Australian GP 2024
MARCH 22, 2024
Practice 1 Report - Norris quickest
© McLaren
In the opening practice session for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, Lando Norris of McLaren topped the timesheets, closely followed by Max Verstappen and George Russell. The session saw a significant interruption due to a crash involving Alex Albon of Williams, who fortunately reported being okay after the incident. The crash brought out a red flag, pausing the session to clear debris and the damaged car.
The practice kicked off with various teams and drivers testing their setups and tyres, leading to multiple changes at the top of the leaderboard. Norris eventually set the fastest time with a lap of 1m18.564s on the soft C5 tires, barely used by teams during the pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The session was notable for its shifting conditions, with drivers adapting to the evolving grip levels. Several experienced offs, including Hamilton, Verstappen, and Perez, highlighting the challenging nature of the Melbourne track.
As the session concluded, Verstappen managed a last-minute effort to place second, narrowly missing Norris's leading time, while Russell slotted into third after recovering from an earlier slide. The practice results set an intriguing stage for the rest of the weekend, with tight gaps among the leading drivers suggesting a competitive race ahead.