MELBOURNE: Charles Leclerc powered to the quickest time ahead of Oscar Piastri in second practice at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Friday, with Lewis Hamilton fifth and Max Verstappen only seventh. Hamilton’s Ferrari team-mate Leclerc blasted to a best lap round the Albert Park circuit of one minute 16.439 seconds on soft tires, 0.124 clear of McLaren’s Piastri. Leclerc set the pace with 25 minutes to go and no-one could catch him, with Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris third ahead of surprise-package Yuki Tsunoda in an RB. Seven-time world champion Hamilton was fifth as he gradually adjusts to life in a new car after his shock move to Ferrari from Mercedes after 12 years. The Briton cautioned this week that everything at Scuderia was different and there could be a transition period while he settles in. He was better than in first practice, where he came 12th, but still fourth-tenths behind his teammate. Rookie Isack Hadjar came sixth in the second RB ahead of world champion Verstappen, who never looked comfortable in his Red Bull, clocking 10 laps fewer than Leclerc as he pitted for fine-tuning. Verstappen is chasing a second win in Australia after his 2023 victory to kickstart his bid for a fifth consecutive world title, a feat only Michael Schumacher has achieved. But he said on Thursday that Red Bull was “not the quickest at the moment.” The prediction appeared true, with his new teammate Liam Lawson, who took over from the axed Sergio Perez, slumping to 17th. Mercedes also struggled with George Russell 10th and Kimi Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton, 16th. On a perfect Melbourne afternoon, Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto led the way out of the pits as the lights went green, but it was Alpine’s Pierre
