De Pasquale smashes Albert Park lap record in Practice 1

Anton De Pasquale has obliterated the previous practice/qualifying lap record at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, topping Practice 1 at the Beaurepaires Melbourne 400.

The Shell V-Power Racing Team driver clocked a session-best 1:46.6017s in the #11 Ford Mustang on the newly-configured circuit.

In doing so, De Pasquale eclipsed the previous record, a 1:53.8280s set by Scott McLaughlin in 2019, by seven seconds with his Practice 1 chart-topper.

Second fastest was Repco Supercars Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen (#97 Red Bull Ampol Racing), who wound up just 0.0414s away from the top time.

De Pasquale’s team-mate Will Davison was third and a little under half a second adrift of the quickest effort.

Feeney and van Gisbergen were immediately pinged for track limits on their first respective flying laps, meaning the first representative time came from James Courtney (#500 Flex Power Tools), who clocked a 1:49.2177s.

That was quickly usurped, Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Racing Team) going to the top on a 1:47.6639s.

Tickford Racing team-mates Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Racing) and Jake Kostecki (#56 Tradie Racing) went off at Turn 1 in sync, the pair of Ford Mustangs sliding across the grass.

Davison headed Tim Slade (#3 CoolDrive Racing), Mark Winterbottom (#18 Irwin Racing), Macauley Jones (#96 Tools.com Racing), and Courtney after the first flying lap.

Courtney came close to a major moment when he brushed the wall on his second lap out of Turn 2.

With seven and a half minutes run, the red flag was called after Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Racing) slapped the Tecpro barrier out of Turn 5.

That contact with the wall left his Holden ZB Commodore looking second-hand, plucking the rear wing from it and leaving the left side worse for wear.

With the session stopped, it was Davison who led on his opening effort ahead of De Pasquale just 0.0263s adrift.

Lee Holdsworth (#10 Penrite Racing) was fourth, albeit half a second off Davison, while Winterbottom was the first of those on the hard compound tyre and 0.6s away from the lead.

Neither Will Brown (#99 Boost Mobile Racing) nor van Gisbergen had set a representative lap at the time of the red flag.

In fact, van Gisbergen was quick to return to the pit lane with a front splitter issue on his second rotation of the Albert Park facility.

The session eventually resumed with seven minutes to go, assisted by a five-minute extension being granted.

All but Feeney made their way onto the circuit, repairs ongoing to the #88 entry.

De Pasquale fired the first warning shot, setting the fastest time to Sector 1. Davison bit straight back with the fastest time to Sector 2. In the end, De Pasquale would go to the top on a 1:47.0115s.

Jack Smith (#4 SCT Racing) was the next Turn 1 victim, taking a tour of the gravel trap. Moments later, Randle did the same, nearly making the tyre wall.

Van Gisbergen’s first representative lap saw him drop under the 1:47s bracket, clocking a 1:46.8639s.

Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy’s Racing) continued the trend of Turn 1 offs, taking a tour of the grass run-off.

De Pasquale fired back with a 1:46.6017s to put him 0.2622s clear of van Gisbergen.

Despite going quickest to Sector 2, van Gisbergen couldn’t overcome the Dick Johnson Racing driver, his last lap putting him a mere 0.0414s away from the top.

All told, it was De Pasquale on top from van Gisbergen, Davison, Reynolds and Jones, who was a standout fifth for Brad Jones Racing.

Results: Practice 1, Beaurepaires Melbourne 400