2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Friday Practice - As it happened

It was Lando Norris who set the pace for McLaren in first practice. More impressively, though, Carlos Sainz was second-fastest in his first official outing for Williams.

Ollie Bearman crashed heavily after running wide at Turn 11. No news from Haas just yet if Bearman's car has been repaired in time for FP2.

“I think he will be a bit frustrated with that first session. He looked very good early on. It depends if he had some issues - we will find out later.”

Norris, Sainz, Leclerc, Piastri, Verstappen, Albon, Russell, Alonso, Hadjar and Stroll.

Norris is fastest in FP1 ahead of Sainz and Leclerc. 

Russell has a spin at Turn 3. He dropped a wheel on the grass before this spin. No damage done, though. 

He improves to sixth - but he's 0.4s off Norris, who has just gone fastest for McLaren.

"I am struggling to turn the car," Hamilton reports over team radio. 

Piastri puts his McLaren third on the softs, 0.269s down on Sainz. 

The session is back underway after Bearman's car has been cleared. 

Sainz, Leclerc, Verstappen, Russell, Alonso, Hadjar, Norris, Antonelli, Hamilton and Piastri. 

Bearman has crashed at Turn 10. He's out of the car. 

Williams showing their hand early on as Sainz sets the pace for Williams with a 1m17.401s, 0.295s ahead of Verstappen.

A 1m17.696s for the reigning world champion on the softs. Russell goes second - also on the red-marked rubber - 0.020s off the pace. 

A number of drivers are already trying out the soft tyres. Russell has just gone fastest in the first sector. 

The gravel has been cleared and FP1 is back underway. 

Leclerc, Russell, Hadjar, Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton, Sainz, Tsunoda, Gasly and Alonso.

He puts his Mercedes second overall, 0.150s down on Leclerc's top time.

He's lowered the benchmark now to a 1m17.880s, 0.3s ahead of Norris. Verstappen has slotted into third overall. 

Norris, Leclerc, Gasly, Sainz, Piastri, Alonso, Hamilton, Russell, Verstappen and Stroll.

It's a 1m18.317s now from Leclerc, putting him 0.3s ahead of Piastri. Leclerc's time is already two-tenths ahead of the fastest time from last year's FP1 session at the Australian GP. 

A strong time from Norris as he lowers the benchmark to a 1m18.765s, 0.3s ahead of Hamilton in second. 

It's Verstappen on top at the moment in the RB21 - a 1m19.771s for the Red Bull driver, putting him 0.2s ahead of Leclerc.

Times will come down very quickly as drivers get up to speed, while the track will ramp up throughout the weekend. 

A historic moment for Hamilton, who's just hit the track for the first time in his Ferrari. What can he achieve this weekend?

Hamilton has an incredible record at Albert Park, particularly in qualifying. He claimed pole at every race in Melbourne from 2014 to 2019.