The Albany Gazette - Leclerc edges Hamilton to go fastest in first Australian GP practice

Leclerc powered his Ferrari round the Albert Park circuit in fine weather with a best lap of one minute 20.267secs at the death to pip the British seven-time world champion by 0.469secs.

The Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar were third and fourth, with Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad a stunning fifth in his first FP1.

McLaren world champion Lando Norris had a dismal start to the season, calling it a day after just seven laps with a gearbox issue.

His team-mate Oscar Piastri battled power problems early on but bounced back to finish sixth.

Mercedes' George Russell, tipped as the pre-season world title favourite, came seventh.

It was the first proper test of far-reaching new engine and chassis rules with the hybrid power units now 50 percent traditional combustion and 50 percent electric.

With a finite amount of energy available, drivers had to carefully manage their batteries on each lap, working out when to deploy while building it up back through braking.

The challenge of Albert Park is its long sweeping straights, which deplete batteries, and relatively few twisty turns to brake and charge it up again.

There have also been changes to the aerodynamics of the cars, which are lighter and smaller.

Nico Hulkenberg was first out but the virtual safety car quickly followed on lap one when Piastri radioed the team: "I've got no power."

Norris also complained about downshift issues while Lindblad -- the only rookie in Melbourne after being promoted to replace Hadjar -- stopped just out of the pit lane exit and had to be wheeled back.

When they resumed Verstappen clocked the fastest time followed by Hamilton, with most of the drivers starting on medium tyres.

At the half-way mark it was Leclerc, Verstappen and Hadjar, before the big guns changed to soft tyres.

Verstappen was the first below 1:21 before Hamilton blitzed to the front with 10 minutes left.

The virtual safety car was again deployed when Williams' Alex Albon came to a halt, telling his team: "I've lost power steering, and everything."

The session resumed with Monaco's Leclerc edging Hamilton on his final lap.

The troubled Aston Martins are in Melbourne but Fernando Alonso failed to leave the pits and Lance Stroll managed just three laps.

Team chief Adrian Newey on Thursday said both drivers feared permanent nerve damage from extreme vibration in their cars caused by the new Honda power unit.

Newey suggested neither driver would complete Sunday's race.

Newcomers Cadillac -- the 11th team on the grid -- also struggled in their first ever FP1 with Valtteri Bottas 17th and Sergio Perez 20th.

(T.Martin--TAG)