MELBOURNE: Oliver Bearman, the rookie driver for Haas, faced a challenging start to his 2025 Formula 1 season during the opening practice for the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, crashing heavily. Bearman lost control of his car after running wide onto the gravel at the fast left-right chicane at turns nine and ten, leading to a spin and collision with a barrier. The crash resulted in the loss of both right-side wheels, complicating his team’s efforts to prepare the car for the subsequent practice session.
Apologising over the team radio, Bearman reassured them that he was alright as he exited the car unaided. This race marks his official full-time entry into F1 after participating in three previous races as a substitute for Ferrari and Haas.
In the final moments of the session, George Russell also experienced a spin after accidentally running a wheel onto the grass at the entrance to turn four. Lando Norris topped the timesheet, followed closely by Carlos Sainz from Williams and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Oscar Piastri secured fourth place, while Max Verstappen finished fifth, indicating a competitive weekend ahead with seven different teams represented in the top ten.
Jack Doohan ended the session with the 13th fastest time, outperforming his teammate Pierre Gasly, who placed 17th.