Piastri leads tight Friday practice in Melbourne as new F1 season shows promise
McLaren's Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in second practice at his home grand prix, leading a competitive session where the top ten were separated by less than six-tenths of a second. Fernando Alonso was a standout in second, while championship leader Max Verstappen struggled with his car's balance, finishing sixth.
Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in Friday's second practice session for his home Australian Grand Prix, leading a tightly packed field where Mercedes and McLaren also showed strong pace. The session offered the first real glimpse of the 2024 pecking order around the challenging Melbourne circuit, with Fernando Alonso a surprise second for Aston Martin and Max Verstappen down in sixth after complaining of balance issues with his Red Bull.