The leader of the championship, Charles Leclerc, confirmed Scuderia Ferrari’s pace with authority on Friday. The Monégasque driver stood out at the Grand Circus, becoming the only driver to dip below the 1:18 barrier with a fastest lap of 1:17.868 during the final attempt of the third session.
That lap pushed Leclerc ahead of both Red Bull racers by more than two tenths. Heading into Sunday, he will start from pole alongside the current world champion, while Sergio Perez, nicknamed Checo, lines up third beside a determined British driver. McLaren showed meaningful progress in Albert Park, signaling a potential shift in the competitive balance.
In the midfield and behind, the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell look to climb from mid-pack positions, with Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) and Esteban Ocon (Alpine) nudging ahead of two Spaniards who battled mechanical problems on the final lap and dropped into the lower end of the top ten.
The Ferrari duo appeared commanding in Q1, a session briefly interrupted by a red flag after an accident involving Canadian Nicholas Latifi (Williams) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin). Perez surged to the front in Q2, with Sainz close behind, and Alonso kept the pressure high as the session intensified.
The Asturian fought hard near the middle of Q3 as well, posting the second-best sector times, yet a hydraulic failure hampered his braking at Turn 11, sending his car into the barriers.
The two-time champion Fernando Alonso briefly paused the session when issues arose, and after a few minutes the pit crew confirmed a mechanical hiccup. Sainz, who had started strongly, later found himself unable to warm the tires adequately when it mattered most, leaving him unable to post a strong lap and settling for ninth on the grid.
Australian GP race times
Sunday, April 9
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Race: 07:00 hours (CET)
Where to watch Formula 1 races?
In 2022, fans could follow Formula 1 live on television in Spain through Movistar+ and DAZN. The operator included full coverage on the Movistar+ F1 channel, and DAZN expanded its lineup as part of a broader agreement that also covers MotoGP. For major Latin American markets such as Argentina, Colombia and Chile, the major prize events were broadcast on Fox Sports, while Televisa’s Channel 9 in Mexico handled the coverage. In the United States, Formula 1 could be viewed on ESPN.
For Canada and the United States, fans should look for local broadcasters and streaming options that carry the official F1 package, with usually similar access to practice sessions, qualifying and races, often bundled in sports networks or streaming services that host the season-long coverage. [Cited sources: official F1 broadcast guides and regional sports media outlets.]
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