Lewis Hamilton was fastest in the first free practice in Formula 1 for the 2019 season of the world championship. The 5-time world champion took first with a lap of 1:23.599min. The Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc were second and third at just 0.038 and 0.074sec respectively.
Hamilton and Vettel separated by just 0.038s ?
Our first 90 minutes of fun in 2019 are in the book! Full classification ?#AusGP ?? #F1 pic.twitter.com/AXG8OjDvkn
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2019
The session went on through sunny weather with an air temperature of around 20 degrees. The circuit’s temperature was about 32-33 degrees at the beginning of FP1 and reached 42.
The free practice was stopped once because of a crash. F1 rookie Alex Albon spun and hit the barriers at the second turn. Race control red-flagged the session for a few minutes. At the end Valtteri Bottas also spun but he managed to get back on the circuit and continue.
? RED FLAG ?
Rookie Alexander Albon spins into the barrier at Turn 2
?: “Take it easy, take it easy, you have no front wing…”
He gets his wounded Toro Rosso back to the pits, and we’re green again#AusGP ?? #F1 pic.twitter.com/mtnlZBCaku
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2019
Valtteri Bottas pushes the limits in sector 3, and gets in a spin ??#AusGP ?? #F1 pic.twitter.com/CAqBdOthAt
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2019
Romain Grosjean and Nico Hulkenberg had some delays in their work because of technical problems. Haas had to change the battery in the Frenchman’s car while Renault worked on the German’s electrical system.
