Report: Mixed Friday in Melbourne

Friday’s practice running in Melbourne was mixed for Williams Racing, with a dry FP1 and changeable FP2 leaving some unknowns going into the rest of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

Alex Albon was able to compete in both sessions, ending the early running in P11 before only completing one dry lap in FP2 before the rain started to fall, ending the day in P18.

Logan Sargeant was running in P15 when electrical issues brought an early end to FP1, causing him to miss the later session as the team continued to investigate.

Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance, watched on from the pit wall and offered his thoughts on the day's running.

“Another mixed Friday with plenty of positives but also a problem that cost Logan a lot of track time,” Dave shared.

“His car stopped towards the end of FP1 with an electrical issue. Despite a lot of work in the garage, we were unable to repair his car in time for FP2.

“Unfortunately, this cost him track time at a circuit that is new to him and also denied him a chance of trying the Intermediate Pirelli tyres.

“Alex enjoyed a much more straightforward day with promising pace throughout the day. He was pretty happy with the car in both the dry and wet conditions and was able to run his intended programme.”

Alex was optimistic after his first day of running, saying: “It's tricky to know where we stand today with the weather conditions. I think we're in a decent place and I felt very happy with the car during FP1.

“It's going to be tight out there but let's see; I'm positive and feel like compared to last year the car feels much better and we're in the fight.”

Logan concluded our reaction by adding his thoughts on a limited day, commenting: “[It’s been] a bit of a messy first day here in Australia.

“I think generally, the pace isn't too bad, and I felt comfortable with the track right away, so there's plenty of positives to take into tomorrow.

“I think if we can make the most of FP3, we can set ourselves up for a good qualifying.”

In an incident-filled Formula 3 Qualifying session, Zak O’Sullivan secured a P5 grid spot, with Franco Colapinto in P7 and Ollie Gray in P21.