Y también hay novedades en la Fórmula 1, se han llevado a cabo en la madrugada de hoy para nosotros, las pruebas de clasificación donde los McLaren han dado muestras de contundencia quedándose con el uno-dos, Lando Norris se quedó con el primer lugar en la grilla de salida aventajando a su compañero de equipo Oscar Piastri por tan solo 8 milésimas, tercero se ubicó Max Verstappen con Red Bull a 4 décimas, luego están Rusell (Mercedes), Tsunoda (RB), Albon (Williams) y las dos Ferraris con Leclerc y Hamilton en ese orden, completan los 10 primeros Gasly (Alpine) y Sainz (Williams).
Mucha emoción nos aguarda y también mucho rugir de motores.
When the engines roar
This weekend, as everyone knows, we have the first round of Formula 1 in Australia, at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. And this news has made us forget a little that here in Argentina is the second round of MotoGP, the Formula 1 of motorcycles, a spectacle worth seeing at least once in a lifetime. These two-wheeled cars are really fast, faster than F1 cars.
Yesterday, the first two free practice sessions took place, similar to what happens with cars in the top category of motorsports. In addition to testing the circuit, these sessions also take the opportunity to test different tire combinations and the aerodynamics of their fairings and numerous wings. The start practice session also took place, which in this category has a special segment exclusively dedicated to practicing the race start when the traffic light indicates, something that perhaps F1 could borrow from.
The Las Termas de Río Hondo circuit in Santiago del Estero is a source of pride for all of us because it's on par with the most refined and well-maintained circuits in the world. There's even talk of offering it as an F1 venue, although it lacks the necessary infrastructure: a better airport and connections to Buenos Aires, hotels to accommodate the delegations, and communications—in short, a series of essential requirements that the FIA currently demands for granting this responsibility. This tourist destination is very far from the country's main economic centers, and this is evident in the things it lacks.
But back to the topic at hand: as I mentioned yesterday, the first practice sessions were held, and both were dominated by Marc Márquez. The Spaniard is unstoppable on the factory Ducati, and he's proven it on a circuit that suits him perfectly. In the first session, he finished first, albeit very close, and Johan Zarco made a good impression and also surprised everyone on a Honda, relegating a good number of riders of the current bikes, Ducati and Aprilia. Speaking of the latter, a significant absence deprived the brand of none other than the reigning world champion, Jorge Martín, also a Spaniard. Due to physical problems stemming from a crash in pre-season training, he missed the first two races and has already announced that he will not be in Austin either. Unfortunately, it will be very difficult for him to defend his championship.
In the second session, Márquez once again took the fastest lap, although this time the Ducatis returned to their recent habit, taking the top three positions. Fabio Di Giannantonio came in second, and Marc's younger brother, Alex Márquez, repeated his position from the first session. Two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia has had a lackluster performance so far, finishing in tenth place in this second session.
The qualifying round is scheduled for this afternoon, followed by the Sprint race later in the evening. We'll see what happens, although a victory is given for the Italian machine, which seems to have no competition for now.
And there's also news in Formula 1. Qualifying took place early this morning, where the McLarens showed their strength, taking a one-two finish. Lando Norris took first place on the starting grid, beating his teammate Oscar Piastri by just 0.8 seconds. Third was Max Verstappen for Red Bull, 0.4 seconds behind. Then came Russell (Mercedes), Tsunoda (RB), Albon (Williams), and the two Ferraris with Leclerc and Hamilton in that order. The top 10 was completed by Gasly (Alpine) and Sainz (Williams).
Plenty of excitement awaits us, along with plenty of engine roar.
