Australian Grand Prix: Ferrari strong again as Alpine impress in Friday practice

Ferrari once again looked strong in Friday free practice for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, as Carlos Sainz and then Charles Leclerc topped the time-sheets in the two sessions at Albert Park.

The Scuderia have been a leading light so far this season with the performances they have shown, and it is they and Red Bull that look to have got the regulations nailed down most of all.

Indeed, in FP1 Carlos Sainz went quickest with a time of 1:19.806, as the drivers got a first glimpse at full speed of the new Albert Park layout.

The lap time has been markedly decreased thanks to the new sector two configuration whilst a number of the corners elsewhere have been reprofiled to increase the chance of overtakes in the race.

A new layer of tarmac has also gone down since the last race in Melbourne in 2019, meanwhile, and it was Sainz who got to grips with things quickest in the first practice session, with Charles Leclerc just over half a second behind him in the other Ferrari.

Meanwhile, the Red Bull pair of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen followed in FP1, whilst Lando Norris rounded out the top 5.

In FP2, which is usually the most indicative of qualifying pace given it’s run at the same time as Saturday’s session, Ferrari maintained their advantage but it was this time Leclerc who went fastest, whilst the Alpine cars came to the fore.

The Monegasque registered a day-fastest time of 1:18.978, whilst Max Verstappen came in second just under three tenths back.

Carlos Sainz was third ahead of Fernando Alonso in fourth, with the Spaniard’s Alpine A522 looking pretty strong in a straight line and that will please them.

Sergio Perez finished fifth, meanwhile, whilst Esteban Ocon was the sixth and final car in FP2 to dip under the