McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrates after qualifying in pole position. Photo: Reuters
McLaren’s Lando Norris kept his cool on a sweltering afternoon at Albert Park to take pole position at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Saturday as his teammate Oscar Piastri joined him on the front row.
Defending champion Max Verstappen will start his Red Bull car third on the grid ahead of fourth-placed Mercedes driver George Russell but it was a disappointing session for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc to start seventh and Lewis Hamilton eighth.
Briton Norris lapped the lakeside circuit in one minute, 15.096 seconds, 0.084 ahead of Melbourne native Piastri, who will hope to become Australia’s first home winner since the race joined F1’s global calendar in 1985.
“It’s the perfect way to start the year,” said Norris.
“I’m never going to get ahead of myself, I’m not that kind of guy. I’m confident the car is in a great position but we’ve also never run in the wet.”
Rain forecast for Sunday could make the race a lottery but McLaren were delighted with their raw pace in the dry.
Verstappen, bidding for a fifth consecutive drivers’ title, had struggled with handling problems through free practice so he was also glad to be near the front for Sunday.
“Yesterday was quite tough so for us to be in P3 today I will take that,” he said.
“For me dry or wet is fine, in the weather there is always some crazy things that can happen and especially around here it can be quite slippery.”
Racing Bulls were buoyed to have a car fifth on the grid as Yuki Tsunoda drove like a man with a point to prove after missing out on a Red Bull seat to New Zealander Liam Lawson.
Williams also landed a blow in the mid-field battle, with Alex Albon sixth, four places better than teammate Carlos Sainz.
