Australian GP qualifying results: Max Verstappen seals pole after Lewis Hamilton disaster

Max Verstappen continued his dominance at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming pole position in style.

Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Australian Grand Prix following a closely fought qualifying session on the Albert Park circuit. The reigning world champion pipped Carlos Sainz to pole position, while his team-mate Sergio Perez rounded off the top three.

With only 19 drivers taking to the track in qualifying, Q1 was a relatively straightforward session, although there was some heartbreak for local hero Daniel Ricciardo, who saw a strong lap time deleted, plunging him into the elimination zone and setting him up for a back-row start on Sunday.

Following Ferrari’s strong performance in Q1, Verstappen and Oscar Piastri set quick times in the early stages of Q2. However, the top performers eventually emerged with Sainz leading Leclerc on the timing screens when the session ended.   

In the Q2 session, surprising results emerged towards the end as both Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda recorded fast laps, causing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to miss out on a top 10 spot for the first time at the Albert Park circuit since 2010. Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, George Russell, also struggled, finishing in 10th place just above the threshold to advance to the next session. 

In Q3, the search for pole position began with Verstappen leading the way by setting a fast provisional P1 time that was almost three-tenths quicker than Sainz. Leclerc came in third, followed by Perez in fourth after a strong first sector.  

Verstappen increased his speed in the last few attempts, achieving the fastest time in the final sector to secure pole position ahead of Sainz. Unfortunately, Leclerc had bad luck and will begin the race from the fifth position due to an error in sector three that caused him to end his final run.  

On the other hand, Lando Norris showcased his skills by placing his McLaren in the front row. 

Qualifying results in full
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

7. George Russell (Mercedes)