Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2024: Thursday wrap

Photos: Edge Photographics, Revved Photography, Jack Martin Photography and Motorsport Australia

The Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix is officially underway, with Thursday’s schedule seeing the event’s two domestic categories take centre stage.

In what was a busy day both the Repco Supercars Championship and the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship had practice, qualifying and the first race of their respective weekends.

The MSS Security Melbourne 400 delivered a surprising start to the weekend with Macaulay Jones topping the practice one time sheets, before order was restored in practice two when Broc Feeney and Cam Waters enjoyed the fastest times.

Feeney then secured pole position in comfortable fashion, going one and half tenths quicker than Anton DE Pasquale, while Chaz Mostert and Will Brown sewed up the second row after the two were separated by just six tenths.

A strong start from Feeney then set up a comfortable run for the rest of the race as he held top spot from start to finish, picking up the fastest lap bonus points along the way and the outright championship standings lead as a result.

Crossing the line behind him was Brown, who made up multiple positions earlier, and Nick Percat – who dropped down the order post-race after receiving a penalty for contact with Chaz Mostert earlier in the race.

Percat ended up in sixth place as a result of the penalty was classified behind eventual podium getter Matt Payne, Mostert and Waters.  

Supercars has just one race tomorrow, which will see Waters start from pole ahead of Feeney, Brown and Mark Winterbottom.

Former Carrera Cup champion Harri Jones enjoyed a perfect return to the category, topping practice one in the morning, qualifying on pole in the afternoon and winning the first race of the weekend.

The Queenslander was in fine form throughout the day and delivered when it mattered, as he beat Marcos Flack by half a second in qualifying, while Ryder Quinn and Nick McBride were only off by two tenths of a second.

As for the race, Jones comfortably led every lap and ended up crossing the line with a healthy seven second buffer ahead of the next best driver.

Finishing in second place was arguably the race’s best performer, with Bayley Hall using the 13 laps to climb up the field and into second place ahead of Dale Wood, who edged out Quinn by five tenths of a second.

Like Supercars, the popular one-make series is going to have just one race tomorrow, which will take place at 6:25pm AEDT.

There was plenty happening around the Albert Park grounds, with a variety of activities taking place.

From FIA Formula 3 Championship Aussies Christian Mansell and Tommy Smith enjoying some at the Motorsport Australia marquee, to Jack Doohan and James Wharton posting laps on a simulator.

Enjoy a quick snapshot of the sound of the happenings of the day.