Live news from Albert Park ahead of qualifying, as Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and George Russell fight for pole position

Antonelli’s monster crash occurred near Turn 2, where he crashed into the barrier after accelerating off the curb. This incident also triggered a red alert.

Mercedes have emerged as one of the early favorites for the season after a positive pre-season testing period in Bahrain and are hoping to be at the front of Sunday’s race, with Russell likely to take pole position.

However, the team has a big task ahead of them to repair Antonelli’s car before Saturday’s qualifying session at 16:00 (local time). The first photos taken from the track showed that the gearbox may have been damaged, which would significantly affect the turnaround time for technicians.

Australia’s Piastri’s former performance coach Kim Keedle, who was in the paddock on Friday, has been called in to work with Mercedes rival Russell this weekend as her own trainer remains abroad due to travel disruption due to conflict in the Middle East.