Charles Leclerc tops the timesheets in Saudi Arabia first practice

 • Ferrari is still in top form after taking a one-two podium in the F1 season opening race in Bahrain.  • Charles Leclerc posted the fastest time but Max Verstappen was hot on his tail.  • The session was suspended for nine minutes when Lando Norris clipped the wall in his McLaren.

Charles Leclerc continued where he left off in Bahrain by posting the fastest time in first practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Five days after winning Formula One's season opener, Leclerc was back on track and back at the top of the time charts.

Leclerc pipped world champion Max Verstappen by 0.116 seconds, with Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas third. Lewis Hamilton was only ninth in his Mercedes.

Jeddah, 1400km southwest of Bahrain, will play host to the second round of the new campaign.

The sport was last here only in December for the penultimate round of Hamilton's titanic championship duel with Verstappen.

Hamilton came up trumps that day to take the title race to the wire. But the seven-time world champion, who took advantage of the retirement of Verstappen and the Dutchman's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez a week ago to finish third, was again off the pace here.

The British driver was 1.592 seconds behind as his Mercedes team fight to get on top of the new regulations.

Hamilton also clipped the wall at the opening bend of the sport's fastest street circuit in the closing stages, but he escaped without significant damage. Hamilton's teammate George Russell finished 15th, two seconds back.

Leclerc led teammate Carlos Sainz home in Bahrain as Ferrari started the season in the best possible fashion. And the Italians look to have the machine to beat, with Sainz fourth in the other scarlet car.

The first running of the weekend was suspended for nine