Verstappen is still struggling with the steering issues that hindered him in FP1.

“I am still having the same issues. It is incredibly difficult at high speed. I can’t turn the car in.”

There were a few choice words over impending in FP1 and Sainz has now been given a reprimand for blocking Zhou by the stewards. That doesn’t stop the Spaniard setting the fastest lap of FP2 though in a time of 1:19.979. That puts him very narrowly ahead of teammate Leclerc.

We’re now underway in FP2 in Melbourne, where the FIA ​​are warning there is a 40% chance of rain during this session. Aston Martin are frantically attempting to fix Vettel’s car after a power failure during FP1.

Lewis Hamilton finished a distant seventh in first practice for the Australian Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion was 1.2 seconds adrift of pace setter Carlos Sainz, with his Ferrari team-mate and championship leader Charles Leclerc second at Melbourne’s Albert Park.

Sergio Perez took third ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen. British driver Lando Norris finished fifth for McLaren.

Formula One is back in Australia for the first time since the 2020 Grand Prix was canceled at the eleventh hour because of Covid-19.

A record 410,000 fans are expected across the three days with the grandstands full for the opening running of the weekend.

Hamilton, who finished 10th at the last round in Saudi Arabia, is already 29 points behind Leclerc.

The Brit’s Mercedes team have not brought any major upgrades to Melbourne, and the Silver Arrows might be alarmed by their lackluster early showing. Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell was four tenths behind in 12th.

Leclerc might lead the title race after the opening two rounds but the Monegasque endured a number of hairy moments in the first running, taking two trips across the gravel.

Sebastian Vettel was sidelined for the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia after testing positive for Covid-19.

The four-time world champion is back in action this weekend, but his first outing ended prematurely following an engine failure.

Vettel came to a halt with smoke billowing out of his Aston Martin. He then rode a moped back to these pits, waving to the crowd.

Home favorite Daniel Ricciardo finished eighth in his McLaren.

The build-up to this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix is ​​underway following the opening practice sessions on Formula One’s return to Melbourne. Australia has not hosted a Grand Prix since 2019 due to Covid-19 but is staging the third race of the 2022 season after Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen claimed the first two wins of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively.

It has left Mercedes and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton with significant work to do, as the team struggles to overcome the difficulties they’ve been having with the aerodynamics of their W13 car. The two-week break since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has offered Mercedes time to work on their issues, with practice offering an early look at whether they have been successful, but the team have also warned that they have had to push back any major upgrades ahead of the return to the Albert Park Circuit.