(Melbourne) Max Verstappen will have his best chance of winning the Australian Grand Prix for the first time, having clinched the lead position with Red Bull for the third race of the Formula 1 season.
The event will take place on Sunday at the Albert Park circuit.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is among rivals sharing renewed hope, after Red Bull’s dominance was reduced in qualifying.
Verstappen, a two-time world champion, was unhappy with the performance of his RB19 despite setting a track record earlier in the day.
The Drivers’ Championship leader clocked 1min, 16.732s in the final qualifying session.
“I was on the podium once, but I want to be on another step this time,” said Verstappen after claiming his first pole position in Australia.
His team-mate Sergio Perez, who is only one point behind the Dutch driver, will start from the back of the grid after a very difficult day in Melbourne.
Mercedes driver George Russell shares the front row of the starting grid, after a time 0.236 seconds slower than Verstappen.
Hamilton will start third on an encouraging day for Mercedes. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso qualified fourth — two spots ahead of Canadian teammate Lance Stroll.
PHOTO WILLIAM WEST, AGENCY FRANCE-PRESSE
Lewis Hamilton
“It’s totally unexpected. For us to be in the front two rows is a dream, said Hamilton. To be so close to Red Bull is incredible. It gives the whole team a boost and a glimmer of hope. It’s stimulating. It will encourage everyone to keep trying. »
Verstappen, who won the first race of the season in Bahrain, was progressively quicker on Saturday but raised concerns about his car on the lap before setting the new mark.
“Demotions, it gets worse too,” he mentioned.
Verstappen is confident in the reliability of the Red Bulls, but he was surprised by the performance of the Mercedes.
“The last round was very good. The whole weekend was very difficult, but it went well in Q3, he said. I think we are always trying to refine things and we will continue to do so. I think tomorrow we will have a good race car, but it’s quite tricky with the tyres. »
Russell and Hamilton believe Perez, winner of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix two weeks ago, will struggle after his struggles on Saturday, saying overtaking is difficult at Albert Park.
After struggling in the final practice session, Perez’s wheels locked up at Turn 3, with the Mexican ending up in the gravel.
PHOTO MARTIN KEEP, AGENCY FRANCE-PRESSE
Sergio Perez found himself in the sandbox during the first part of qualifying.
In an exchange on team radio, Perez used an expletive to complain that the mechanical problem was the same one that plagued him in P3 earlier in the day.
Oscar Piastri, from Melbourne, will start 16e at his first home Grand Prix.