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Mercedes dominates Australian GP qualifying
George Russell secured pole position for Mercedes in the first qualifying session under Formula 1's new regulations, leading teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.363 seconds at the Australian Grand Prix.
Verstappen's crash mars Red Bull's challenge
Max Verstappen's qualifying ended abruptly after a rear-axle lockup sent him into the barriers at Turn One on his first flying lap. The four-time champion, who described the incident as "something very weird," will start 20th on Sunday.
Red Bull's Isack Hadjar capitalized on Verstappen's misfortune, finishing third in his debut for the team. "I expected Ferrari to be ahead," Hadjar admitted, "but I'll take it."
Russell and Antonelli impress amid new car challenges
Russell, the only driver outside Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri to win a grand prix last year, delivered a flawless performance. "Race starts and pit stops are far more challenging with these new cars," he said. "We're in the best place we can be."
Antonelli, meanwhile, overcame a chaotic day-including a heavy crash in practice and a team error in qualifying-to secure second place. "I composed myself for the final run," he said, "and put the car where it deserved to be."
Ferrari and McLaren split by Racing Bulls
Charles Leclerc led Ferrari in fourth, with McLaren's Piastri and Norris sandwiching him in fifth and sixth. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, the 18-year-old rookie, took eighth and ninth for Racing Bulls, though Lindblad admitted his final lap fell short of his weekend pace.
"It's really impressive to have two cars in Q3. I'm extremely happy and just can't wait for tomorrow."
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Aston Martin struggles with reliability
Fernando Alonso salvaged 17th for Aston Martin after a weekend plagued by mechanical issues, leaving the team five seconds off the pace on Friday. "There's huge potential," Alonso said, "but we have a mountain to climb."
Qualifying results and Sunday's race
The Australian Grand Prix begins at 04:00 GMT on Sunday, with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live from 03:30 GMT.
Full qualifying results:
- George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:18.518
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.293
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.785
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.809
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.862
- Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.957
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.960
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1.476
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +2.729
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - no time set
