MELBOURNE, March 6 - Oscar Piastri delighted home fans by putting McLaren top of the timesheets in second free practice for the Australian Grand Prix on Friday as struggling Aston Martin nursed both cars through laps during the session.

Hometown hero Piastri lapped Albert Park in one minute, 19.729 seconds on a sunny afternoon, 0.214 seconds ahead of Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.