Max Verstappen sees off Mercedes to take Australian Grand Prix pole position
Max Verstappen saw off a spirited Mercedes fightback to put his Red Bull on pole position for the Australian Grand Prix.
Melbourne Sport News
Max Verstappen takes Australian Grand Prix pole position from George Russell and Lewis Hamilton as Sergio Perez crashes
Max Verstappen took pole position from George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for the Australian Grand Prix in tricky conditions during qualifying in Melbourne. Light rain before qualifying, cool conditions and chaos in the three practice sessions meant there were plenty of unknowns, but Verstappen came out on top with a superb final run in Q3 that was 0.236 seconds faster than Russell, with Hamilton another 0.136 seconds further adrift. Ad Verstappen, who has never won at Albert Park, was the only driver in Q3 to not do a warm-up lap before his flying laps.
Emboldened Mercedes going for the win in Australia
MELBOURNE : Elated Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell said the Formula One championship is alive after qualifying just behind Red Bull's pole-sitter Max Verstappen at the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday.
Mercedes Will Take 'Huge' Confidence From Australia: George Russell
George Russell said his Mercedes car was the "best" he had raced and the team took "huge" confidence from qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix regardless of what happens in the race. The Briton will start from the front row in Melbourne on Sunday alongside dominant Red Bull champion Max Verstappen, with his teammate Lewis Hamilton third. Their efforts, outpacing Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and both the Ferraris, raised hopes that they could make the podium. Team boss Toto Wolff said this week Mercedes had made "promising" progress since the first two grand prix of the season, and Russell said he couldn't be happier.
Daniel Ricciardo plotting a return to 2024 F1 grid: 'That's where I'm tracking'
Daniel Ricciardo says he still has the hunger to compete in Formula 1 and the "signs are pointing" to him being back on the grid in 2024, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner saying the Australian was race ready.
No major upgrades for Mercedes before Imola, says Wolff
MELBOURNE : Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will have to wait until the sixth race of the Formula One season at Imola in May for any major upgrades to their cars, team boss Toto Wolff said on Friday.
Felt like I was missing a lung – Max Verstappen still not fully fit after virus
Max Verstappen said he felt like he was racing with one lung in Saudi Arabia and is still not match-fit for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso Fastest In Wet Australian Second practice, Max Verstappen Third
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso topped the timesheets ahead of Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc in a rain-hit second practice at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, but world champion Max Verstappen went fastest for the day. The Spanish veteran followed up his podium finishes at the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia with another eye-opening run. He powered around the bumpy Albert Park circuit under darkening clouds before rain fell in a best time of one minute 18.887 seconds among his 13 laps, bettering his fourth place in the first one-hour session.