Verstappen secures pole position for Australian Grand Prix
MELBOURNE, Australia — Max Verstappen exhibited exceptional skill to clinch the pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, with the Dutch driver setting the pace ahead of Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.
In the first runs of Q3, Verstappen clocked in at 1m 16.048s. However, he outdid himself in the final laps, delivering an impressive 1m 15.915s, placing him 0.270s ahead of Sainz. The Spanish driver, who was making his first qualifying appearance since undergoing surgery for appendicitis two weeks ago, put in a commendable performance.
Sergio Perez will join Sainz on the second row, along with McLaren's Lando Norris. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc secured the fifth spot after aborting his last flying lap.
Hometown favorite Oscar Piastri will start from sixth position, followed by Mercedes' George Russell in seventh and Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda in eighth, following a strong showing.
The Aston Martin team saw Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso completing the top 10, despite each experiencing moments during their Q3 laps.
A significant surprise came during the closing moments of Q2 when Lewis Hamilton was ousted from the top 10 by Tsunoda. Consequently, the seven-time world champion will start from P11, capping off a challenging session for Mercedes.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloHamilton will be accompanied on the sixth row by Alex Albon, who is using teammate Logan Sargeant's chassis for the remainder of the weekend after a crash during Free Practice 1 left Williams with just one chassis.
Valtteri Bottas, a well-known enthusiast of Australia, will begin the race from P13, with Kevin Magnussen being the leading Haas at P14. Esteban Ocon secured P15 after a brush with the wall in Q1.
Nico Hulkenberg was among the drivers eliminated in Q1, and will start from P16. Alpine's Pierre Gasly ended the session in P17 and faces an investigation for crossing the line at the pit exit.
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo had a disappointing early exit in front of his home crowd after a lap time deletion, concluding Q1 in P18. Zhou Guanyu's Sauber will take the last spot on the grid, as only 19 cars are competing due to Sargeant's absence.
