The reigning world champion’s 1m18.790s to top first practice was the fastest overall lap time on the opening day of F1 track action at Albert Park, after second practice was hit by rain, leaving Fernando Alonso’s 1m18.887s in FP2 fractionally off the outright best time.
In an eventful opening day at the Australian GP, FP1 was halted by two red flags; the first for a GPS data loss which forced the session to be halted on safety grounds, while the end of opening practice was cut short due to Logan Sargeant’s electrical issue with his Williams that meant he stopped on the track.
With rain hitting Albert Park 13 minutes into second practice, the truncated running meant a mixed-up timesheet, with Lewis Hamilton third fastest overall for Mercedes thanks to his best lap in FP1.
It is likely to mean that final practice on Saturday morning will have extra importance as the F1 drivers and teams look to catch up on lost running.
What time does qualifying start for the F1 Australian Grand Prix?
Qualifying for the Australian GP starts at 3pm local time (6am BST), using the regular Q1, Q2 and Q3 knockout session format.
Date: Saturday 1 April 2023
Start time: 3pm local time – 6am BST
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £24 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a monthly membership of £34.99p.
How can I watch F1 Australian GP qualifying?
In the United Kingdom every F1 practice, qualifying and race is broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, with Australian GP qualifying coverage starting at 5:15am BST on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event.
Channel: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event
Start time: 5:15am BST 1 April 2023
Autosport will be running live text coverage of qualifying here.
When can I watch the highlights of F1 Australian GP qualifying?
In the United Kingdom Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of qualifying for the Australian GP at 11:15am BST on Saturday morning. The full programme will run for 90 minutes, both covering qualifying and wrapping up the major talking points of the race weekend so far.
For the entire 2023 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying and race of each event. The highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s on demand catch up services.
Channel: Channel 4
Start time: 11:15am BST 1 April 2023
Will F1 Australian GP qualifying be on the radio?
Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2023 F1 season will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC 5 Live Sports Extra or via the BBC Sport website.
Coverage of Australian GP qualifying will start at 5:45am BST on the BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds app.
What's the weather forecast for qualifying at Albert Park?
Cold and mixed weather conditions with a good chance of rain are forecast for Saturday for the start of qualifying at Albert Park. The temperature is set to be 15 degrees Celsius at the start of qualifying.
