F1

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali admits talks are underway about converting the Australian GP from a daytime race to one that is run under floodlights.

"It's a part of the discussion," F1 CEO Domenicali said. "I just think if we could make that work, it would be an amazing spectacle." "It's a matter of investment, but it could be attractive, that's why when you plan for so long, you can really think what is the best to create new products."

Express Sport brings you the latest news and updates from the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

But 2009 F1 world champion Button said “maybe George did get lucky” in Jeddah as he backed Hamilton to close the gap at Albert Park. The Spaniard was quickest ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc as the rain poured down at Albert Park. It was a decision that saw the former F1 race director vilified. That is the fastest car I have seen, especially compared to the rest." Speaking in the team principal’s press conference, Horner said: “It's absolutely ludicrous to be doing the first sprint race of the year in a street race like Azerbaijan. The Dutchman's car looked a level above as it opened up its rear wing to easily overtake Hamilton down the pit straight. And an unusual decision from Masi ultimately cost the Mercedes star the crown. He and [Nico] Rosberg were a minute ahead in 2014 and 2015... Hamilton has finished fifth in both races this season and is already 23 points behind Max Verstappen in the Drivers' standings after a disastrous opening race for the W14. Meanwhile, there have been three virtual safety car periods and two red flags, making it one of the most dangerous circuits on the calendar. [Max Verstappen's ](/latest/max-verstappen) [Red Bull](/latest/red-bull) and even [Fernando Alonso](/latest/fernando-alonso) in the Aston Martin have shown more competitiveness on the track so far this season, while Ferrari's true pace remains a mystery. Christian Horner has criticised the FIA for an “absolutely ludicrous” decision which could affect Max Verstappen.

Verstappen was comfortably fastest in FP1, with an approximately half-second advantage over Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc. Sergio Perez ...

While it was obviously popular for qualifying, it was too delicate to be used seriously in the race. “Nobody was going to use it during the race. Both Ferrari works drivers took their second internal combustion engines at the previous race as a precaution following Leclerc’s failure. The air temperature was around only 18°C and the track barely cracked 30°C. That in part explains why so many drivers found themselves slipping and sliding around the course. The only potential chink in the armour is that without FP2, there was no meaningful long-run simulation conducted, meaning race pace remains unknown. Second practice is the most important hour of non-competitive track running of a standard F1 weekend. There’s no sequence of corners through which the deficit decreases in any meaningful way, and down the following straight Verstappen piles on more pain. Leclerc has already taken a grid penalty for using three ECUs this year. Red Bull Racing’s super-effective DRS — first noted by Lewis Hamilton last time out — is also evident in Melbourne’s four activation zones, where the flap flips open the car speeds away from the competition at even great rate of knots. Rain is forecast not to reappear for the rest of the weekend and is especially unlikely for the race on Sunday. Not only will that make for a fraught FP3 and qualifying, but it will also force teams to guess tomorrow afternoon, when they have to lock in their set-ups, how much grip the track will have on race day.

Max Verstappen topped the combined times on Friday for Red Bull ahead of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. Here's how and when to watch qualifying. Haydn ...

[PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10449931/) The temperature is set to be 15 degrees Celsius at the start of qualifying. For the entire 2023 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying and race of each event. In the United Kingdom Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of qualifying for the Australian GP at 11:15am BST on Saturday morning. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a monthly membership of £34.99p. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.

The second practice session of the day is done with rain proving a tricky customer in Melbourne.

The Australian Grand Prix live stream is the third leg of the 2023 F1 season. Here's how to watch it live and for FREE, wherever you are.

- 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. - 6 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - 1 a.m. [Foxtel](https://foxtel-au.sjv.io/c/338476/985875/12973?subId1=tomsguide-us-6155910868602092000&sharedId=tomsguide-us&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxtel.com.au%2Findex.html) (opens in new tab). - 9:30 p.m. [Kayo Sports](https://goto.kayosports.com.au/c/338476/515039/8808?subId1=tomsguide-us-7316553106384076000&u=https%3A%2F%2Fkayosports.com.au) (opens in new tab) is another option. [10play](https://10play.com.au/) (opens in new tab) has the event in Australia. - 2:30 a.m. [Now Sports Pass](https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=11006&awinaffid=103504&clickref=tomsguide-us-2665417770700133000&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowtv.com%2Fsports-purchase) (opens in new tab). [TSN Direct](https://www.tsn.ca/subscribe) (opens in new tab), which comes in day- and month-long passes for $8 or $20 CAD, respectively.

Verstappen topped the timesheets in FP1 with Hamilton second while Fernando Alonso went fastest in the rain-soaked second session of the day in Melbourne on ...

Team-mate [Sergio Perez](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/sergio-perez) also ran off the track at one point but, again, avoided any serious consequences. But it did, at least, provide a first opportunity of the season for the teams to test these cars with intermediate tyres. He was clocked travelling at 86.4kph where the limit is 80kph. As a result, several drivers had their plans interrupted by traffic – leading to the usual complaining over the radio. The teams had a feeling it was coming too, as the circuit filled up quickly from the moment the lights turned green. The rain began to fall around 15 minutes in, scuppering the chances of anyone else from targeting the Spaniard's best time.

It's hard not to think about Daniel Ricciardo whilst we're in Melbourne for the Australian GP, and he's already been sat on the Red Bull pit wall, ...

To go back and to maybe put myself in any seat that’s fighting at best for like a top 10, I don’t think it’s going to bring the best out of me. that we didn’t recognise as the Daniel that had left us two or three years earlier. It’s not at all costs.”

Ricciardo is off the F1 grid this year and in a reserve role for Red Bull but, as he returns to the paddock for the first time at the Australian Grand Prix, ...

"We had discussions with Daniel and ended up with Pierre, when he became available," said the Alpine chief in Melbourne. He is in the paddock at this weekend's [Australian Grand Prix](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/australian-grand-prix) for the first time in his new capacity, taking part in important marketing tasks while also being on standby in case he is needed for action. "At the moment I want to find out... He said: "It's a bit early to speak about a driver change already for next year so let's see what we are doing with these drivers. "Everybody is [going to] want to speak with Daniel. [Alpine](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/alpine-f1) may be one of them if their all-French partnership of [Esteban Ocon](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/esteban-ocon) and new signing [Pierre Gasly](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/pierre-gasly) does not work out – and [Otmar Szafnauer](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/otmar-szafnauer) had discussions with the Aussie before setting his current pairing in stone. [Haas](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/haas-f1) team principal [Guenther Steiner](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/guenther-steiner) did not rule out discussions later in the year – though he made it clear he would give [Kevin Magnussen](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/kevin-magnussen) and [Nico Hulkenberg](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/nico-hulkenberg) every chance to prove their worth. "He's signed with Red Bull now but I think he's a fantastic racing driver, he's still young and I wouldn't be surprised if he's back racing in the future." The year off, maybe he knows again what he wants to do and he will be interesting for everybody in F1. [Daniel Ricciardo](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/daniel-ricciardo) may have several potential suitors for a 2024 race seat should he decide he wants to race again in [Formula 1](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/). [Red Bull](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/red-bull-f1) reserve this year, having been axed by [McLaren](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/mclaren-f1) a year earlier than planned. Questions remain over his F1 future and whether he will return to a race seat.

The Australian driver has been a fan-favourite for many years, especially with the popularity of Netflix's Drive to Survive. McLaren revealed during the 2022 ...

Max Verstappen headed the practice times on Friday at the Australian Grand Prix, his FP1 best proving quicker than Fernando Alonso's session-topper in a ...

The teams suggest no more rain is forecast right now, but it’s worth noting several of them didn’t expect what fell this afternoon to be as much or as heavy as it was. Ferrari concentrated on trying to fix the race tyre management issues that plagued it in Bahrain and Jeddah during FP1 – a shrewd move given it can rival Red Bull in qualifying. Therefore, if Red Bull doesn’t make the right adjustments and continues to have wild moments tomorrow, there’s the chance of an upset in qualifying. And because the Pirelli soft is a C4 this time, not a C5. The various interruptions and delays on Friday mean the teams currently lack almost all of their usual practice data, which means they will have to do plenty of educated guesswork overnight regarding what final tweaks to make for FP3, which is expected to be dry. This [led to several near-misses](https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-f1-drivers-seemed-blindfolded-by-melbourne-gps-issue/10450883/) between cars on different run plans that were going slowly and quickly at different times, so FP1 was red-flagged for nearly 10 minutes. Perez never got to try another flier, as the rain then rolled in and stopped the drivers improving. In FP2, Sainz and Verstappen exchanged early benchmark times at the top of the order before Alonso forged clear on a 1m18.887s – the trio running the medium tyres. With a few minutes of FP1 remaining, Logan Sargeant stopping coming out of Turn 11 due to an electrical problem meant the session was cut short. This occurred when Verstappen climbed hard onto the kerbs exiting Turn 4 and nearly speared into the track’s inside wall in a manner similar to the incident where Sebastian Vettel crashed out of last year’s race here for Aston Martin. In FP1, the pack had to contend with two invisible factors that set the story of that session. While there was less for the teams to go on than usual after Friday's disrupted running, unseen practice factors may perhaps offer Red Bull's rivals a glimmer of hope in Melbourne

Ricciardo had stepped away from a full-time race seat following the 2022 season, after he and McLaren agreed to part company in the wake of a frustrating ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10450392/) Horner added: "He's really throwing himself into it. "But having had time off over Christmas and so on, and a chance to reset, when he's come back and got into the 2023 work, he's hit the ground running.

JONATHAN McEVOY IN MELBOURNE: The Aussie favourite is sitting out this season after being sacked by McLaren last term and is now reserve driver at Red Bull.

‘I sit here today and I have confidence I will get back on the grid if that [pointing to his heart] is truly there, and three months into this year that doesn't feel like it is lost. A lot of people might just see what you are doing on social media, and it is often not a true representation of everything that is going on. ‘But this year I will reflect on myself and where I am at in life. I don't see a decade ahead of me.’ ‘It wasn't to be famous. ‘Transparently it wouldn't be about the money,’ said Ricciardo.

After drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton scored sixth and seventh in qualifying for the 2023 opener in Bahrain, Wolff declared that the team would ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10450392/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-mercedes-is-fronting-up-to-its-f1-mistakes-too-much/10443160/) So, it's definitely heading in the right direction." "And then now, the path is clear and it's not going to be easy. He continued: "We had a bit of a moment where it became so much clearer after the Bahrain race. "That's going in a good direction," said Wolff.

It's the F1 rumour that's got people talking in the paddock - is Mercedes secretly planning a major redesign of their car? According to Sky Sports analyst ...

Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit will play host to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

Pirelli has nominated the C2 as the White hard, the C3 as the Yellow medium, and the C4 as the Red soft. Weather can be a mixed bag in Melbourne, but the current forecast calls for mild temperatures and only partly cloudy skies for both Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race. A difference this year will be an additional fourth DRS zone between between Turn 8 and Turn 9, which could allow the car to reach new top speeds.

Max Verstappen headed the practice times on Friday at the Australian Grand Prix, his FP1 best quicker than Fernando Alonso's session-topper in a ...

The teams suggest no more rain is forecast right now, but it's worth noting several of them didn't expect what fell this afternoon to be as much or as heavy as things ended up being. Ferrari concentrated on trying to fix the race tyre management issues that plagued it in Bahrain and Jeddah during FP1 – a shrewd move given it can rival Red Bull in qualifying. Aston Martin tried a variety of set-up changes in FP1 regarding ride heights and wing angles, which is what Alonso meant when he said "we concentrated on some test items and ran through our programme smoothly" in that session. Therefore, if Red Bull doesn't make the right adjustments and continues to have wild moments tomorrow, there's the chance of an upset in qualifying. Expect them to dry and gather as much qualifying and long-run data as they can in the final 60-minute session to replace their Friday night predictions. Then Perez never got to try another flier as the rain rolled in and stopped the drivers improving. In FP2, Sainz and Verstappen exchanged early benchmark times at the top of the order before Alonso forged clear on a 1m18.887s – the trio running the medium tyres. With a few minutes of FP1 remaining, Logan Sargeant stopping coming out of Turn 11 due to an electrical meant the session was cut short. This occurred when Verstappen climbed hard onto the kerbs exiting Turn 4 and nearly speared into the track's inside wall in a manner similar to the incident where Sebastian Vettel crashed out of last year's race here for Aston Martin. This led to several near-misses between cars on different run plans that were going slowly and quickly at different times, so FP1 was red-flagged for nearly 10 minutes. In FP1, the pack had to contend with two invisible factors that set the story of that session. While there was less for the teams to go on than usual after Friday's disrupted running, unseen practice factors may perhaps offer Red Bull's rivals a glimmer of hope in Melbourne

The plan was announced by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali at the last F1 Commission meeting, where it received widespread support from team bosses. It was then ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-vasseur-has-begun-ferraris-mission-to-keep-leclerc-on-side/10447929/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448693/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10449084/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449522/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10450392/) "In Baku we are talking about having a second qualifying," said Steiner.

Six F1 Sprint events will take place this year with the first coming at the end of April in Azerbaijan, which Red Bull chief Horner thinks is a recipe for ...

I think everybody is leaving a little bit of a margin there knowing that some of these races could be tough for the budget." Meanwhile, a proposed new format for the Sprint weekends is being considered which would see the FP2 session on a Saturday morning scrapped for a second qualifying. "But that's part of the challenge and it's part of the task that we've got. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be the first of six race weekends this year to feature a Sprint session. With that in mind, Horner is not at all impressed that Baku was chosen to be a Sprint weekend. So one race is enough in Baku, the fact that we've got two, there could be well some action there.

The opening one-hour practice session at Albert Park was stopped after 40 minutes when it became clear that teams were unable to track cars on the circuit ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-vasseur-has-begun-ferraris-mission-to-keep-leclerc-on-side/10447929/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448693/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10449084/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449427/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449522/) So, I think it's a bit of a safety thing.

Haas's Kevin Magnussen has explained why it seemed Formula 1 drivers were "blindfolded" by the loss of GPS data during Australian Grand Prix FP1. Filip Cleeren.

[PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449298/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449257/) And nobody was."

F1 introduced a sprint race format two years ago. The number of sprint races this season has doubled to include six on the calendar, up from just three in 2022.

It is not the first time Verstappen has complained about changes being made to the race weekend. Basically, the question is: ‘Is it worth it to spend so much time away from family and friends by chasing more success?’. “Instead of FP2 on a sprint event on Saturday morning, we do our qualifying. [Red Bull](/latest/red-bull) star’s frustration comes after Haas boss Guenther Steiner revealed there could be a second round of qualifying for the sprint race in Baku next month. [Max Verstappen](/latest/max-verstappen) has sensationally threatened to quit Formula One if the authorities continue changing the format of race weekends. “I think that’s way better for the excitement.

It quickly became apparent that the lack of live GPS tracking was creating the main safety issue, with drivers unaware of cars appearing behind them at high ...

[PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448581/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10447980/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449298/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449257/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10449931/) So, I think it's a bit of a safety thing.

Haas's Kevin Magnussen has explained why it seemed Formula 1 drivers were "blindfolded" by the loss of GPS data during Australian Grand Prix FP1. Filip Cleeren.

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448693/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10449084/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449427/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449522/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10450392/) And nobody was."

Daniel Ricciardo says he still has the hunger to compete in Formula 1 and the "signs are pointing" to him being back on the grid in 2024.

"I feel like that's currently where I'm tracking, at least in my head ... Asked if Ricciardo could sit in for Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez should either be unfit to race, Horner replied: "I'd say he's about 10 minutes away from being ready. Daniel Ricciardo says he still has the hunger to compete in Formula 1 and the "signs are pointing" to him being back on the grid in 2024, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner saying the Australian was race ready.

Ricciardo had stepped away from a full-time race seat following the 2022 season, after he and McLaren agreed to part company in the wake of a frustrating ...

He lights up a room when he walks in. Horner added: "He's really throwing himself into it. "But having had time off over Christmas and so on, and a chance to reset, when he's come back and got into the 2023 work, he's hit the ground running.

Red Bull principal Christian Horner has criticized the stricter interpretation of a rule that bans Formula One team employees from climbing pit wall to ...

Verstappen’s time of 1 minute, 18.790 seconds was the fastest of both sessions and 0.433 seconds quicker than seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in the first practice outing. But they know the rules of engagement, that it is team first, particularly at this stage of the year." Horner, meanwhile, is happy for Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez to duel on the track but said they must remember that the team comes first. “They are competitive animals and they are both racing drivers at the end of the day. “But it’s a fairly iconic moment when you see a Grand Prix car finishing a Grand Prix and its team celebrating on a fence, as long as it’s done in a manner that is safe. We want two drivers that are going to be pushing and challenging each other,” he said.

The plan was announced by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali at the last F1 Commission meeting, where it received widespread support from team bosses. It was then ...

[PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448581/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10447980/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449298/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10449931/) "In Baku we are talking about having a second qualifying," said Steiner. It will be impossible to run two complete, three-part qualifying sessions in the usual format with drivers using new tyres in both.

Then at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Fernando Alonso was given a five-second penalty of his own. Later in the race, questions arose whether Alonso served the ...

So, you approached the box, let’s say, not looking at the box, you are looking on one side of the cockpit. Also, I think the FIA doesn’t want to have any problem with that, because there is no performance advantage, as long as you don’t go too forward. “You can see the yellow line as a reference, but it is up to me to fix it.” “It is difficult and we are very concentrated on the yellow line to not go too far forward. Alonso talked about the new grid boxes, as well as the central line, during press conferences ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. “The central line? [Russell in the post-race press conference](https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2023-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-post-race-press-conference-transcript). “It’s incredibly difficult [to see the grid box]. So we will try to be more focused on the box this weekend and avoid any penalty.” The wider boxes should make it easier for the drivers to align properly at the start, and this change will likely be welcomed by the drivers. Starting with this weekend’s race, the grid boxes at the start will be wider by 20 cm. Following the race, both George Russell, Sergio Pérez, and Max Verstappen spoke to this issue.

Formula 1 considers implementing two qualifying sessions for sprint weekends.

In a message sent to all team managers and FIA officials from single-seater director Steve Nielsen, the governing body clarified how in-race penalties should be ...

Max Verstappen issues a warning to Formula One, saying he may leave the sport if it persists with its experiments on the race weekend format.

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has denied claims he wants to scrap practice sessions. Domenicali made headlines ahead of the Australian Grand Prix when he ...

Of course, there needs to be the time for practice. [Stream the biggest moments on NOW](https://www.nowtv.com/promo/sky-sports?dcmp=articlelink) [F1 Academy to race exclusively at Formula 1 weekends in 2024](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12846027/f1-academy-all-female-racing-series-to-feature-exclusively-at-formula-1-weekends-in-2024) "It's not because we don't respect the traditions, we respect the old way of thinking of our weekend, but it would be wrong not to think about it." Domenicali says it would be "wrong" not to think about making changes to engage the growing audience. Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali denies practice could be dropped; F1 boss says practice here to stay but that it would be "wrong" not to consider changes; watch Australian GP Qualifying live on Sky Sports F1 at 6am on Saturday, build-up from 5.15am Stefano Domenicali says F1 practice sessions to stay but it would be 'wrong' not to consider changes

Follow the third F1 free practice session for the Australian GP live. Keep up to date with everything that happens during FP3 at Albert Park.

In the blog, we will provide you with the latest developments during FP3 in Melbourne. The times refresh automatically during the session, so you are always up to date. You can easily switch between live timing and the live blog via the tabs.

The second day of the race weekend in Melbourne has arrived. FP1 was hampered by a couple of red flags, and rain washed out the second half of FP2.

[Albert Park](/en/circuits/albert-park), [Michael Schumacher](/en/dossiers/michael-schumacher) is still the record holder with four wins. [Williams](/en/f1-teams/williams) did so in Bahrain. For now, however, the weather forecast seems to point to a dry race and so [F1](/en/race-classes/F1) drivers will want to cover as much mileage as possible during the final free practice session of the weekend.

'Holy smokes': Shock contender amid Aussie rule breach drama, Red Bull woes - F1 LIVE.

“I fully believe (that) and certainly when I came to the team, things were very different. Some cars continued to run on the dry tyres but failed to improve their times at all. Pierre Gasly, Alpine (+1.319) “We respect each other. And I think that’s something good to have as a driver. And as a team, we’ve always strived to give both drivers the best opportunity and the best equipment we can and then it’s down to what they do on track. Last year, he was definitely more at home within the car and two of our 17 victories he achieved. “Well, that’s the first I’ve heard him saying that,” Horner said. Pierre Gasly, Alpine (+0.529) Esteban Ocon, Alpine (+0.373) Practice is over for Lando.” “This is not entirely scheduled because there’s a very slim chance of rain and we lost Practice 2 essentially ...

Red Bull's Max Verstappen edged Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso in Saturday's third free practice session for Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix. Filip Cleeren.

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-vasseur-has-begun-ferraris-mission-to-keep-leclerc-on-side/10447929/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448693/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10449084/) [Logan Sargeant](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/logan-sargeant/289607/) (Williams) and [Kevin Magnussen](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/kevin-magnussen/15905/) (Haas) were next up, with De Vries and [Lando Norris](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/lando-norris/289316/) propping up the timesheets. [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449427/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449522/) [Alpine](https://www.motorsport.com/team/alpine/24858/) of [Pierre Gasly](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/pierre-gasly/19626/) was fifth, followed by Perez, who saw two of his hot laps ruined by locking up under braking and taking to the run-off. [PrimePrimeFormula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/the-recent-australian-gp-form-history-that-will-boost-ferrari-in-f1-2023/10449759/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10450392/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/why-piastris-f1-homecoming-will-be-a-landmark-occasion/10449894/) Following Friday's messy sessions, the loss of track time was even more costly for Perez than usual. [F1 Formula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/f1-australian-gp-fp3-verstappen-fastest-alonso/10451258/)

The F1 Australian Grand Prix ramps up today, with all eyes at Albert Park to be on Saturday afternoon's qualifying. Will Red Bull driver and heavy favourite ...

For viewers planning to live stream F1 in 2023, you can watch via the Sky Go app if you're an existing subscriber or you can purchase For fans in Canada, TSN will carry the English-language telecast of races. Elsewhere, Sling TV will also show the action, as too will FuboTV in the US. For Spanish-language viewers, they can find live broadcasts on ESPN Deportes, though ESPNews and ESPNU will also show some practice and qualifying sessions live throughout the year. Time (AEDT) He also recorded the fastest-ever F1 lap around Albert Park - 1:17.565.

Formula 1 chiefs are constantly looking for ways to make the weekend action more exciting and appealing to fans, but the changes have not gone down well ...

"But that's part of the challenge and it's part of the task that we've got. However, he also had a complaint regarding the decision to hold the first such event of the year in Baku. The first Sprint weekend of 2023 will be in Baku at the end of April. I naturally, of course, hope that there won't be too many changes – otherwise I won't be around for too long." But Verstappen has made it clear he is not on board with such a plan. This year, the programme has been extended to six Grands Prix of the 23.

Qualifying is under way at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix as the battle for grid positions at Albert Park intensifies.

[Lando Norris](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/lando-norris/) ( [McLaren](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-teams/mclaren/)) [Valtteri Bottas](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/valtteri-bottas/) (Alfa Romeo) [Alfa Romeo](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-teams/alfa-romeo-racing-orlen/)) [Kevin Magnussen](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/kevin-magnussen/) (Haas) [Yuki Tsunoda](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/yuki-tsunoda/) (AlphaTauri) [Esteban Ocon](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/esteban-ocon/) (Alpine) [Haas](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-teams/haas-f1-team/)): +1.003 [Pierre Gasly](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/pierre-gasly/) (Alpine): +0.943 [Carlos Sainz](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/carlos-sainz/) ( [Ferrari](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-teams/scuderia-ferrari/)): +0.538 [Williams](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-teams/williams-racing/)): +0.877 [Charles Leclerc](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/charles-leclerc/) (Ferrari): +0.647 [Lance Stroll](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/lance-stroll/) (Aston Martin): +0.576

With all free practice behind us, it is time for the first showdown of the Formula 1 weekend at Albert Park: qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix is ...

[Michael Schumacher](/en/dossiers/michael-schumacher) is still the record holder with four wins. [Williams](/en/f1-teams/williams) did so in Bahrain. [Red Bull Racing](/en/f1-teams/red-bull-racing) go into qualifying in Melbourne as the clear favourites.

Cool temperatures in Melbourne saw the drivers opt to take multiple laps on the same tyres throughout the session, but it was Max Verstappen who took pole ...

7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari + 0.637 6 Lance Stroll Aston Martin + 0.576 5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari + 0.538 4 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin + 0.407 3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes + 0.372 2 George Russell Mercedes + 0.236

Verstappen will start ahead of the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-vasseur-has-begun-ferraris-mission-to-keep-leclerc-on-side/10447929/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448693/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10449084/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449427/) Alonso got to within 0.064s of that before Verstappen ran again and improved to 1m17.056s, ahead of Alonso and [Carlos Sainz](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/carlos-sainz/15916/) (Ferrari). [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449522/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/the-recent-australian-gp-form-history-that-will-boost-ferrari-in-f1-2023/10449759/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10450392/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/why-piastris-f1-homecoming-will-be-a-landmark-occasion/10449894/) 1 - [F1 Formula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/russell-mercedes-to-go-for-it-attempting-to-beat-verstappen-in-australian-gp/10451500/)

Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen led Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin in final practice for the Australian Grand Prix.

Rookie Oscar Piastri was 14th in his McLaren ahead of his first qualifying session in front of his home crowd, but team-mate Lando Norris propped up the times – Norris sitting out the final 20 minutes of the session as McLaren took “precautionary measures” in inspecting a potential clutch issue on his car. Sainz also had a trip into the gravel five minutes after the session ended as he went into the gravel at Turn 11, shortly after his practice start. Carlos Sainz spent a good chunk of the session at the top of the times but was shuffled back to seventh once drivers attempted qualifying simulation runs following the mid-session red flag – shown after debris flew off the AlphaTauri of Nyck de Vries and landed in what Sainz’s team-mate Leclerc (who was 13th in FP3) described as a “very dangerous” place on the approach to the fast Turn 9/10 Esses. Lewis Hamilton was eighth in the second Mercedes, with Stroll’s ninth-placed Aston followed by Zhou Guanyu – who a lap after elevating himself into the top 10 had a spin at Turn 2 as he tried to rejoin, having missed the apex at the first corner by some margin. But Perez struggled under braking for much of the remainder of the session – complaining of a “very loose rear” – and when he finally conquered Turn 3, the corner he’d found most difficult, he then went off at the penultimate corner late on. Having spent the first 20 minutes of the session in the garage, Perez had his first timed attempt on softs wrecked when he came across Nico Hulkenberg on the racing line, before being squeezed towards the wall innocuously by the Haas towards the Turn 11 right-hander. He eventually hauled the car into the top 10 but ended the session 0.558s off his pacesetting team-mate Verstappen. Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll – ninth in the FP3 classification – were able to work down to low-1m22s laptimes on their race simulations in the brief window afforded to them before a mid-session red flag; this compared favourably to the Ferraris that led the session at that point, with Charles Leclerc’s best in this spell a 1m22.538s. But once equipped with softs he hit the front in the final quarter of an hour of the 60-minute session, setting a 1m17.565s that stands as the best time of the weekend so far. But the Aston Martin again looked strong – most notably on the change of direction between the Turn 9/10 Esses – and that visual impression carried over on both single-lap pace and the long runs. Verstappen was fourth early on and later bumped down onto the fringes of the top 10 having set his best initial time on medium compound tyres – which he also used for his long-run simulation midway through the session. Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen led Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin in final practice for the Australian Grand Prix, as the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez struggled to string together a lap in his RB19.

Formula One heads Down Under this week for a trip around Melbourne's Albert Park in the Australian Grand Prix.

If Red Bull are going to come unstuck anywhere, it is here. [Max Verstappen](/topic/max-verstappen) leads the world championship by a fine margin after recovering from a breakdown in qualifying to finish second, ahead of Fernando Alonso despite the Spaniard’s post-race penalty saga. Max Verstappen took pole position for Red Bull.

The results of Saturday's qualifying determined the starting grid for tomorrow's F1 race in Melbourne, Australia.

- Esteban Ocon, Alpine Quickly, Sergio Perez’s Saturday came to an end when a lockup took him into the gravel and his car out of qualifying. What started with a wet track after some weather earlier in the day cleared up nicely and created a great day of pushing for the best lap times for Sunday’s starting positions.

This imposing wooden structure was the visible symbol of a new global partnership that MotoGP rights holder Dorna has struck with fast-growing Spanish beer ...

[PlusPlusMotoGP ](/motogp/news/the-other-suzuki-signing-that-could-transform-hondas-motogp-form/10424581/) [PlusPlusMotoGP ](/motogp/news/the-signs-that-motogps-japanese-powerhouses-are-changing-for-the-better/10440747/) It is more difficult for us to manufacture, we only have one factory and we transfer that solidly to sport. [PlusPlusMotoGP ](/motogp/news/can-anyone-stop-changed-bagnaia-as-ducati-tightens-its-grip-on-motogp/10447342/) Now, in Spain, F1 is growing because we have two extraordinary drivers (Sainz and Alonso), who are fighting for podiums and are on top form". "My company should have fired me by now, since sponsoring motorsports made little sense when we started. "We s a company are very concerned about the positive impact. Although MotoGP is going through something of a transitional phase, Estrella Galicia was certain that it was the right time to back the series. "In terms of our brand today, we thought it was great opportunity. It even has a unique partnership around product placement in Netflix's smash hit original series 'Money Heist'. It is a natural step we have earned with this trajectory." CEO Ignacio Rivera was recently elected president of the Spanish Beer Industry, like his great-grandfather and founder of the company more than 100 years ago.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, the third round of the 2023 Formula 1 world championship. Charles Bradley.

[PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448581/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10447980/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449298/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449257/) Alonso got to within 0.064s of that before Verstappen ran again and improved to 1m17.056s, ahead of Alonso and [Carlos Sainz](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/carlos-sainz/15916/) (Ferrari). [PlusPlusFormula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/the-recent-australian-gp-form-history-that-will-boost-ferrari-in-f1-2023/10449455/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/why-piastris-f1-homecoming-will-be-a-landmark-occasion/10449570/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10449931/) 1 [PlusPlusFormula 1Saudi Arabian GP ](/f1/news/whats-next-for-mercedes-in-the-quest-to-get-back-to-the-top-of-f1/10449981/) [F1 Formula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/albon-mastery-of-f1s-tyre-dark-art-key-to-q3-surprise/10451434/) [F1 Formula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/perez-explains-brake-problem-that-left-him-a-passenger-in-australian-gp-q1/10451443/)

F1 fans were able to recognise Sebastian Vettel from the throwback picture but had trouble working out who the other youngster was.

He has been taken on by Haas this season and will be hoping that the move to the team will help him bolster his chances of success. Vettel has been involved in motorsport since a very young, with a picture recently being shared of him celebrating a Kart Championship as a child. Vettel retired at the end of the 2022 season, concluding a career filled with success and records.

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has cautioned that the team shouldn't swing towards "exuberance" after a strong qualifying performance at the Australian GP.

But they are balancing the car on that razor's edge, and they were able to extract that today." "I think it was just a brilliant job done by the team here in extracting the maximum out of the car," he said. "And obviously it's not where we want to be. I think what you need to love in this sport is that with all the lows you have, you also have some highs. "So we have never had any dogma on what the car needs to look like. "This is exactly the swings that we must avoid," he said.

Verstappen will start ahead of the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three ...

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-vasseur-has-begun-ferraris-mission-to-keep-leclerc-on-side/10447930/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-drivers-are-the-least-of-ferraris-f1-worries/10448694/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/ranking-the-top-10-pre-war-grand-prix-drivers/10449085/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-state-of-play-in-f1s-technical-silly-season/10449428/) Alonso got to within 0.064s of that before Verstappen ran again and improved to 1m17.056s, ahead of Alonso and [Carlos Sainz](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/carlos-sainz/15916/) (Ferrari). [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/the-cycle-of-f1-upheaval-williams-must-end-to-rediscover-past-glories/10449523/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/the-recent-australian-gp-form-history-that-will-boost-ferrari-in-f1-2023/10449760/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-f1s-new-era-has-exposed-the-downside-of-its-most-important-rule/10450393/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/why-piastris-f1-homecoming-will-be-a-landmark-occasion/10449895/) 1 - [F1 Formula 1Australian GP ](/f1/news/russell-mercedes-to-go-for-it-attempting-to-beat-verstappen-in-australian-gp/10451501/)