Piastri Takes Top Spot: Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in the final practice session for the 2025 FIA Formula One Australian Grand Prix, edging out George Russell and Max Verstappen. Piastri’s lap of 1:15.921 put him less than a tenth of a second ahead of his rivals.
Bearman’s Second Crash: Haas rookie Oliver Bearman experienced another setback, crashing for the second consecutive day. After damaging his car in the first practice session, Bearman crashed again at Turn 11, ending his session early.
Session Highlights: Max Verstappen initially led the session, but Piastri and Russell later took turns at the top of the timesheets. Russell managed to improve and take second place from Verstappen. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz continued to impress, finishing sixth and seventh. Lewis Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda, and Lando Norris rounded out the top ten.
Red Bull’s Mixed Fortunes: While Verstappen improved significantly, his Red Bull teammate Liam Lawson faced technical issues. A pneumatic air problem forced Lawson to retire early in the session.
Summary:
- Oscar Piastri topped the session with a time of 1:15.921.
- George Russell finished second, 0.039 seconds behind.
- Max Verstappen placed third, 0.081 seconds off the lead.
- Oliver Bearman crashed again, ending his session early.
- Liam Lawson retired due to a technical issue.
- Williams drivers Albon and Sainz showed strong pace.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1:15.921 | |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:15.960 | 0.039 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1:16.002 | 0.081 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:16.188 | 0.267 |
| 5 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:16.206 | 0.285 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz | Williams/Mercedes | 1:16.252 | 0.331 |
| 7 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1:16.258 | 0.337 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:16.378 | 0.457 |
| 9 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT | 1:16.455 | 0.534 |
| 10 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1:16.597 | 0.676 |
| 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber/Ferrari | 1:16.707 | 0.786 |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1:16.719 | 0.798 |
| 13 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT | 1:16.732 | 0.811 |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1:16.948 | 1.027 |
| 15 | Jack Doohan | Alpine/Renault | 1:16.993 | 1.072 |
| 16 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber/Ferrari | 1:17.146 | 1.225 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1:17.270 | 1.349 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Haas/Ferrari | 1:17.373 | 1.452 |
| 19 | Oliver Bearman | Haas/Ferrari | – | |
| 20 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | – |
Source: FIA
This article was crafted with assistance from Gemini