F1: Charles Leclere hands Max Verstappen a fright

Formula 1 reigning champion Max Verstappen was on Friday handed a fright by Charles Leclerc during the Australian Grand Prix second practice.

Leclerc was on top after an eventful Friday in Melbourne. The Ferrari driver emerged the quickest from Max Verstappen in second practice on a dramatic Friday at the Australian GP.

Leclerc appeared comfortable from the outset in his Ferrari and was 0.381s ahead of Verstappen, whose day was far from straightforward as damage to the floor of his car sustained in the first session saw him miss the opening 20 minutes of the second.

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Verstappen has begun his quest for a fourth successive drivers’ title by leading dominant Red Bull one-twos at the two opening events and leads the championship by 15 points from team-mate Sergio Perez.

There was reason for further encouragement at Ferrari as Carlos Sainz was third after his return from surgery for appendicitis, which forced him to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

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Despite his impressive display, Leclerc was among several drivers to be caught out by the challenging conditions at Albert Park, with the bumpy circuit a factor in causing regular offs in both sessions.

Verstappen meanwhile will attempt to be at his best on Sunday in his bid to win the Australian GP and extend his lead after his previous victory at the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GP.