Ricciardo 3rd-fastest in Aust GP practice

Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo has clocked the third-fastest time in the first practice session at Formula One’s season-opening grand prix in Melbourne.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was the pacesetter in Friday’s initial practice session at the Albert Park circuit with his teammate Valtteri Bottas second-quickest.

Ricciardo completed 19 laps in his Red Bull Racing car and his fastest lap of one minute 24.886 seconds was 0.666 seconds behind Hamilton’s best effort.

Bottas, in his first official Mercedes outing after replacing retired world champion Nico Rosberg, split the pair with a best lap 0.583s behind Hamilton.

Ricciardo’s Red Bull Racing teammate Max Verstappen was fourth-fastest, followed by Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, all more than a second adrift of Hamilton.

Hamilton logged 22 laps and wasted little time in justifying his favouritism to bank a third world title in four years.

Ricciardo’s initial laps would have heartened the West Australian who covets a win at the grand prix in his home country.

“If anyone could win just one race, they would always say their home (race),” he said on Thursday.

“I would love to … we feel like we’re coming in as well prepared as possible.”

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