Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton is living up to his billing as Formula One's pacesetter but the challengers are coming. Hamilton clocked quickest times in the opening practice sessions of the Australian Grand Prix on Friday though Ferrari drivers and Australian Daniel Ricciardo loomed in his rear view mirror. Hamilton, a day after telling of his wish for rivals to offer him stiffer challenges, clocked a best lap in the second practice session of one minute 23.620 seconds. But Ricciardo found himself 1.030 seconds adrift of Hamilton in the later session which was interrupted by Renault's Joylon Palmer's crash. And Sauber's Marcus Ericcson also spun from the track late in the session - his car slid across grass before resting in gravel.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 24, 2017 07:56 UTC