Norris Leads McLaren's Podium Sweep in Australian Grand Prix
Here’s what you should be aware of:
The defending champion Max Verstappen will begin the race from the third position in his Red Bull, just behind him is Mercedes' George Russell who secured the fourth spot. However, Ferrari had a tough time during this session as they qualified their drivers poorly; Charles Leclerc starts at the seventh place while Lewis Hamilton lines up right after him in eighth.
McLaren driver Lando Norris maintained his composure during the scorching afternoon at Albert Park to secure pole position at the opening round of the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday. His teammate Oscar Piastri lined up alongside him on the front row.
The defending champion Max Verstappen will begin the race from the third position in his Red Bull, just behind him is Mercedes’ George Russell who secured the fourth spot. However, this session proved to be quite frustrating for Ferrari as their drivers didn’t perform well; Charles Leclerc qualified for the seventh place, followed closely by Lewis Hamilton at eighth.
Briton Norris completed the lakeside track in one minute, 15.096 seconds, which was 0.084 seconds faster than Melbourne-native Piastri. Piastri aims to secure Australia’s first victory at this event since Formula 1 added it to its international schedule in 1985.
"The timing couldn’t be better for beginning the new year," remarked Norris.
I won’t overreach; that’s just not who I am. While I believe the car is well-positioned, we haven’t had experience racing in wet conditions either.
The rain predicted for Sunday might turn the race into a gamble, yet McLaren expressed satisfaction with their speed during dry conditions.
Verstappen, aiming for his fifth successive Drivers' Championship, had faced difficulties with car setup issues during the practice sessions. Therefore, he was pleased to find himself close to the front row heading into Sunday’s race.
"I found yesterday challenging, but securing third place today, I'll accept that," he stated.
What matters to me is whether it’s dry or wet; the weather often brings unexpected events, and particularly in this area, it can get pretty slick.
The Racing Bulls were elated to secure fifth place on the starting grid with Yuki Tsunoda at the wheel, demonstrating fierce determination after losing his chance for a Red Bull drive to Kiwi driver Liam Lawson.
Williams also delivered a strike in the midfield fight, as Alex Albon secured sixth place, which was four positions higher than his teammate Carlos Sainz.
Ferrari's disappointing performance came as a shock to both their competitors and Hamilton, with his fastest lap in the concluding qualification round (Q3) being almost nine-tenths of a second behind Norris’s time.
At one point during Q2, he also lost control and spun out in the center of the track.
“I wasn’t aware that we’d be operating at only ten percent or twenty percent efficiency today, but there’s certainly plenty to analyze,” Hamilton stated.
"Tomorrow's going to be a challenge, I've never driven this car in the rain. I don't even know the rain settings so I've got to go and study that tonight."
Pierre Gasly secured ninth place for Alpine, notably outperforming his new teammate Jack Doohan, who qualified at 14th position.
The Racing Bulls' newcomer Isack Hadjar secured 11th place, standing out as the top performer among the six Australian drivers debuting in Formula One this season.
The outcome for the rest varied, as Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto managed to secure 15th place following his narrow advancement to the second round of qualifying.
After setting off two red alarms during two days of testing, newcomer Oliver Bearman from Haas encountered a gearbox issue during his out-lap and was forced to head back to the pit lane without recording any times.
His fellow team member Esteban Ocon will start from the rear of the grid following his qualification in 19th place.
Lawson's first appearance with Red Bull was unmemorable, as he failed to make it past Q1 after missing the final practice session earlier in the day because of an issue with his power unit.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes was also eliminated before Q2, as he was overtaken by a final effort from Bortoleto, which placed him outside the top 15.
