Lando Norris takes pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, with the race set to start tomorrow at 5 AM Italian time, expected to be wet.
Lando Norris claims pole position for the Australian Grand Prix with a monstrous McLaren, setting a time of 1:15.096. The British driver is ahead of his teammate Piastri, securing a McLaren 1-2. The two Woking cars create a gap, with Verstappen third, 0.385 seconds behind, and Russell in fourth. Both Ferraris are struggling, with Leclerc in seventh and Hamilton in eighth, while Tsunoda and Albon take the MVP titles with fifth and sixth places, respectively. The race will start tomorrow at 5 AM Italian time.
THE STORY OF QUALIFYING FOR THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Q1 – The sky is overcast, with a 20% chance of rain during the first qualifying session, as all 20 drivers take to the track in search of a good lap time. The first timechecks show Lando Norris in the lead with a time of 1:16.003, just 15 thousandths ahead of Max Verstappen, with Piastri third, a tenth behind. It’s a disastrous day for Bearman, who, after crashing his Haas into the wall on Friday, fails to complete a single flying lap due to gearbox issues.
The track improves steadily, with Norris being the first to break the 1:16 barrier. The two Mercedes, running on yellow tires, don’t shine, with Russell in sixth and Antonelli in 14th. The final minutes are frantic, with Liam Lawson being eliminated immediately after struggling with a Red Bull that, at least for the New Zealander, is underperforming and hard to control. The drivers improve in succession, with Russell jumping to second on soft tires, while Antonelli is eliminated by just nine thousandths, losing out to the exceptional Bortoleto. Hulkenberg and both Haas drivers, Ocon and Bearman, also fail to make it through.
Q2 – Faster times are set in the second qualifying session, with Verstappen quickly lowering the benchmark to 1:15.688, 150 Leclerc thousandths ahead of 3 while Hamilton is nearly four-tenths down from the Dutchman. Albon and Russell (on used tires) sit ahead of the two Ferraris, who are also on used tires. The two McLarens take the top two positions, with Piastri stopping the clock at 1:15.468, while Norris is just 88 thousandths behind his teammate.
The first flying lap on new tires isn’t particularly spectacular for the two Ferraris, with Leclerc in fifth (+0.359) and Hamilton in sixth (+0.451). All drivers head out in the final two minutes, looking to secure a spot in the top 10. However, Leclerc spins in the second sector, causing a yellow flag. Verstappen improves his time, moving to within 150 thousandths of the pole, while Hadjar, Alonso, Stroll, Doohan, and Bortoleto are eliminated.
Q3 – The first major moment arrives as the 10 drivers remain in the battle for pole position. Piastri, the first to set a timed lap, makes a mistake in the third sector, clocking a time of 1:16.147, while Norris’ time is deleted for track limits in Turn 4. Verstappen takes provisional pole with a time of 1:15.671, 24 thousandths ahead of Russell and 84 thousandths ahead of Leclerc.
The two McLarens are first to launch their second attempts, and the situation changes quickly, with Norris claiming pole position with a time of 1:15.096. His teammate Piastri is second, 84 thousandths behind. The McLarens create a significant gap, with Verstappen third, nearly four-tenths down, and Russell in fourth. There are masterful performances by Tsunoda and Albon, who take fifth and sixth positions, respectively. The second attempts for Ferrari are a nightmare, with Leclerc in seventh and Hamilton in eighth.
Photo: X McLaren F1 Team
