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McLaren Dominates Qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix
In an impressive display during the qualifying session for Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix, Lando Norris achieved pole position, leading his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in a remarkable 1-2 finish. Max Verstappen secured third place, while Lewis Hamilton faced challenges, finishing down in eighth position.
Other notable moments in the session included a disappointing elimination for both Liam Lawson, driving for Red Bull, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes. In contrast, Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda produced standout performances, advancing to Q3 and showcasing competitive speed for Williams and Racing Bulls, respectively.
The final runs in Q3 saw the McLaren drivers grappling with obstacles, as both Norris and Piastri encountered difficulties on their initial attempts. Verstappen took the lead following these runs, but the Australian Piastri rebounded with a solid performance, clocking a time of 1m15.180s, which placed him in a strong position at the top of the leaderboard.
Despite his earlier slip at Turn 4 that cost him on his first Q3 lap, Norris reclaimed momentum and ultimately crossed the line with an impressive lap of 1m15.096s, securing pole by a margin of 0.084s over his teammate Piastri. Verstappen, despite his enhancements in the second run, remained behind the McLarens, finishing 0.385s slower.
George Russell demonstrated his competitiveness by qualifying fourth for Mercedes, while Tsunoda also capitalized on his final efforts to demote Albon to sixth place. The Ferrari drivers, led by Charles Leclerc, rounded out the top seven, with Hamilton finishing just ahead of Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz, all of whom recorded personal best times in the closing moments of Q3.
During the preceding Q2 segment, Isack Hadjar’s last-minute improvements fell short of securing a place in Q3, with both Aston Martin drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, also unable to advance. Alonso faced complications after damaging his car’s floor in an early Q2 excursion into the gravel.
Jack Doohan notched a respectable 14th place by improving his lap time shortly after Hamilton encountered difficulties during a spin at Turn 11. Gabriel Bortoleto, another newcomer to the circuit, made a notable impression, narrowly missing the cut into Q2 while displaying skill in managing a tricky situation at Turn 4 on his final lap.
In Q1, Bortoleto’s late lap improvement led to Antonelli’s elimination, as the newcomer managed a personal best despite previous struggles with car issues. Alongside Lawson, other drivers such as Nico Hulkenberg from Sauber and Esteban Ocon were eliminated, concluding their qualifying attempts in 17th and 19th positions, respectively.
F1 Australian GP – Qualifying Results
This session showcased the evolving landscape of F1, with surprises and strong performances shaping the grid for the upcoming race. The competition remains fierce as teams gear up for the challenges ahead in the Australian Grand Prix.
Source
www.autosport.com