Max Verstappen will start first tomorrow at the Melbourne Grand Prix, as he was more than two tenths faster than Carlos Sainz in qualifying. Sergio Perez and Lando Norris will start on the second row.
Q1
Alexander Albon, the only driver representing the Williams team this weekend, is the first to start on track, followed closely by the two Alpines and the two Red Bulls.
Verstappen quickly set a reference time of 1:17.478 but complained of suffering from a lot of understeer.
The rest of the grid gradually hit on the track. The Ferraris slowly but surely went on the offensive, Charles Leclerc placed his car on the top of the times sheet with a time of 1:17.244, and his teammate was +0.045 seconds behind.
Esteban Ocon was experimenting, just like Verstappen, a lot of understeer, so he came into contact with the wall causing the puncture of his left rear tire. Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz exchanged the lead momentarily.
As in the various free practice sessions, Georges Russel complained about the lack of bite of his brakes.
Two minutes from the end of this session, the first three drivers Sainz, Perez, and Verstappen were in the same second.
Gasly saw himself being warned by the stewards since he cut the white line out of the pits.
The time of Daniel Ricciardo was canceled after he exceeded the limits of the track, this then allowed Kevin Magnussen to enter in Q2.
It is important to note that since the beginning of this season, this is the first time we find an Alpine and a Sauber in Q2.
Q1 knockouts: Guanyu Zhou (19th), Daniel Ricciardo (18th), Pierre Gasly (17th) and Nico Hulkenberg (16th).
Q2
New tires for Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris and both Mercedes to start the second part of this qualifying session. The other drivers decided to use old tires.
Sainz made the fastest first time with a 1:16.671, better than in Q1. Max Verstappen quickly took the lead with +0.284s. With 10 minutes remaining, one of the two local heroes, Oscar Piastri set the second-best time of the session followed closely by the two Ferrari drivers. His teammate was in 5th position.
The two Ferraris, the two Aston Martins, the two Mercedes as well as Norris and Perez exchanged the lead.
Sainz then took the lead in the classification, while his teammate only placed in 3rd place.
Two minutes from the end, the two Mercedes were only 8th and 9th, but everything remained to be done since the two drivers put on a second set of new tires to fight for the passage in Q3.
Magnussen, Bottas and Ocon improved their personal time, but that did not allow them to qualify for the third part of these qualifications.
Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll were the first two to take the checkered flag and were placed in 8th and 9th positions, which did not allow Lewis Hamilton to qualify for the last part of these qualifications.
The two Ferraris were at the top of the standings, followed by Max Verstappen.
Q2 knockouts: Esteban Ocon (15th), Kevin Magnussen (14th), Valtteri Bottas (13th), Alex Albon (12th) and Lewis Hamilton (11th).
Q3
The tension rose a notch for the last ten minutes of this session. All the drivers except Georges Russel come out of the pits with new soft tires, it is then time to determine who will start first in tomorrow’s race.
Carlos Sainz lost no time and was the first to start, setting a time of 1:16.331 slower than his Q2 time but +0.104s faster than his teammate. Fernando Alonso lost the car at turn 6 and went into the gravel pit.
Max Verstappen set a time of 1:16.048 while Perez was in 4th position. The two Ferraris were in between the two Red Bulls. Mid-session, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were the only two drivers who didn’t set a time.
In the last 5 minutes of this qualifying session, Lance Stroll clocked a time of 1:17.2 and climbed to 8th place.
At the finish line, it was Max Verstappen who, with a time of 1:15.915 set the time of the pole position.
Charles Leclerc aborted his last attempt and entered directly into the pit lane, after going wide at turn 10, he will then start 5th. Yuki Tsunoda went up to 8th place.
The last Australian on track then climbed to 6th position while his teammate, Lando Norris, took 4th place. Russell improved his time, but that did not allow him to gain positions, he then remained 7th. Aston Martin then closed the top ten by placing in the last two positions.