The 2025 Formula One season started with a bang earlier today with the Qualifiers of Australian Grand Prix turning out to be an exhilarating show of motorsports. Lando Norris of McLaren delivered a stellar performance, securing pole position at the sweltering Albert Park in Melbourne. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, thrilled the home crowd by locking out the front row in second.
Max Verstappen, the reigning champion driving for Red Bull, will start from third on Sunday, followed by George Russell of Mercedes in fourth. Ferrari faced a challenging session, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualifying seventh and eighth, respectively. Norris’s pole-winning lap time was 1 minute, 15.096 seconds, a mere 0.084 seconds ahead of Piastri, who had hoped to become the first Australian to win at home since 1985.
Verstappen, aiming for his fifth consecutive title, overcame earlier handling issues to secure a strong starting position. Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls delivered an impressive fifth, a notable achievement after missing out on a Red Bull seat. Alex Albon of Williams also performed well, qualifying sixth, significantly ahead of his teammate.
Disappointing result for Ferrari
Ferrari’s unexpectedly slow pace surprised many, including Hamilton, whose fastest Q3 lap was nearly nine-tenths of a second slower than Norris’. Hamilton also experienced a spin during Q2. Pierre Gasly of Alpine secured ninth, comfortably ahead of his teammate. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar impressed with an 11th-place finish, the best among the debutants.
The session presented mixed fortunes for other drivers. Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber qualified 15th after a close call in Q2. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman’s session was marred by a gearbox failure and two red flags during practice, leaving him without a qualifying time. Esteban Ocon of Haas will start from the back in 19th. Liam Lawson’s Red Bull debut was disappointing, as he was eliminated in Q1 following a power unit issue in practice. Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli also failed to advance past Q1, missing out after Bortoleto’s last-minute improvement.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:15.912 | 1:15.415 | 1:15.096 | 20 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:16.062 | 1:15.468 | 1:15.180 | 18 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:16.018 | 1:15.565 | 1:15.481 | 17 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:15.971 | 1:15.798 | 1:15.546 | 21 |
| 5 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:16.225 | 1:16.009 | 1:15.670 | 18 |
| 6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:16.245 | 1:16.017 | 1:15.737 | 21 |
| 7 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:16.029 | 1:15.827 | 1:15.755 | 20 |
| 8 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:16.213 | 1:15.919 | 1:15.973 | 23 |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:16.328 | 1:16.112 | 1:15.980 | 21 |
| 10 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:16.360 | 1:15.931 | 1:16.062 | 21 |
| 11 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:16.354 | 1:16.175 | 12 | |
| 12 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:16.288 | 1:16.453 | 13 | |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:16.369 | 1:16.483 | 15 | |
| 14 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 1:16.315 | 1:16.863 | 15 | |
| 15 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:16.516 | 1:17.520 | 13 | |
| 16 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:16.525 | 9 | ||
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:16.579 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:17.094 | 7 | ||
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:17.147 | 9 | ||
| NC | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | DNS | 1 |
