Australian pride leads the standings on the opening day of the season

Oscar Piastri tops the timesheets on the first official day of the Formula 1 season. The home hero gave his compatriots a brilliant start, setting the fastest time at the Albert Park circuit. Piastri clocked a 1:19.729, just over two tenths quicker than Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who finished second with a 1:19.943. Antonelli's teammate, George Russell, took third with a time of 1:20.049.

While Melbourne offered changeable weather last year, the forecast for this year's Australian Grand Prix is much more stable. No rain is expected on either Saturday or Sunday, with afternoon temperatures ranging between 22°C and 24°C on both days.

However, increased cloud cover is predicted for Sunday, which could result in slightly lower track temperatures compared to Saturday. Piastri set his best time on the C5 soft compound. In the second half of the session, drivers utilised all three compounds for race simulations.

SIMONE BERRA - PIRELLI CHIEF ENGINEER

Track evolution will certainly be a factor to consider during the first Formula 1 race weekend. Despite the initial low grip, it was evident that conditions have already improved compared to the first measurements taken by our technicians earlier this week, and they will continue to do so until Sunday, inevitably impacting car performance.

While the first hour of activity served primarily to evaluate car behaviour on this track-also regarding energy management for the new power unit-some teams focused on high-fuel runs for race simulations during the second hour.

Graining, a well-known phenomenon in Melbourne, appeared again this year across several sets of all three compounds selected for the weekend, generally proving more evident on the front axle. From our initial findings, no specific options seem particularly penalised, meaning the entire trio remains in play for potential race strategies.

Lap time differences are in line with simulations. The gap between the C3 and C4 stands at about 0.3-0.4 seconds, while the gap between the C4 and C5 is approximately half a second. Degradation appears limited and perfectly manageable for the drivers.

FORMULA 2

Dino Beganovic secured the first pole position of the year at the Australian Grand Prix. He set a time of 1:28.695s, over two tenths faster than second-placed Martinius Stenshorne, while Alex Dunne posted the third-fastest time. Following a late red flag, the session concluded with a three-minute battle involving twenty drivers vying for pole. Ultimately, Beganovic finished on top and will start from P1 in Sunday's Feature Race. Saturday's Sprint Race will feature a reversed grid and, according to the latest forecasts, will be held in dry conditions. The compounds selected for the Melbourne weekend are Soft and Supersoft.

FORMULA 3

In Formula 3, Théophile Naël claimed pole position in the first qualifying session of the season, marking his first-ever pole in the championship. Another Campos driver finished second, with Ugo Ugochukwu just 0.021 seconds behind his teammate. Rookie Freddie Slater took third, only 0.061 seconds off Naël's pace, completing an extremely competitive start to the F3 season. The championship will open Saturday's programme with a 20-lap Sprint Race.

The Medium compound has been confirmed for the first Formula 3 race of the season. Drivers will tackle the Melbourne street circuit using the middle option of the Pirelli range, keeping a close eye on several factors. The tyres could be subject to graining, a common occurrence on the Australian track, which may require careful management in the final laps to maintain performance levels. Overheating must also be monitored on the very smooth asphalt, which consists primarily of roads normally open to public traffic. Drivers will need to avoid pushing the tyres to the limit too early to avoid compromising the final stages of the race, especially if temperatures prove higher than last year.