Fernando Alonso topped a rain-affected second practice session at the Australian Grand Prix ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

After a sunny and reasonably warm first practice hour, Melbourne turned cool and overcast in time for the final session, and light rain drops as pit lane opened made clear the threat of rain.

The ambient temperature was just 61 degrees F, with the track barely warmer at 80 degrees F, and both were dropping as the weather changed.

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Max Verstappen dominated a frenetic twice-suspended first practice session at the Australian Grand Prix that saw several driver in the gravel.

Verstappen set the early pace after opening the hour with a set of soft tires and never lost top spot, eventually lowering the benchmark to 1m18.790s on worn rubber.

It wasn’t completely smooth running for the Dutchman, however, who complained of gearbox problems early in the session before later clambering over the curb at the exit of Turn 4 and spinning across the track, coming perilously close to nosing the barrier. The Red Bull’s tires ruined, he returned to pit lane and ended his session.

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Formula 1 arrives in Melbourne with mixed weather on the radar and one question: can anyone stop Red Bull Racing from winning three in a row?

We provide a how-to guide to change the initials DR to OP ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. (Too soon?)

Sergio Perez wins in Jeddah in another dominant Red Bull Racing one-two after Max Verstappen recovers from 15th to second.

A very deep dive with Nate Saunders, ESPN general editor.

The 3rd season of Extreme E is underway! Join James Baldwin and Michael Lamonato for a full team-by-team debrief of Rounds 1 and 2 in Saudi Arabia for the Desert X Prix.

Michael and Rob dissect the best conspiracy theories about the TV presenters in Formula 1.

Sergio Perez beats Max Verstappen in another dominant Red Bull Racing performance, while Fernando Alonso secures another podium finish almost four hours after the end of the race.

Sergio Perez beat teammate Max Verstappen to victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in another dominant one-two result for Red Bull Racing.

Pole-getter Perez’s race was almost perfect but for his tardy launch off the line that handed an early lead to second-place starter Fernando Alonso — who didn’t need to be asked twice to take the straighter line through the first chicane and take first place.

But it became quickly obvious that the Aston Martin was no match for the Red Bull Racing car. Perez bided his time until lap four, when he blasted back into the lead with the help of a super-effective DRS, and never looked back, with his way being eased by a lap-17 safety car that gifted him an easy pit stop.

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Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso share the front row ahead of a five-team battle for the podium, but Max Verstappen is still confident he can crack the rostrum from 15th.

Sergio Perez has taken a second straight Saudi Arabian Grand Prix pole position after teammate Max Verstappen exited qualifying in 15th with a driveshaft issue.

Verstappen was on his first flying lap of Q2 when his driveshaft suddenly let go, forcing him to limp back to pit lane, where his car couldn’t be repaired in time to rejoin the session. Red Bull had just changed the gearbox before FP3 earlier in the day.

The Dutchman won from as far back as 14th at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix. The last driver to win from 15th was Fernando Alonso at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

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Max Verstappen beat Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez to top spot in FP3 to sweep all three Saudi Arabian practice sessions ahead of qualifying tonight.

Perez had held top spot for much of the hour thanks to an early run on the soft tires, but a late blast on fresh rubber for Verstappen blew the Mexican’s best time out of the water by 0.613s with a time of 1m28.485s.

Other than requiring a new gearbox before the session, the only blot on his afternoon was a near accident with Lando Norris, who almost ran into the back of the Red Bull Racing car around a blind corner while the Verstappen slowed on a cool-down lap.

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The frontrunners close in on Red Bull Racing’s advantage, but is there a fifth team set to join the lead battle?

Max Verstappen calls in sick, but all focus is on whether Ferrari can turn in a competitive race — and put rumours of backstage tensions to rest.

Red Bull Racing arrives in Saudi Arabia as the overwhelming favourite, but is there hope for Ferrari after a dismal first race?

Mercedes members put their memberships in the microwave, and Rob gives his guide to redacting legal documents.

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi won’t rule out a reunion with Oscar Piastri despite the spectacular breakdown in relations between the French team and its former Australian junior star.

Piastri’s split with Alpine was one of last year’s major storylines. The Melburnian had been brought through the junior formulae with Enstone and was handed a reserve position with the squad last season, but he unexpectedly defected to McLaren when it became clear Woking had lost patience with Daniel Ricciardo.

Alpine attempted to hold onto Piastri, but the FIA Contract Recognition Board found that it had failed to offer him a valid deal to keep him in 2023 and unanimously sided with McLaren.

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Reigning Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen is likely to extend his stay in the series thanks to the new Gen3 rules, according to Triple Eight team principal Jamie Whincup.

Three-time champion Van Gisbergen is embarking on his 16th full-time campaign in the main game but is out of contract at the end of the season.

The Kiwi has tied his longevity in the sport to the success of the Gen3 rules in improving the quality of the racing after years of increasing downforce made wheel-to-wheel combat more difficult.

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