News this week ahead of the Australian GP that the FIA’s Ethics Committee had cleared its president,
It’s all against the backdrop of ongoing furor surrounding
The off-track issues continue at
“All the items that have come to light are very serious . . . we are living in 2024 and not 1984, which means total transparency,” McLaren chief executive
Of Wolff's legal action, Brown added: “I think Susie is one of the most respected people in motorsport.”
“I’m happy within the team,” the three-time F1 world champion said ahead of the practice sessions, rejecting speculation of a switch.
Verstappen is the favorite Sunday to take his third straight win in 2024 and his record-equaling 10th straight dating to last year's
He was second-fastest in two practice sessions Friday behind Ferrari's
“Today was a little bit messy. We had some damage which took a bit longer to fix meaning I had a bit of catch up to do," Verstappen said.
“I think Ferrari is quick, but, from our side, I think there are also a few more things that we can fine-tune, so nothing crazy worrying about."
“I think in the second session we’ve gone through a really quite a dramatic setup change on Lewis, and that has massively backfired,” Wolff said. “But this is why we’re having those sessions.”
Ten minutes were lost during the first one-hour practice session after
Ferrari remains the closest rival to the Red Bulls, with Leclerc hoping to lock out the front row with Verstappen for the sixth straight event and be more competitive in the Melbourne race.
“We're in a better situation compared to last year,” Leclerc said. “However, we are speaking about maybe four-tenths (of a second) a lap in the race, which is still significant."
Ferrari’s performance here could have been compromised after
But the Spanish driver, who is out of contract at the end of the season, had the eighth-fastest time in the opening practice and improved to third after the second session.
McLaren says it’s in a contest with
“I think we’re both going to need some good fortune to end up on the podium,” said Piastri. "But yeah, it would be very, very special.”
Brown had some high praise for his Aussie driver.
“He continues to get faster and faster,” the McLaren CEO said. “ What we are seeing is that he’s got his rookie stripes off now. He doesn't really make mistakes.”
Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The 58-lap race Sunday should be held in clear weather, with a favorable forecast for the weekend.
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