Charles Leclerc picked up where he left off last week as he posted the fastest time in the first and practice sessions at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old won the opening race of the season in Bahrain, giving Ferrari a 1-2 as Carlos Sainz came second, and the team look to be just as quick in Jeddah.
Leclerc was 0.116 seconds faster than Max Verstappen in the morning, with Valtteri Bottas shining for Alfa Romeo as he finished the second in third, just ahead of Sainz.
The sport was last here only in December for the penultimate round of Lewis Hamilton’s titanic championship duel with Verstappen.
Hamilton came out on top that day to take the title race to the wire. But the seven-time world champion, who took advantage of the retirement of Verstappen and the Dutchman’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez a week ago to finish third, was again off the pace here.
The British driver was 1.592 seconds behind as his Mercedes team fight to get on top of the new regulations.
In the closing stages, Hamilton also clipped the wall at the opening bend of the sport’s fastest street circuit, but he escaped without major damage. Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell finished 15th, two seconds back.
The first running of the weekend was suspended for nine minutes when Lando Norris clipped the wall at Turn 1.
Norris’ McLaren was largely undamaged in the accident, but the polystyrene hoarding littered the track, and the red flag was deployed as the marshals swept up the mess.
Norris finished 13th, while Kevin Magnussen, who impressed to take fifth last Sunday, failed to set a lap following a hydraulic issue.
In the second practice session, it was once again Leclerc and Verstappen leading the way, just ahead of Sainz as Ferrari’s pace continued in the cooler conditions.
Hamilton improved to finish fifth, with teammate Russell behind in sixth. Daniel Ricciardo’s miserable start to the season continued, with the Australian down in 15th.
