McLaren dominates in Melbourne as Norris and Piastri secure 1-2 finish

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

MELBOURNE – In a thrilling start to the Formula 1 season, McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri capitalized on their preseason momentum by securing a front-row lockout for the Australian Grand Prix. Norris clinched pole position with a nail-biting lap time of 1:15.096, just edging out teammate Piastri by 0.084 seconds.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen was third fastest, clocking in 0.385 seconds behind Norris.

"It's the perfect way to start the year," Norris remarked. "But it's just quali, right? Let's wait and see tomorrow -- it's going to be a tricky race."

Mercedes' George Russell starts fourth, with Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda in fifth. Alex Albon impressed for Williams by qualifying sixth, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton struggled, finishing behind by about 0.7 seconds.

Racing Bulls newcomer Isack Hadjar missed the top ten by a slim margin, qualifying 11th, while the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll settled for 12th and 13th. Australia's Jack Doohan encountered a yellow flag on his flying lap, impacting his time and resulting in a 14th place start for his home race. Gabriel Bortoleto showed promise on his Sauber debut, qualifying 15th and outperforming veteran teammate Nico Hülkenberg.

Standing out among debutants, Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli narrowly missed Q2, suffering damage to his car’s floor at Turn 6 that hindered his performance.

The stage is set for an exciting race in Melbourne.

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