The reigning world champion’s 1m18.790s to the top of practice one was the fastest overall lap time on the opening day of F1 track action at Albert Park after practice two was hit by rain, leaving Fernando Alonso’s 1m18.887s in FP2 just behind absolute best time.
On an eventful opening day at the Australian GP, FP1 was halted by two red flags; the first due to a GPS data loss which meant the session had to be adjourned for safety reasons, while the end of opening practice was canceled due to an electrical problem affecting Logan Sargeant with his Williams, meaning he stopped on track.
When the rain hit Albert Park 13 minutes into second practice, the shortened run meant a scrambled timesheet, with Lewis Hamilton third fastest overall for Mercedes thanks to his best lap in FP1.
This likely means the final practice session on Saturday morning will be of particular importance as F1 drivers and teams look to make up lost runs.
When does qualifying for the Australian F1 Grand Prix start?
Qualifying for the Australian GP begins at 15:00 local time (6:00 CET) in the regular format of co-session for Q1, Q2 and Q3.
Date: Saturday April 1, 2023
Start time: 3pm local time – 6am BST
Daniel Ricciardo will be one of the most prominent observers
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the UK, Formula 1 will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the end of the race. Live streaming via NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels, at a cost of £24 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off daily payment of £11.98 or a monthly membership of £34.99.
How can I follow qualifying for the Australian F1 GP?
In the UK, every F1 practice session, qualifying session and race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, with Australian GP qualifying broadcast starting at 5:15am CET on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event .
Channel: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event
Start time: April 1, 2023 at 5:15 am CET
Autosport will broadcast live text coverage of qualifying here.
When can I watch the Australian F1 GP qualifying highlights?
In the UK, Channel 4 will broadcast the highlights of qualifying for the Australian GP at 11:15am BST on Saturday morning. The full program runs for 90 minutes and includes both qualifying and the conclusion of the most important topics of conversation from the race weekend so far.
Throughout the 2023 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying session and race of every event. The highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s on-demand services.
Channel: channel 4
Start time: 11:15 a.m. CET, April 1, 2023
Will F1 Australian GP qualifying be broadcast on the radio?
Live radio coverage of every practice session, qualifying session 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.
Australian GP qualifying coverage begins at 5:45am BST on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds app.
What is the weather forecast for qualifying at Albert Park?
Cold and changeable weather conditions with a good chance of rain are forecast for the start of qualifying at Albert Park on Saturday. At the beginning of qualifying, the temperature is set at 15 degrees Celsius.
Fans watch from the pit lane
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
