Russell tops final practice in Melbourne as Antonelli crashes heavily

Russell, tipped as the pre-season favourite, flew round the Albert Park circuit in the final minutes on soft tyres in an eye-catching one minute 19.053 seconds during a session red-flagged twice. That was enough to pip Hamilton by 0.616secs as teams slowly get to grips with radical new engine and chassis regulations. With a greater reliance on electrical energy in the hybrid power units, better battery management by drivers is paramount. The session was overshadowed by Antonelli slamming his car into the barriers at Turn 2 late on...