Australian Grand Prix: Ferrari's Carlos Sainz tops first practice in Melbourne

Carlos Sainz has finished on the podium at each of the first two races of the season

Carlos Sainz led Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari one-two in first practice at the Australian Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen were third and fourth, Perez 0.59secs off the pace.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was seventh, 1.2secs off the pace, behind McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

Melbourne's Albert Park track has been modified for F1's return to Australia after a two-year absence because of the pandemic.

A chicane has been removed and some of the corners reprofiled in an attempt to make the racing more exciting on a circuit that is renowned for the difficulty of overtaking.

• How first practice in Melbourne unfolded
• Follow the Australian GP on the BBC
• Can Leclerc maintain title lead at Australian GP?
• Listen to the latest Chequered Flag podcast

There were no major incidents during the session, although a number of drivers ran off-track.

Leclerc went off at the third-last corner towards the end of the session when pushing on hard tyres in addition to his off after a practice start earlier.

Kevin Magnussen ran wide at Turn Three after misjudging his braking in the Haas.

And Sebastian Vettel, returning for Aston Martin after missing the first two races of the season with Covid, suffered a loss of power and stopped on track in a cloud of smoke.

Behind Hamilton, McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo, Alpine's Fernando Alonso and Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas completed the top 10.

Alonso's Alpine is fitted with a new engine for this weekend - his third of the season when only three are allowed for the whole championship.

Alpine discovered a problem with Alonso's engine after the first race in Bahrain and fitted a new one for the second race in Saudi Arabia. That suffered a water-pump failure which caused irreparable damage to the internal combustion engine.

Alonso's problems mean he will inevitably face grid penalties later in the year for using more than the permitted number of power-unit elements.

The second session starts at 07:00 BST.

• MOTD Top 10: Who is the best Premier League player without a trophy?
• Sport's Strangest Crimes: How could an award-winning racehorse vanish into the night?