Australian GP: Lando Norris sets pace as Oliver Bearman suffers big crash in first Melbourne practice | F1 News

Lando Norris topped the first practice session of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Australian Grand Prix as British rookie Oliver Bearman suffered a big crash.

Norris had on Thursday played down his and McLaren’s status as pre-season favourites, but flashed some of the performance that many expect to give the Brit a fine opportunity to claim his maiden F1 title.

He set a time of 1:17.252s for the reigning constructors’ champions in the closing moments of the session to finish 0.149s clear of Carlos Sainz, who impressed for Williams following his move from Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton was only 12th in his first race weekend session for Ferrari, finishing six tenths of a second behind his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who was third.

The seven-time world champion, whose first practice appearance for Ferrari was the centre of attention following his move from Mercedes, said over team radio that he was “struggling” to turn the SF-25.

Oscar Piastri was four tenths off his McLaren team-mate Norris in fourth, while Max Verstappen was marginally further back in fifth for Red Bull as he began his quest for a fifth successive drivers’ title.

Alex Albon backed up Sainz’s speed by taking sixth for Williams, while George Russell finished seventh for Mercedes, surviving a late scare as he spun after driving onto the grass at Turn 4 and managed to stop his car just short of the barriers.

Bearman, who is driving in his first full campaign having made three race appearances last season, caused the second of two red flags during the session as he ran onto the gravel at the exit of Turn 10 and then slammed into the barrier having failed to regain control of his Haas as it emerged from the trap.

Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle said: “He just missed the apex, ran wide. I think he didn’t recognise that early enough, was probably a bit too gung-ho and thought he would rescue that one.

“It was a little bit over-confident, and it will have knocked some of that confidence.”

That interruption, along with an earlier delay to allow gravel to be removed from the track where it had been kicked up by cars running off line at Turn 6, meant almost a third of the hour-long session was lost.

Liam Lawson, who is starting his first full campaign alongside Verstappen at Red Bull having previously featured in 11 races for junior squad Racing Bulls over the last two years, survived an early scare of his own after kissing the wall at Turn 9 before eventually finishing 16th.

Isack Hadjar finished highest of the six rookies, taking ninth for Racing Bulls. Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto were 13th, 14th and 15th, respectively.

Sky Sports F1’s live Australian GP schedule

Friday March 14

• 2.55am: F3 Qualifying*
• 3.40am: Team Principals’ Press Conference
• 4.45am: Australian GP Practice Two (session begins at 5am)*
• 6.25am: F2 Qualifying*
• 7.15am: The F1 Show*

Saturday March 15

• 12.10am: F3 Sprint*
• 1.10am: Australian GP Practice Three (session begins at 1.30am)*
• 3.10am: F2 Sprint*
• 4.15am: Australian GP Qualifying build-up*
• 5am: AUSTRALIAN GP QUALIFYING*
• 7am: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*
• 7.30am: Australian GP Qualifying Replay* (9am on Sky Showcase)
• 9.55pm: F3 Feature Race*

Sunday March 16

• 12.25am: F2 Feature Race*
• 2.30am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
• 4am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX*
• 6am: Australian GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
• 7am: Ted’s Notebook*
• 7.55am: Australian GP race replay
• 10am: Australian GP highlights (also on Sky Showcase)
• 7pm: Villeneuve Pironi – Racing’s Untold Tragedy

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1starting with the Australian GP this weekend. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime