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The Australian GP weekend kickstarted today with FP1 and FP2 sessions. Both the sessions featured Ferrari drivers topping the timesheets with the Red Bull of Max Verstappen hot on their tails.
In FP1, it was Carlos Sainz who pulled off the fastest lap in his Ferrari. In FP2, it was Charles Leclerc on top, with Max Verstappen trailing the Monegasque by a tenth.
So, what did we learn after the two free practice sessions of the Australian GP? Let's find out!
What did we learn at the Australian GP?
#1 Ferrari is fundamentally a better car than Red Bull
There has been an intense battle between Ferrari and Red Bull in the first two races. While Ferrari grabbed pole position and won the race in Bahrain, Red Bull did the same in Saudi Arabia. It is already well established that Red Bull seems to hold the edge in the fast speed sections of the track while Ferrari is ahead on the slow speed sections.
Looking at the races in their entirety, however, there is one thing that jumps out. Every time one sees the onboard of both the cars, it becomes apparent that the Ferrari handles drastically better than the Red Bull. While Red Bull can make up lap time on the straights, overall the car doesn't look as smooth as the Ferrari. At the Australian GP, this might not be a big factor. Once we reach the more traditional tracks, however, Ferrari might start pulling away from Red Bull.
At the Australian GP, however, it's more of the same. Ferrari holds a tiny edge over Red Bull in the short runs but in the race, it will come down to the drivers and the strategy once again.
#2 Mercedes need to pull up their socks
Mercedes was a bit non-descript throughout the two sessions. Neither of the drivers had any impressive times to speak of. Nor was there anything striking about that car in terms of upgrades. More or less, Mercedes should find itself in the same position that it has found itself in throughout the year so far.
The team should be third fastest again this weekend, but talking about the gap to the front, it's hard to see if there is going to be any change in that. The German team needs to start cutting down that gap soon if it wishes to be part of the championship contention.
#3 Haas is on the backfoot for the Australian GP
Haas didn't do much of the running in either of the practice sessions. While it had mentioned that it was short on spare chassis this weekend, it's hard to understand if that was the reason behind the team not having a concrete run plan in place. To add to this, Kevin Magnussen is not 100% fit this weekend as the Danish driver was reported to be feeling nauseous in the morning.
Haas has a great opportunity to make the most of its early-season form. With consistent issues plaguing the team now and then, however, it could end up floundering the early season advantage that it has gained.
#4 McLaren is making progress
While we need to wait until qualifying to conclude, it does appear that McLaren is slowly but steadily getting back to its original place in the pecking order. The car has looked more and more impressive every time it is on track and it is putting together times that are comparable to the Alpine and Alfa Romeos.
McLaren was 4th in the constructors last season and surely has the pedigree to make the requisite jump in the pecking order. Will it be able to produce the same form tomorrow? Let's wait and watch, but the signs do seem positive at the moment.
#5 Nothing is going right for Aston Martin at the Australian GP
Sebastian Vettel suffered a power unit failure in FP1. Before that, the German appeared to be in decent form and was more or less in the ballpark in terms of pace in the car. Once the engine went out at the end of FP1, however, that was the end of the day for the Aston Martin driver.
The team could not fit the new one in between the practice sessions or even during the one-hour duration of FP2. In modern-day F1 where teams like Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari changed an entire unit in the gap between FP3 and qualifying, such an operational deficit is a reflection of the plight faced by the team.
Aston Martin, in its older avatar, used to be a team that would be the leader in operational excellence. The team screeched through and scored every available point. Ever since Lawrence Stroll took over, the DNA of the team has not been the same and sadly things do not seem to be getting better for the Australian GP.
