Hamilton Voices Distrust In FIA Amid Sport’s Troubles
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Formula 1 returns down under this weekend as Albert Park plays host to the Australian Grand Prix and the third race of the 2024 season.
Max Verstappen coasted to race victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, followed by his team-mate Sergio Perez as Red Bull start this year how they left 2023, completely dominating the sport on track despite being thrown into turmoil off the track.
Carlos Sainz is set to return in Melbourne after missing out in Saudi due to abdominal surgery – when British teen Ollie Bearman replaced him – while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will be eyeing improvements in their Mercedes car following an underwhelming start to the season.
Verstappen won a chaotic race in Australia last year, with Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso also on the podium.
Follow live updates from the Australian GP with The Independent
F1 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX – LATEST UPDATES
Show latest update 1711089660
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 06:41
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F1 Australian Grand Prix attendance!
124,113 people at Albert Park on Friday for practice, 12,000 more than last year’s event!
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 06:22
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Max Verstappen after practice on Friday:
“A little bit messy because of FP1, damaged the floor and the chassis. The turnaround was very quick, more or less completed the programme, we missed 20 minutes – that’s how it goes.
“It was alright, Ferrari is quick, a few things we can finetune. Nothing worrying.”
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 06:15
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Charles Leclerc fastest in second practice
Impressive stuff from the Ferrari driver, who stays fastest in FP2 with that 1:17:277.
A decent gap of 0.381 secs to Max Verstappen in second with Carlos Sainz a few hundredths further back. Lance Stroll with a sold time for P4.
5-10: Alonso, Russell, Piastri, Perez, Norris, Tsunoda
Lewis Hamilton, by the way, all the way down in P18! That being said, he didn’t get a clean run in on the soft tyres.
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 06:08
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Max Verstappen goes second-fastest in FP2
Having come out late in this session due to damaging the floor in FP1, Max Verstappen has stormed up the leaderboard – but not right to the top!
Charles Leclerc’s 1:17:277 is 0.381 secs quicker than Verstappen’s time in P2, with Sainz four-tenths off his team-mate.
10 mins to go, as most if not all the cars switch to race simulation laps!
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 05:55
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Charles Leclerc fastest halfway through second practice
Key session this as evening comes in at Albert Park – and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is the most impressive so far.
Leclerc is three-tenths quicker than Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in second, with his team-mate Fernando Alonso in third.
George Russell, in fourth, five-tenths down on Leclerc, with Carlos Sainz in fifth.
6-10: Verstappen, Piastri, Perez, Norris, Zhou
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 05:36
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Lando Norris quickest in FP1
Earlier, the McLaren of Lando Norris was fastest in a scrappy first practice session, with many drivers making mistakes – particularly at turn 10.
Norris was 0.018 secs ahead of Max Verstappen in second, though the Red Bull world champion did damage the floor. George Russell finished third.
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 05:20
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WATCH: Alex Albon’s crash
The Williams car won’t be ready for second practice after Albon’s shunt in FP1.
And, rather worryingly, Williams don’t have a spare chassis on-site to fix the car in Melbourne… so all they can do is try and fix the current tub.
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 05:11
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FP2 underway!
Here we go then with second practice in Melbourne!
Alex Albon won’t be taking part for Williams after his heavy shunt in first practice….
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 05:04
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F1 power rankings: The Independent’s 2024 fantasy tips ahead of Australian Grand Prix
Two races down, 22 to go. Currently, with Red Bull already over the hills and far away out in front of the chasing pack, the sense of predictability we became accustomed to in F1 last year already looks set to resonate in 2024.
Max Verstappen has dominated the first two grands prix of the season, claiming pole position and the race victory comfortably in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Arguably of more significance is the performance of the other Red Bull driver, Sergio Perez, in finishing next-best behind in second on both occasions.
It leaves the rest of the pack with a mountain to climb, as they squabble for position and every last point. Ollie Bearman’s stand-in performance on debut for Ferrari in Jeddah was impressive, as the 18-year-old took the chequered flag in seventh.
But Bearman won’t be involved in this, as The Independent ranks the usual 20-driver grid from last to first in this season’s power rankings, with the position of drivers based on their most recent performances and their expectations at the start of the season.
At the end, The Independent also gives their take on potential picks for F1 Fantasy, ahead of the third race this weekend in Australia.
Kieran Jackson22 March 2024 04:55
