Lawson was, though, able to shave 1.255s off his time from FP1 to FP2, as a sign of improvement across the day. FP2 tends to be the most representative practice session for qualifying, given the similarities between time on track 24 hours later. The 11 teams will get one more session of practice (FP3), beginning at 2.30pm on Saturday (NZT), before qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix. Earlier, in FP1, Lawson was 2.346s off the pace in a mixed session for Racing Bulls and got through 28 laps. Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix begins at 6pm Saturday (NZT), with the race at 5pm on Sunday.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 07, 2026 02:57 UTC