Lewis Hamilton trails Charles Leclerc in Australian GP practice after Ollie Bearman suffers big crash

As starts to the season go, it was a horror opening for British teenager Ollie Bearman as he made his full-time debut in Formula One, while Lewis Hamilton trailed his teammate Charles Leclerc on an eventful first day of the 2025 season.

Driving for American-owned team Haas this year after his stunning Ferrari debut a year ago, 19-year-old Bearman crashed out of opening practice at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday after losing control while negotiating gravel on the outside of turn 10.

The car then spun violently, ripping off a tyre as it slammed into the narrow walls of the Albert Park street circuit. Bearman was unharmed in the crash, before saying over radio: “I am sorry.”

Ollie Bearman had a heavy crash in practice at the Australian GP (F1 TV)

Yet the damage done to the car – including a costly power unit and engine change – meant the Chelmsford native could not take part in the second practice session, putting him firmly on the back foot heading into qualifying on Saturday.

Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle commented: “It was probably a bit too gun-ho. It will have knocked some of his confidence.”

At the front, it looks nip and tuck between last year’s top two. McLaren’s Lando Norris was quickest in first practice while Charles Leclerc pipped Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri in the second hour.

Lewis Hamilton, a day after he voiced his joy at the start of his Ferrari journey, trailed his teammate Leclerc by four-tenths in the second session, finishing fifth on the leaderboard in-between both Racing Bulls drivers, after a very positive first outing of the year for Red Bull’s sister team.

Norris, who was runner-up to four-time world champion Max Verstappen last year, is the bookies’ favourite in 2024, with his team looking to be quickest early on. However, the Bristolian insisted there was room for improvement after a “so-so” day.

Lando Norris was quickest in the first practice session (Getty Images)

“We’ve got a good baseline,” he said. “I’m not confident with the car in terms of the right balance, particularly on low fuel. It was similar to Bahrain, a bit of a struggle. But I think we’ll be strong.”

AUSTRALIAN GP SECOND PRACTICE - TOP-10

1. Charles Leclerc - 1:16:439

2. Oscar Piastri +0.124 secs

3. Lando Norris +0.141

4. Yuki Tsunoda +0.345

5. Lewis Hamilton +0.420

6. Isack Hadjar +0.580

7. Max Verstappen +0.624

8. Nico Hulkenberg +0.722

9. Lance Stroll +0.840

10. George Russell +0.843

As for Hamilton, with father Anthony and award-winning singer Raye watching on in the Ferrari garage, his first grand prix session outing in Scuderia red was solid. No more, no less.

The 40-year-old was only 12th-fastest under the baking Melbourne sun earlier in the day and complained over team radio about issues turning the SF-25 car.

The early indications are he may well struggle to match the one-lap pace of his rapid teammate Leclerc, particularly early on in the campaign as he continues to bed into his new team and surroundings. Afterwards, however, he was upbeat.

“It felt amazing to get out there in a Ferrari, honestly the car felt so different to what I’ve experienced coming to this track,” said Hamilton, a two-time winner in Melbourne.

“We’re slowly building and getting faster bit by bit. The car doesn’t feel bad, it just requires a different way of driving.”

Lewis Hamilton was fifth-fastest in the second practice session (Getty Images)

Charles Leclerc led the way in second practice (Getty Images)

Reigning world champion Verstappen, meanwhile, appeared to be in no man’s land at the start of his quest for five in a row.

Beaten by both RB drivers in FP2, the Dutchman was only seventh-fastest and was understandably gloomy in the media pen straight after.

“We will have to find more speed,” he said. “Because now we have not got enough to compete at the front."

While the pecking order up front looks relatable, the weather could throw a spanner in the works. While scorching temperatures of 35C are anticipated for qualifying on Saturday, there is a 70% chance of rain for the race on Sunday (4am GMT). Conditions Verstappen and Hamilton thrive in, as shown in Brazil and Silverstone respectively last year.

The last time Australia had a wet race was back in 2010, won by Jenson Button. Can a Brit follow in his footsteps on Sunday? We’ll soon find out.

Topics

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Lewis Hamilton trails Charles Leclerc in Australian GP practice after Ollie Bearman suffers big crash

AUSTRALIAN GP SECOND PRACTICE - TOP-10

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