Melbourne (AP) – Formula 1 leader Charles Leclerc has demonstrated his strong form with the best training time before the Australian Grand Prix.
At the start on Friday in Melbourne, the Ferrari driver drove the fastest lap in 1:18.978 minutes and pushed world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull 0.245 seconds ahead in second place. Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari finished just behind in third place. While there is another duel between the Scuderia and Red Bull Down Under, record world champion Lewis Hamilton only managed 13th place in the Mercedes.
Vettel: “I have problems with the engine”
After surviving the coronavirus infection, Sebastian Vettel had to watch the second training session. In the first session he had to park his Aston Martin early due to engine problems. It was not possible to make the car roadworthy in time. “I have problems with the engine,” radioed the Hessian to the pits. Vettel then grabbed the fire extinguisher himself because there was a lot of smoke coming from his car. The 34-year-old drove back to the garage on a scooter to the cheers of the fans. This could have an aftermath, since driving on the route is actually forbidden.
Vettel had missed the first two races of the season due to a positive corona test and is starting the season late in Melbourne. Mick Schumacher also missed the race in Saudi Arabia after a serious accident almost two weeks ago. The 23-year-old only finished 18th in practice at the Albert Park Circuit.
Before the third round of the season on April 10 (7:00 a.m. CEST / Sky), Leclerc (45 points) leads Sainz (33) and Verstappen (25).