OLLIE BEARMAN suffered a nightmare start to the season with a huge crash in the first practice while Lewis Hamilton struggled for Ferrari.
The British 19-year-old, who was born in Chelmsford, was unhurt in the crash at Melbourne’s Albert Park track but failed to make it out for the second session.
Bearman lost control at Turn 10 and spun into the wall in what is his first full season in the sport having signed with Haas last summer.
The car looked wrecked in the aftermath, with parts flying off and the right, front tyre hanging on by a thread, prompting a red flag.
Charles Leclerc outshone his Ferrari team-mate Hamilton as he topped Friday’s final session.
The McLarens were looking sharp once again, with Oscar Piastri finishing second and Lando Norris in third.
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Norris led the first practice session while Hamilton struggled, placing 12th and grumbling about the handling issues on the car.
When Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was asked about Hamilton, he said: “We have something like 150 sessions over the year, so this is just the beginning of the story.
“We just have to focus on it and forget about the world around us and work as a team.
“But honestly, when he’s in the briefing room, he’s fully focused on the objective and he knows the job perfectly, and he has to build relationships with the team.
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“That’s not a long process, but it’s a process we have to follow. We are on that path.
“We shouldn’t expect too much from the first session – that’s not the target.
“We know we have a long way to go, and honestly, we did a good step compared to last year and I have a good feeling.”
Hamilton later managed P5 in the second practice session, but was still over four-tenths slower than Leclerc.
Meanwhile, world champion Max Verstappen only managed P5 and P7, with the second session seeing his Red Bull go slower than sister team drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar.
F1 2025 grid
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
