George Russell set the pace in final Australian GP practice as Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli crashed heavily, red-flagging the session.
MELBOURNE: George Russell outpaced Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in an eventful final practice for the Australian Grand Prix. The session was twice red-flagged, including for a heavy crash involving Russell’s Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Russell, a pre-season favourite, posted a time of one minute 19.053 seconds on soft tyres in the final minutes. That was enough to pip Hamilton by 0.616 seconds as teams adapt to radical new engine and chassis regulations.
The session was overshadowed by Antonelli slamming into the barriers at Turn 2 late on. The Italian climbed from the wreckage and said “I’m okay”.
Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished third, with local favourite Oscar Piastri fourth for McLaren. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen were fifth and sixth.
Antonelli’s crash brought a premature end to his session, leaving him seventh. World champion Lando Norris, who had transmission issues on Friday, could only manage eighth for McLaren.
The session started 20 minutes late due to debris from a Formula 3 crash. It was red-flagged early when Williams driver Carlos Sainz lost power and stopped at the pit entry.
Marshals had to crane Sainz’s car away, halting action for eight minutes. The Spaniard took no further part in the session.
When running resumed, Antonelli briefly went fastest before Hamilton reclaimed the top spot. Leclerc and Piastri then seized control with 20 minutes remaining.
Just three minutes were left when the track was cleared after Antonelli’s crash. Russell then powered to the top with his fastest lap, with Hamilton moving to second.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll failed to leave the garage due to technical issues. Teammate Fernando Alonso completed 20 laps to finish 18th as the team battles vibration issues with its Honda power unit.
Piastri and Leclerc had topped the two Friday practice sessions. The greater reliance on electrical energy in the new hybrid power units makes better battery management by drivers paramount for the race.