Ferrari buoyed by pace after Australian GP practice

MELBOURNE :Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets for Ferrari in the second free practice at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday after Williams driver Alex Albon wrecked his car in the first session with a crash at a familiar turn at Albert Park.

Leclerc posted a flying lap of one minute, 17.277 seconds on soft tyres midway through the second session (FP2), 0.381 seconds quicker than Red Bull's reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

Dutchman Verstappen, bidding for back-to-back wins in Australia and a third victory in succession this season, made a late start after damaging the floor of his car in the earlier session and was unable to do as many laps as planned.

Ferrari were nonetheless buoyed by their speed ahead of Saturday's qualifying, having been well off Red Bull's pace in the opening races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Leclerc's team mate Carlos Sainz was third quickest in FP2 on his return to racing two weeks after appendicitis surgery.

"We are fast so we are enjoying it but we need to wait and see," Leclerc, who was third behind the two Red Bull cars in Saudi Arabia, told reporters.

"Red Bull weren't pushing yet (today). I think they are still ahead but we might have our best shot from the beginning of the season."

Verstappen's team mate Sergio Perez was eighth fastest in FP2 on a day when most cars struggled for grip on the street circuit.

McLaren driver Lando Norris had set the pace (1:18.564) in FP1, which was halted in the last 20 minutes after Albon's crash triggered a red flag.

The England-born Thai driver locked up and took a heavy shunt into the barrier at turn six then careened into the opposite barrier to damage both sides of his car, leaving debris on a long section of the track.

It came a year after Albon