Jolyon Palmer says he is happy with the balance of the Renault RS16 in wet conditions.
Strong winds and persistent showers made the opening practice sessions of the year difficult for all of the teams.
Palmer makes it F1 debut this weekend after spending the last year as the team’s test and reserve driver.
Despite the tricky conditions, Palmer was happy with the balance and is a big fan of the Albert Park circuit.
“That was my first time driving here and Albert Park is a pretty cool circuit with a great street-track feel; it’s a bit bumpy and has a decent challenge to it. The car felt decent in the wet today; it was pretty balanced throughout both sessions and there were no surprises. There’s plenty of work to be done tomorrow, and I’m particularly looking forward to qualifying, especially as that might be my first dry laps here.”
Third practice for the Australian Grand Prix gets underway at 0300 GMT.
