The final practice session at the Australian Grand Prix has provided a glimpse of an exciting Formula 1 qualifying session. Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes are incredibly close in terms of lap times, separated by less than a tenth of a second.
Red Bull has been dominant in the first two rounds of the season, securing two comfortable pole positions for Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion. However, there is a vulnerability for the team in terms of single lap pace. Returning to a track where they faced braking and tyre warm-up issues in 2023, Red Bull and Verstappen could face a real challenge in qualifying for the first time this year.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari topped the final practice session, proving to be a strong contender on both the medium and soft tyres. Verstappen experienced difficulties with his brakes early on in FP3 but managed to set an impressive last-gasp lap time, briefly putting him at the top of the leaderboard. However, Leclerc responded by going even faster, edging out Verstappen by a mere 0.020s. This demonstrates the potency of Ferrari’s SF-24, even when Red Bull’s RB20 is performing well.
Carlos Sainz, Verstappen’s teammate, finished in third place, just half a tenth behind Verstappen. This further emphasizes the competitiveness between the top teams. Additionally, Mercedes, who struggled on Friday, showed improvement in FP3. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ended the session in fourth and fifth place respectively, within a tenth of Leclerc’s time.
Mercedes’ strong performance in the final practice session is a positive sign heading into qualifying. In previous weekends, the team has started well in Friday practice but faded as the events progressed. Red Bull’s vulnerability in qualifying presents an opportunity for Mercedes to disrupt their one-two finishes in the grand prix.
Sergio Perez, Red Bull’s second driver, finished in seventh place, three tenths off the pace and 0.280s slower than Verstappen. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri also showcased their competitiveness, finishing in sixth and eighth place respectively.
The pecking order among the teams has become clear early in the season, with five teams emerging as the quickest. Behind the top 10, attention was on Alex Albon, who took over his teammate Logan Sargeant’s car after Albon’s own crash in final practice. Williams made the decision to replace Sargeant with Albon, relying on him to secure points in the race.
In final practice, Albon finished in 13th place as he played catch-up after missing FP2.