Lewis Hamilton telemetry data shows where Leclerc has early…read more
The 2025 Australian Grand Prix has kicked off, with teams beginning to find their form after pre-season testing in Bahrain raised several questions. Melbourne’s distinct track and environmental conditions have provided us with early insights into the season’s development.
Ferrari, in particular, has shown promising performance right out of the gate. The Italian team, which performed well at last year’s Australian GP—highlighted by Carlos Sainz’s unexpected win despite recovering from surgery—seems to be in strong shape once again. Charles Leclerc, the team’s standout driver, has already demonstrated his edge over Lewis Hamilton in the early sessions.
Telemetry data from Free Practice 2 reveals that Leclerc is ahead of Hamilton, particularly in corners that demand high confidence in grip, such as Turn 6 and Turn 12, where tire temperatures are higher. Leclerc has been able to outpace Hamilton by over four-tenths of a second on their best laps, highlighting the Monegasque driver’s comfort and precision with the car. Meanwhile, Hamilton is still in the process of adapting to his new Ferrari, struggling to find the sweet spot that will allow him to extract the maximum potential from the vehicle.
Ferrari’s performance has been a highlight of the weekend, but McLaren should not be overlooked. Lando Norris has expressed discomfort with his car when running on low fuel loads, but despite these concerns, the gap between McLaren and Ferrari in terms of single-lap pace has been minimal. In terms of race pace, both teams are evenly matched, with the differences between the two coming down to mere tenths of a second. The competition between Ferrari and McLaren is shaping up to be extremely close, and small details could determine the outcome of the weekend.
Mercedes, meanwhile, is showing promising signs of improvement. Their pace on the hard tires during long runs has been solid, suggesting that they may have been running with a lower fuel load. However, both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s race pace have been impressive, indicating that Mercedes could be a contender, even if they aren’t the outright favorites. Their performances in the long runs suggest that they have good race potential, and they should not be written off just yet.
The opening sessions in Melbourne have provided some answers, but the competition at the front of the grid remains wide open. As the teams continue to refine their setups, the battle between Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes is shaping up to be a thrilling contest, with every detail likely to play a crucial role in determining the winner.
