A very encouraging first day for Ferrari in Australia
First and third times of the second free practice session this Friday in Melbourne, the Scuderia Ferrari has started its Australian weekend on the right foot.

Ferrari is asserting itself more and more as the number one challenger to Red Bull at the beginning of this season. In any case, this is suggested by the performances of its drivers during the first day of the Australian Grand Prix. With the first and third times in the afternoon following the fourth and eighth times in the morning, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can look forward to the rest of the weekend with enthusiasm.
« It was a solid first day. Everything worked well from the start and I was comfortable in the car,” the Monegasque driver commented. « The most important thing to do tomorrow will be to evaluate the evolution of the track as accurately as possible. We will focus on optimizing the car’s balance and try to improve before qualifying. It looks good for now, but we have to wait and see what it will look like tomorrow, the pack will probably be closer together,” concludes the current third in the championship.
Back behind the wheel of the Ferrari after his appendicitis surgery in Saudi Arabia, Carlos Sainz enjoyed the sensations on board the Italian racing car.
To be honest, I am very happy to have been able to participate in the two sessions where I felt reasonably comfortable. I will continue to take it step by step to make sure I am in the best possible shape for qualifying and the race. I am confident for tomorrow and the car seems to be working well this weekend. We will try to maximize everything, from the body to the machine!
The third free practice session will take place from 2:30 am to 3:30 am tomorrow night, French time, while the qualifications will start at 6 am. On Sunday, the race will start at 5 am.