The 2023 Australian Grand Prix is taking place at the 5.278-kilometre Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne from Friday, March 31, to Sunday, April 2[1][2]. The session timings for the practice and qualifying sessions are as follows:
- Free Practice 1: Friday, March 31, 02:30 – 03:30 BST
- Free Practice 2: Friday, March 31, 06:00 – 07:00 BST[4].
During the first practice session, Max Verstappen set the fastest lap with a time of 1m18.790s, while Lewis Hamilton jumped up the order late in the session after initially struggling with the handling of his W14[5].
George Russell has predicted that Aston Martin will be a strong force at the Australian Grand Prix, highlighting the impressive cornering ability of the AMR23 over the first two rounds of the season[3]. Additionally, the 2023 Australian Grand Prix is expected to be the fastest ever, with a change in the DRS system[8].
For live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying, and race session for the 2023 F1 season, you can tune in to BBC Radio 5 Live or 5 Live Sports Extra stations or visit the BBC Sport website[6].