, the former Mercedes driver, finished fifth in FP2 ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, with his new team-mate leading the pack in Melbourne. Hamilton was making his much-anticipated debut for at Albert Park, 406 days after his shock move from was announced. Leclerc concluded Formula One’s first run of the new season a mere 0.124 seconds ahead of ‘s Oscar Piastri, the home favourite.
, who was tipped as the pre-season championship favourite, topped FP1 but had to settle for third later in the day, trailing leader Leclerc by 0.141 sec. RB’s and Isack Hadjar secured fourth and sixth places respectively, while reigning world champion could only manage seventh for , lagging six-tenths behind.
Lewis Hamilton ended the first one-hour session at Albert Park down in 12th before improving to fifth later in the day (Image: The Associated Press)
Despite being out-qualified and out-scored by former team-mate at Silver Arrows last year and having only two victories from his last 69 races, Hamilton insisted he was not feeling the pressure of what has been dubbed the biggest switch in the sport’s 75-year history.
Although he suggested that he will need time to adjust to his new environment, he also stated that he has nothing to prove.
The 40-year-old ended the first one-hour session in 12th place, complaining about difficulties turning the car, before improving to fifth in the second session later in the day, albeit still 0.420 seconds behind new team-mate Leclerc.
Ollie Bearman was unable to complete a lap in second practice after he crashed out of FP1 (Image: The Associated Press)
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The pre-season testing had hinted that and would be the top contenders this year, and the practice sessions reinforced this notion, with drivers from both teams dominating the top five spots.
Reigning champion Verstappen, aiming for a fifth consecutive title, seemed to lack confidence in his , finishing 0.624 seconds behind Leclerc.
Liam Lawson, also driving for , struggled, coming in 17th out of 19 drivers. secured 10th place for , outperforming his new team-mate Kimi Antonelli by six spots.
Meanwhile, British teenage driver Ollie Bearman had a rough day, crashing out in the first practice session and failing to complete a lap in the second. Bearman, one of six rookies on the grid this year, lost control of his Haas on the exit of Turn 10, sending him into the wall and causing significant damage to his car.
“I am sorry,” the 19-year-old apologised over the radio as he climbed out of the cockpit after the high-speed crash. His mechanics worked tirelessly to repair the damage, but unfortunately, they couldn’t get the car ready in time for the second practice session of the day.