The first free practice session of the 2025 season in Melbourne got underway with Nico Hülkenberg leading the field onto the track as the new Sauber signing began his first official lap.

One by one, the rest of the drivers followed, with all eyes on Lewis Hamilton in his first official session for Ferrari as he slotted into the queue behind Max Verstappen and ahead of Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen, driving a heavily updated RB21 featuring 17 changes, 15 of which were performance-based, set the early pace with a 1:19.771, leading Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, who is looking to become the first Australian to win his home race.

Hamilton had a small lock-up in the opening minutes, placing him seventh, while Liam Lawson brushed the wall at Turn 9 but continued without issue.

Soon after, Charles Leclerc set a new benchmark with a 1:17.800, moving ahead of Lando Norris and Verstappen. George Russell and Isack Hadjar then shot up the standings, with Russell reporting struggles with understeer in high-speed corners.

The session was briefly interrupted when gravel was thrown onto the track at the exit of Turn 6, requiring cleanup. Once the action resumed, Piastri ran wide at the same spot, struggling to find the ideal line while avoiding the fresh gravel. Meanwhile, Jack Doohan remained in the Alpine pits as the team worked on his car following suspected floor damage.

As the session reached its midway point, Verstappen reclaimed the top spot on soft tires with a 1:17.696, edging out Russell by just 0.02 seconds. Carlos Sainz, also on the soft compound, responded by going fastest with a 1:17.401, putting him 0.06 seconds ahead of Leclerc.

Moments later, the session was red-flagged when Oliver Bearman lost control of his Haas VF-25 while rejoining the track at Turn 10. The rookie ran wide onto the gravel at Turn 9, overcorrected, and was sent into the barriers, causing significant damage to the right side of his car, including the right-rear wheel being ripped off the rim. Fortunately, Bearman emerged unscathed, but the session was halted for 12 minutes as his wrecked Haas was recovered.

When the session resumed with just over ten minutes remaining, Yuki Tsunoda battled with Norris for track position, with the McLaren driver moving up to third ahead of Piastri. While Hamilton, still struggling with the handling of his Ferrari, reported difficulties turning the car.

In the closing moments, Norris put in a late charge, displacing Sainz with a 1:17.252 to top the timesheets by 0.149 seconds. As the checkered flag fell, Russell spun at Turn 4 but avoided contact.

The session ended with Norris leading the way ahead of Sainz and Leclerc, while Oscar Piastri secured fourth place, giving the home crowd something to cheer about. Verstappen was only fifth, unable to improve significantly on soft tires. Williams had a strong showing with both Sainz and Albon in the top six, while Mercedes endured a mixed session, with Russell finishing seventh and rookie Antonelli down in fourteenth.

Aston Martin also had a solid outing, with Fernando Alonso finishing eighth and Lance Stroll securing tenth place, sandwiching the impressive Isack Hadjar, who ended the session in ninth as the best-placed rookie. Hamilton’s Ferrari debut proved challenging, leaving the seven-time champion in twelfth place, still searching for confidence in the SF-25.