Australian Grand Prix: Russell and Hamilton gatecrash top three after brilliant qualifying session
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton collide in the top three after a brilliant qualifying session… but defending champion Max Verstappen’s speedy Red Bull secures his first Australian Grand Prix pole position
- Team principal Toto Wolff said “slowly but surely” Mercedes was improving.
- Verstappen’s teammate Perez will start 20th after stranding the car in the gravel
- Lewis Hamilton called the session a ‘dream’ for both drivers
Max Verstappen took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, as Mercedes rose from the ashes of its desperate early-season form to qualify second and third.
In light drizzle conditions, George Russell pushed into the front row, with Lewis Hamilton just behind him. ‘It’s not bad at all!’ Russell said over the radio. Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest for Aston Martin.
Hamilton looked a bit handicapped starting his final flying lap behind Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas, but he was delighted with his rise up the grid: ‘It’s amazing to get this far. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.
“The goal is to try to get to first.” “We didn’t expect that,” said Russell, who was 0.236sec behind Verstappen but a tenth ahead of Hamilton. Now I’m disappointed that I didn’t get pole position. Mercedes, who had practically canceled her season, found her footing and the shape of it unexpectedly. Just two races ago, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the car needed to be serviced. And then this revival!
Verstappen, who had to navigate a bird at an earlier stage, is now expected to take a significant lead in the championship standings after Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez crashed in Q1.
Mercedes had a damp start to the season, but qualifying paid off
George Russell passed his teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying and will start second on the grid
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton called the session a “dream” for both drivers.
Perez’s hopes were dashed on his out lap. The Mexican, who won in Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago to get one point off the top, only reached the third turn this time. He braked late and stopped on the wet track, his car racing over the sand instead of around the corner.
He was stranded, leading to an eight-minute red flag delay as his Red Bull was brought out and he was motorcycled back to the paddock.
He will start the race from behind.
“We have to solve that problem, man,” Perez said over the radio. ‘It was the same fucking problem again.’ Disappointment at McLaren and the home fans as the first Melburnian to race here, Oscar Piastri, was knocked out in Q1, qualifying only 16th.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez will start at the other end of the pack after a calamitous start to Q1
But Max Verstappen won his first pole position in Melbourne and is still lightning fast.
His teammate Lando Norris was only 13th best after clearly struggling with his car. Informed of his fate, the Briton said: “I know.” That is the state of mind at McLaren at the moment.
Williams made it through to Q3 with a win from London-born Thai Alex Albon, who qualified eighth.