorrow, with free practice scheduled at 05:00 a.m. and the important qualifying session at 08:00 a.m.
