Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton was thrashed in both practice sessions by new team-mate Charles Leclerc at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, with the Monegasque driver coming out on top overall in FP2.
Leclerc set the fastest lap time of 1:16.439sec around the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, with Hamilton over four tenths off the pace in P5. The Brit was also over six-tenths off Leclerc in FP1.
Elsewhere in Melbourne, Max Verstappen's grasp on the F1 drivers' championship looks increasingly tenuous after the first day of the season proper in Australia.
The reigning champion was outpaced by both Racing Bulls in FP2, looking uncomfortable in the car as he muscled it around the streets of Melbourne.
Meanwhile, it was a big crash for one of the younger drivers on the grid that was the news of the day, with Ollie Bearman demolishing his Haas with the assistance of the Albert Park barriers. The damage was so extensive that he couldn't do a single timed lap in FP2.
The session was red flagged after just 20 minutes after some drivers ran wide and kicked up a troubling amount of gravel onto the racing surface, with the delay lasting about five minutes.
While teams will be a little wary of reading too much into Friday practice, pace in this session may be more representative than pre-season testing in Bahrain – or at least will give rivals another data point to measure – and Carlos Sainz looked particularly speedy in the surprisingly competitive Williams.
Lewis Hamilton makes his race debut for Ferrari this weekendCarlos Sainz looks fast again in the Williams