Piastri Leads Tight Battle as Top Teams Dominate in Australia

Oscar Piastri thrills home fans, topping a fiercely contested practice as F1’s elite lock horns in Melbourne ahead of a crucial qualifying session.

The second day of action in Melbourne brought hotter yet cloudier conditions, setting the stage for an intense final practice session. And who better to lead the charge than local hero Oscar Piastri? The McLaren driver topped the timesheets in a razor-thin battle at the front, with Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen both within a tenth of a second.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the top four, despite a costly mistake on his flying lap, finishing just under three-tenths off the pace. Promising signs for the Scuderia, but room for improvement!

Tough Start for F1’s Newcomers

While the fight at the top is tight, two of F1’s least experienced drivers are heading into qualifying severely underprepared.

Ollie Bearman (Haas) had already lost nearly all of Friday’s running due to a heavy crash. Desperate for track time, his Saturday morning ended in more heartbreak—he spun into the gravel at Turn 11 after clipping the grass under braking, triggering a red flag and cutting his session short. Haas continues to struggle, with Esteban Ocon also far from the pace in P18.

Meanwhile, Liam Lawson—filling in at Red Bull—had a full Friday of running but remained off the pace. Any hopes of improving were dashed when a suspected engine issue prevented him from completing a single flying lap in FP3. Not the ideal buildup to his first Red Bull qualifying session!

At least his teammate, Max Verstappen, had a much smoother session. The reigning champion topped the times at various points and ultimately slotted in just behind Piastri and Russell.

The Rest of the Grid: Mercedes Impress, Ferrari Uneven

Kimi Antonelli continued to showcase Mercedes’ strong form, securing P5 and adding more confidence to the team’s weekend. Lando Norris, Piastri’s teammate, wasn’t as fortunate—traffic and track conditions left him without a clean lap, finishing down in P10.

Ferrari seemed less convincing than on Friday. Leclerc struggled with oversteer, affecting his confidence, while Lewis Hamilton, still adapting to the Ferrari, was four places further back.

Williams showed surprising strength, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon securing P6 and P7, respectively.

Qualifying Awaits!

With the top four teams locking out the top four positions, the fight for pole couldn’t be tighter. Can Piastri keep up the momentum in front of his home crowd? Or will Verstappen, Russell, or Leclerc strike back?

We’ll find out soon—qualifying kicks off at 5 AM local time! Stay tuned.

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix – Final Practice Results

• Discover More>Lando Norris Takes Pole for the Australian GP, Piastri and Verstappen Follow
• Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates

Piastri Stuns in Melbourne as F1’s Top Teams Battle On Piastri Stuns in Melbourne as F1’s Top Teams Battle On