Teams’ reaction following the opening day in Melbourne

The opening day of the Australian Grand Prix noticed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the tempo with championship runaway chief Max Verstappen compelled to accept second spot on the leaderboard.

Ferrari had a robust opening day, though it was not shocking given their encouraging tempo in the opening two rounds of the season. Leclerc regarded fast on each the medium and the delicate compound, and he displayed nice velocity throughout his high-fuel run.

His team-mate Carlos Sainz made his return after his surgical procedure. The first indicators are optimistic as the Spaniard didn’t complain about huge points, though he felt drained after the two one-hour classes. Ferrari made particular modifications to his seat which ought to allow the two-time race winner to proceed to drive his SF-24 this weekend.

Charles Leclerc – FP1: 1:18.599, P4; FP2: 1:17.277, P1

“It was a stable first day, every little thing felt good from the begin and I used to be snug in the automobile. The most essential factor for us to do tomorrow shall be to go along with the observe and anticipate what the evolution shall be like. We will deal with optimising our steadiness and attempt to make a step ahead earlier than qualifying.

“It looks good for now but we have to wait and see how it will look tomorrow, I expect the field to be much tighter.”

Carlos Sainz – FP1: 1:18.686, P8; FP2: 1:17.707, P3

“It’s been a few robust weeks resulting in as we speak and to be trustworthy I’m very pleased I may full each classes feeling fairly snug. I’ll proceed to take it step-by-step to ensure I come to qualifying and to the race in the finest kind attainable.

“I’m confident tomorrow will be better and overall, the car seems to be in a good place this weekend. We’ll try to maximise everything from body and machine!”

Having dominated proceedings to this point this season, Max Verstappen regarded a step behind pace-setting Charles Leclerc. However, the opening follow days of the first two race weekends have proven that Red Bull use an unusually low engine mode on Friday which implies that the Dutchman would possibly discover himself again in dominant kind come qualifying and the race.

Sergio Perez confirmed that degradation has been a difficulty throughout lengthy runs with Pirelli’s aggressive tyre alternative for this weekend which could lead on to a couple attention-grabbing technique variations.

Max Verstappen – FP1: 1:18.582, P2; FP2: 1:17.658, P2

“Today was somewhat bit messy due to what occurred in FP1: we had some injury to the ground and chassis, which took a bit longer to repair which means I had a little bit of catch as much as do. The turnaround was very fast and Team did an excellent job however we ended up dropping a little bit of operating time in FP2. Normally I might have preferred to have had a couple of extra laps and I didn’t handle to do many lengthy runs however I feel that the laps we did had been good. I feel we all know what now we have to deal with and now we have a couple of issues to effective tune however we’re trying ahead to tomorrow.”

Sergio Perez – FP1: 1:18.642, P6; FP2: 1:18.090, P8

“It was a difficult Friday in normal and general, I feel now we have some work to do in a single day. Melbourne can also be fairly troublesome if you transfer to the afternoon as a result of the visibility is tremendous poor with the low solar in your face. I feel we’re in place this season with the automobile although and we ought to be trying sturdy for tomorrow.

“We need to put it all together because it will be important to qualify high up. Degradation wise it looks quite high on the long runs; we need to look at that and it will be interesting to see what the best strategy will be this weekend. I think Ferrari look strong, this circuit seems to be better for them, they have been competitive in the long runs. They will be a challenge to beat this weekend, generally they are quite fast around here so it could be interesting to see how we match up.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris completed the opening session on high, however he was unable to maintain up along with his rivals in the second one-hour session which was all the way down to sudden gusts of wind in accordance with the Bristol-born driver. His team-mate Oscar Piastri is to finish his second house race, and he seems to be way more assured than he was a 12 months in the past.

Lando Norris – FP1: 1:18.564, P1; FP2: 1:18.155, P9

“A reasonable day. We struggled to find a bit of confidence given the gusts of wind, so we didn’t get the best feeling, but I think the pace is reasonable. We’re in the mix, which is a good sign. It should make our lives exciting tomorrow – but we’ve still got a lot of work to do to make the most of it.”

Oscar Piastri – FP1: 1:18.918, P10; FP2: 1:18.077, P7

“First day in Melbourne. All-in-all, not a bad day. We were a bit up-and-down but there were definitely some positive signs. We’ll have a look and see what we can find for tomorrow – but it’s been nice to be driving back at home. We’ve got a few things to look at and try to work on but I’m feeling optimistic.”

Aston Martin appears to reflect the efficiency they confirmed two weeks in the past in Jeddah. Their 2024 F1 automobile appears to excel in low-fuel configuration, and so they as soon as once more look like a agency contender for high positions in qualifying.

Having mentioned that, Fernandno Alonso had a tricky begin to his weekend as a snap of oversteer at Turn 10 led to ground injury which compromised his day. His team-mate Lance Stroll confirmed a a lot improved kind in comparison with his troublesome begin to the season, having set the fourth quickest time behind the two Ferraris and Verstappen.

Fernando Alonso – FP1: 1:19.716, P18; FP2: 1:17.912, P5

“It’s at all times difficult right here at Albert Park – the observe rubbers in quite a bit and the grip modifications. That led to me operating by the gravel at Turn 10 throughout FP1, so we needed to change the ground throughout the session. Our programme was somewhat compromised as a result of that, however FP2 ran easily and we accomplished every little thing we got down to do.

It’s at all times satisfying to be in the direction of the high of the timesheet, however we gained’t draw any conclusions from as we speak because it’s solely Free Practice and there are nonetheless loads of variables to contemplate. We have loads of information to now analyse in order to present us the finest likelihood of getting a optimistic consequence in Qualifying.”

Lance Stroll – FP1: 1:18.667, P7; FP2: 1:17.822, P4

“The automobile felt good as we speak. I used to be pleased with the steadiness, and we had an easy day gathering loads of information. We’ve been fairly sturdy on one-lap tempo this season, so it is optimistic to see we have saved that up right here. But let’s maintain our ft on the floor as a result of it is Free Practice and we do not know what the others have been doing.

“Nevertheless, a positive start to the weekend and I’m looking forward to getting back into the car for Qualifying tomorrow.”

Mercedes had an attention-grabbing day. The group has analysed the information they gathered in Bahrain and Jeddah to make key modifications to the W15 which has produced extreme quantity of bouncing in high-speed corners to this point this season. The opening follow in Melbourne noticed Lewis Hamilton and George Russell leap out of their automobile with a smile on their face as they had been way more delighted with the steadiness of their automobile.

However, the group has elected to carry out experiments with excessive setup options on Hamilton’s automobile which made the seven-time world champion’s automobile very troublesome to drive. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin confirmed that the group will revert to extra standard setup on Hamilton’s automobile for the remainder of the weekend.

Lewis Hamilton – FP1: 1:18.771, P9; FP2: 1:18.834, P18

“It didn’t feel great out there today. We began the day on the front foot and in FP1, the car generally felt good. The first run was actually the best the car has felt so far this year. To continue our learning, we made some big changes into FP2 and unfortunately, that made the car worse. It was tough but there are positives we can take from the first session. We will be working hard overnight to make improvements ahead of tomorrow.”

George Russell – FP1: 1:18.597, P3; FP2: 1:17.951, P6

“We had been pushing the limits as we speak and I had a couple of moments on the market. It was all beneath management in the finish although. It was very tight on the market in the first session with FP2 barely extra unfold out. I used to be on for a extremely good lap on my final push on the Soft tyre, however simply ran extensive in the final two corners and picked up some minor injury to my front-wing. Without that, I feel we might have completed the session P3.

“We are trying to understand this car further and made some changes after Saudi Arabia. Every single lap is so valuable as you learn more about the car and try to get it into the sweet spot. We will have the team back at the factory working hard in the simulator to get more performance out of it. Let’s see what tomorrow brings. When you arrive the next day, it can often be very different.”

Alex Albon – FP1: 1:19.443, P12; FP2: DNS

“It was a tricky session in FP1 and I paid the price for it. I ran a little wide and went up onto the exit curb and bottomed out when I landed, so it’s frustrating. I think we have a car that’s quite quick this weekend, so it’s disappointing to not have been able to participate in FP2. We don’t have a spare chassis and I know the team are working hard on what repairs can be made, so we’ll know more soon.”

Logan Sargeant – FP1: 1:19.519, P14; FP2: 1:18.578, P13

“There was good grip out there compared to last year but the wind picked up this afternoon, making it a little more unpredictable. Generally, on low fuel, we have a decent car with the good news being that we’re at the fine-tuning stage, however, I obviously lost that Medium tyre on the spin and didn’t get a high fuel run. Despite this, we’re in a good place ahead of tomorrow and there’s still some more to get out of the car. As a team, we’re on the backfoot a bit this weekend but we’ll do what we can.”

Daniel Ricciardo – FP1: 1:19.274, P11; FP2: 1:18.534, P12

“Firstly, it was simply good to be again on observe – it’s one. For myself, Oscar and Valtteri it’s clearly emotional. The crowd is loopy such as you’d get at a rock live performance, there are such a lot of folks right here for a Practice day. I feel Albert Park has at all times accomplished job at holding it full all day. You come to observe on a Friday and also you don’t simply see F1, it’s V8, Porsche, F2, 3 – it’s quite a bit. It’s good that Aussie motorsport is powerful, and it’s reaching areas like Valtteri in Finland.

“I drove right here in 2022 once they simply made the observe modifications. It’s quite a bit sooner than it was once, it’s good. I feel as a group we began the morning on the entrance foot, and I feel this afternoon, the others discovered somewhat extra. I feel we’re undoubtedly nonetheless inside a shot of Q3 tomorrow.

“There are loads of corners the place, as a result of it’s nonetheless a avenue circuit clearly, you place it on the edge. I feel the situations and grip had been fairly good and it was enjoyable to get into it. There’s somewhat bit of labor to do tonight however nothing too loopy. As at all times, I feel there’s a little bit of finetuning of the automobile, and it ought to give us likelihood for tomorrow. In phrases of race tempo, with the little future that we did, it appears okay. Let’s qualify in the high 10 after which it’ll all get simpler from there.”

Yuki Tsunoda – FP1: 1:18.621, P5; FP2: 1:18.188, P10

“As a first day, we’re in good shape compared to the last two races. The team did a fantastic job in terms of preparation, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Obviously, the field is very tight in qualifying as we know, so we’ll finetune the small details, and I know those things will come and we’ll be able to put it all together tomorrow. Now it’s maximum preparation tonight, I’ll push as much as I can and hopefully, we make it to Q3!”

Haas seem to wrestle for one-lap tempo on low gasoline, however they may be in the combine come race day as they high-fuel runs have been pretty encouraging. Kevin Magnussen completed final on the leaderboard, however he mentioned it was all the way down to a mistake that he made throughout his qualifying simulation run, that is why he’s assured that he would possibly discover himself a lot larger up on the order on Saturday.

Nico Hulkenberg – FP1: 1:19.604, P16; FP2: 1:18.702, P16

“It’s been very windy as we speak and I feel that’s why we’ve seen so many individuals go off; it makes it fairly difficult on the market. It’s such a high-speed circuit now and there’s no margin for error, so you will get caught out very simply. Our Friday was effective with no points, so it was the common program to scrub some issues up for tomorrow.

“I really feel our one-lap tempo wasn’t shining as we speak so now we have a little bit of homework to do to search out some efficiency over one lap. I feel in the future, I felt higher than on my low-fuel run, in order that’s good for a change as that wasn’t at all times the case final 12 months however we’re making an attempt to optimise each as a lot as we are able to.”

Kevin Magnussen – FP1: 1:19.489, P13; FP2: 1:19.275, P19

“We had two good free practice sessions today so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do tomorrow. It’s a very tight field so we could be anywhere almost, certainly in the mix for P10 or P11. I got a run on the soft tyre but I didn’t set a time on it – I messed up my laps – but on the medium compound it looks promising so we’ll look at the sectors. There’s some pace in there.”

Having carried over his kind from the opening two rounds, Zhou Guanyu continued to have the higher fingers in phrases of the intra-team battle with Valtteri Bottas. The Hinwil-based outfit has launched tweaks to the entrance wing for the Melbourne spherical which they hope can carry the essential efficiency achieve to elevate their competitiveness in the extraordinarily tight midfield battle.

Valtteri Bottas – FP1: 1:20.014, P20; FP2: 1:18.585, P14

“Today was actually productive for understanding the automobile, particularly in gentle of the new upgrades we dropped at Australia. We targeted on fulfilling our program and on set-up work the place now we have taken a small step ahead: however there may be undoubtedly extra to unlock tonight.

“We are aiming for no less than Q2, but when we get every little thing proper on Saturday, Q3 might be attainable for us. Outside of the observe, it has been completely sensible to be in Melbourne and witness all the ardour from the followers. The vitality is at all times nice, and I hope we can provide the crowd some pleasure this weekend: I’m trying ahead to it.”

Zhou Guanyu – FP1: 1:19.989, P19; FP2: 1:18.421, P11

“It is at all times nice to be again in Melbourne. The followers carry an unimaginable sense of ardour which makes coming again to the observe thrilling. Today was about understanding our upgrades and the observe evolution, and I discovered rhythm with the automobile. After each classes, this appears like a automobile I may push with, and reveals the efforts the group, each right here and again in Hinwil, has been making.

“We had a couple of setting modifications between FP1 and FP2, and every time we develop the automobile, it appears to be going in the proper path. Our entrance wing improve is designed to assist with the general automobile steadiness – and there may be nonetheless extra to extract and find out about the automobile over the weekend. As we proceed to finetune our package deal, I’m trying ahead to the remainder of the weekend and imagine we may be combating nearer to the factors.”

Alpine nonetheless look to be off the tempo of the midfield, though their long-run tempo was extra encouraging. It may imply that they’ll wrestle to get out of the opening qualifying session, however they may be fast sufficient to battle with their direct rivals RB, Kick Sauber, Haas and Williams on Sunday.

Esteban Ocon – FP1: 1:19.561, P15; FP2: 1:18.705, P17

“Today was productive and it was good to get out on observe in entrance of full grandstands on a Friday, which is at all times the case with the followers right here in Melbourne. The subject may be very tight, because it tends to be at Albert Park, so it will likely be essential to extract the most from the package deal, because it might be the distinction between one or two rows on the grid.

“There’s nonetheless some issues we are able to enhance forward of tomorrow and we’ll maintain working laborious in a single day to get ready for Qualifying. It was attention-grabbing as we speak to check the new softer compound tyre for this occasion in comparison with final 12 months. In normal, it is a low degradation circuit, so these modifications may provide up some totally different technique choices and alternatives for the Grand Prix on Sunday.”