Thrilling Action on the Penultimate Day at Albert Park

Formula 1

Oscar Piastri is set to commence his third Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix from the front row, following an impressive performance during the opening FIA Formula 1 championship qualifying of the season.

The Melbourne native showcased his speed throughout the weekend, clinching the top spot in Practice 3 before finishing second in Qualifying.

An exhilarating final lap in Q3 propelled Piastri into provisional pole position, only for teammate Lando Norris to narrowly overtake him by less than a tenth of a second. Reigning champion Max Verstappen struggled to match his times, resulting in a McLaren front-row lockout at the close of the session.

Jack Doohan, competing in his inaugural home Grand Prix, made a commendable effort by advancing to Q2 and ultimately securing P14. Although he fell slightly behind teammate Pierre Gasly, Doohan emerged as the second-fastest rookie during Qualifying.

Doohan, Piastri, and their fellow competitors in the FIA Formula 1 Championship will officially kick off the season at the Australian Grand Prix, scheduled for 3pm AEDT.

Formula 2

Joshua Duerksen put on a commanding performance in the season’s first Formula 2 outing, clinching victory in an exciting Sprint Race, finishing ahead of pole-sitter Leonardo Fornaroli and Luke Browning.

The AIX Racing competitor started from second position but quickly seized the lead with a perfect start against Fornaroli, maintaining control through two Safety Car periods.

The early laps were bustling with action, as Dino Beganovic slipped down the ranks before a Virtual Safety Car was called on Lap 3 due to Victor Martins crashing at Turn 6.

A second Safety Car was initiated on Lap 7 when Max Esterson spun into the gravel, yet Duerksen executed another flawless restart, successfully warding off challenges from Fornaroli and Browning.

The championship will resume with its Feature Race on Sunday at 11:30am AEDT.

Formula 3

With a single race on the programme for Saturday, it was Santiago Ramos of Van Amersfoort Racing who claimed the inaugural victory of the 2025 season, while James Wharton was sadly forced to retire early.

The rookie navigated multiple interruptions throughout the race and crossed the finish line under the Safety Car, finishing ahead of Martinius Stenshorne and debutant Roman Bilinski.

Despite the frequent presence of the Safety Car, Ramos maintained his composure during green flag periods and appeared untroubled in holding onto the lead, even following a race restart. The Spaniard expertly commanded the field from the start.

Wharton, on the other hand, was involved in the race’s initial incident, colliding with pole-sitter Rafael Câmara and Laurens van Hoepen, leading to his retirement while both international competitors ended up in the gravel at Turn 12.

The championship will commence Sunday’s action with its Feature Race at 9am AEDT.

Supercars

Reigning Supercars Champion Will Brown has captured his first victory of the 2025 season by narrowly defeating Red Bull teammate Broc Feeney in the third race of the MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint.

This race proved to be the most chaotic of the weekend, as Brown and Feeney expertly navigated the escalating drama occurring behind them. Brown snatched the win from his teammate, who had made history by qualifying first for both Race 6 and Race 7 earlier that day.

Completing the podium was Matt Stone Racing’s Nick Percat, who found himself embroiled in an exhilarating battle with both Shell V-Power Racing Team drivers, Will Davison and Brodie Kostecki, ultimately holding on for third place and securing his second podium of the weekend.

The race witnessed some alarming moments early on, with James Golding falling victim to the first major crash, followed by Cooper Murray’s early retirement.

Despite not securing the win, Feeney remains a strong contender for this year’s Larry Perkins Trophy, as yesterday’s leader, Cameron Hill, finished 10th. Current championship leader Brown faces a challenge ahead, starting tomorrow’s race from P18.

The final Supercars race of the round will take place at 10:20am AEDT.

Porsche Carrera Cup Australia

Porsche Carrera Cup Australia concluded its Albert Park visit in style on Saturday night, with reigning Carrera Cup champion Alessandro Ghiretti taking victory in the final race of the weekend.

The French debutant showcased his superior skill during the twilight race, climbing through the ranks to secure the win, while Jackson Walls did enough to claim the overall title, finishing third in the finale.

Occupying second place in the 16-lap race was Dylan O’Keeffe, resulting in him being the weekend’s runner-up.

In the Pro-Am category, Rodney Jane clinched his second consecutive round win of the year after a steady performance throughout the weekend, finishing fourth in the final race, having accumulated sufficient points from Thursday and Friday.

Adrian Flack claimed top honours in Saturday night’s race, narrowly defeating Sam Shahin by one second, with Matthew Belford completing the overall podium.

The popular one-make series will enjoy an extended break before its next round in Darwin scheduled for June.