Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has blasted his car with a fire extinguisher after it overheated on the track during the first practice for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
F1 cars have returned to Melbourne for the first time since 2019, but it has not been a happy comeback for Vettel.
The German, who also missed the first two races of the season after a positive COVID-19 test, was 13th fastest on his return to the track, but his Aston Martin lost power and ground to a halt 15 minutes before the end of the session, with smoke billowing out of the rear.
"I've got an issue with the engine," he said as he jumped out of the smoking car, with his team urging him to "get it cool" over their race radio.
The 34-year-old grabbed an extinguisher from a track marshal and gave his car a spray to put out the fire.
Vettel later delighted fans by riding back to the team garage on a borrowed scooter, prompting an investigation by stewards over whether he entered the track illegally.
Drivers are often given a lift back to their team on the back of scooters driven by track marshals, but it appears Vettel borrowed this one and took it around the track, waving to the crowd and taking both hands off the handles at one point.
The team had hoped a change of power unit would allow Vettel to get back on track, but they were not able to get the car right in time for the second practice session.
It was the second red flag of FP1, the first having come out some 20 minutes in to clean up some bodywork debris left by Sergio Perez's Red Bull car.
Aussie hope Daniel Ricciardo finished eighth-fastest in his McLaren, while teammate Lando Norris was fifth.
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari a one-two start to the grand prix in Melbourne with the fastest times in the first practice session.
Sainz posted a lap of one minute and 19.806 seconds, more than half a second quicker than championship leader Leclerc on a sunny day at the revamped Albert Park circuit.
Leclerc topped the times for FP2, with Ricciardo dropping back to 10th, but knocking almost a second off his best lap time from FP1.
ABC/Reuters
