Lando Norris set the pace in the first practice for the F1’s 2025 season-opening Australian Grand Prix with McLaren driver outpacing Williams’ Carlos Sainz by 0.149s, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third ahead of the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen opened his title defence with fifth place. 

With just three days of testing in Bahrain preceding this weekend’s opening race, the session was busy from the start with the full field taking to the Albert Park circuit in the opening 10 minutes. There was a nervous moment early on for new Red Bull Racing recruit Liam Lawson when the New Zealander brushed the wall at Turn 9, but the former RB driver was able to continue. 

The red flags did eventually appear, however. With a number of offs leading to gravel being strewn across the track, the session was briefly halted to allow a clean-up operation to take place. 

When the session resumed, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had held P1 with a lap of 1:17.880 was dislodged by Verstappen who lowered the benchmark to 1:17.696. His stay at the top was short, however, as new Williams recruit Sainz popped up with a new P1 time of 1:17.401.

The second red flag of the session then appeared when Bearman went into the gravel exiting the Turn 9/10 chicane and then, when he tried to rejoin, he was pitched into barriers doing significant damage to the rear of his car. 

When the session got going once again, Norris jumped to top spot with a lap of 1:17.252s, a tenth-and-a-half up on Sainz, as Leclerc, local hero Piastri and Verstappen rounded out the top five positions.

Alex Albon continued Williams’ positive start with sixth position, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell – who also had a scare late on when he spun at Turn 4 late on – and Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who were split by the Racing Bulls car of rookie Isack Hadjar.

The French driver’s team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was 11th, while Lewis Hamilton’s first session as a Ferrari driver ended with the seven-time champion in 12th place and complaining that he was “struggling to turn the car”.

Alpine rookie and home hope Jack Doohan was 13th ahead of Mercedes new boy Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto and Lawson.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg finished in 17th and 18th respectively, while Haas’ Esteban Ocon was 19th ahead of team-mate Bearman.

2025 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:17.252 21 245.958
2 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:17.401 0.149 25 245.485
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:17.461 0.209 21 245.295
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:17.670 0.418 20 244.634
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:17.696 0.444 21 244.553
6 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:17.713 0.461 18 244.499
7 George Russell Mercedes 1:17.716 0.464 26 244.490
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:17.736 0.484 23 244.427
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:17.847 0.595 25 244.078
10 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:18.057 0.805 20 243.422
11 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:18.061 0.809 23 243.409
12 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:18.071 0.819 20 243.378
13 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1:18.232 0.980 20 242.877
14 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:18.390 1.138 25 242.388
15 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:18.438 1.186 22 242.239
16 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:18.455 1.203 22 242.187
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:18.505 1.253 23 242.032
18 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:18.586 1.334 18 241.783
19 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:19.139 1.887 16 240.094
20 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:19.312 2.060 12 239.570