LIVE: F1 cars have completed their first session at the Australian Grand Prix with FP1 proving to be a tricky affair on a slippery Albert Park layout, which claimed Alex Albon.
Lando Norris was the fastest, 0.018 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and 0.033 seconds ahead of George Russell of Mercedes. Australian Oscar Piastri was 10th-fastest, and Daniel Ricciardo 11th, while his RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda posted the fifth-quickest time of the session.
Many drivers struggled for grip, however, despite Pirelli making its softest C5 tyre available for this weekend.
Follow all the action, including live updates from the paddock, in our live blog below!
Also put in your questions for today’s live Q and A session with Fox Sports Australia journalist Jacob Polychronis at Albert Park!
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Several drivers had close calls at the fast exit of Turn 10, and reported floor damage after their dangerous excursions.
These drivers included Verstappen, Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
The only proper casualty, however, was Albon, whose crash triggered a red flag with about 18 minutes left in the session.
Albon lost control of his car on the exit of Turn 6 and put it into the wall to bring out the red flag.
Albon rode the curb on the exit which saw him bottom out and lose traction as he attempted to put the power back down.
“Is he OK? Looks pretty large,” Lando Norris noted on team radio as he passed.
Cars will be back out on track again this afternoon for Free Practice 2 at 4pm AEDT.
Did he just drive him into the wall?! | 00:22
Meanwhile, the biggest talking point of the day might not involve F1 at all, but instead an incident in the morning between two Formula 3 drivers.
Teen Alpine junior Nikola Tsolov is sure to be hit with a mega penalty after he appeared to deliberately swerve into Alex Dunne, crashing the driver while he was on a warm-up lap.
Dunne was swerving to warm-up his tyres when he impeded Tsolov, who reacted by driving alongside and turning right.
Dunne took evasive action but lost control and put his car into the concrete wall.
“I don’t know what on earth (Tsolov) was thinking there,” commentator Chris McCarthy said.
“That was incredibly dangerous driving … I’m not too sure what on earth that was all about.”
Tsolov has denied the move was intentional, saying: “I was a bit confused. I arrived on a push lap and I think (Dunne) was weaving, so I didn’t know where to go to get past him because he was on a cool lap or something.
“I went to the left side and then I just felt a hit under my rear tyre. So I think it was just a bit of a misunderstanding, but nothing intentional from any side.
“I think it was just a bit unfortunate.”
He added: “I knew he was there, but then I suddenly just felt the hit. I didn’t do anything strange. I was just on the racing line.
“I have no intention against him. There’s nothing to win in a practice session, so I wouldn’t do something like that.”
Dunne was measured in his response, saying that the he was initially at fault for blocking.
“I wasn’t told he was there, but it’s my fault, not the team’s. I should be looking in the mirror.
“I guess he got annoyed and overreacted a little bit.”
LIVE Q AND A (from 2pm AEDT)
Leave your questions below for today’s live chat session with Fox Sports Australia journalist Jacob Polychronis at Albert Park!
SESSION TIMES (all times local)
Friday, March 22
12.30pm-1.30pm: F1 Practice 1
2pm – 2pm: Formula 3 Qualifying
4pm-5pm: F1 Practice 2
5.30pm – 6pm: Formula 2 Qualifying
HOW TO WATCH
The entire Australian Grand Prix, including every practice, qualifying and race, can be watched live and ad-break free on Foxtel.
Kayo Sports subscribers can also watch every practice, qualifying session and race of the F1 live in 4K for the first time.
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LIVE BLOG
Follow all the action in our live blog below. If you can’t see the blog, click here.
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Source Agencies
