Lando Norris Grabs Pole in Thrilling Australian Grand Prix Opener

Lando Norris clinched pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, narrowly beating his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by just 0.084 seconds. This front-row dominance cements McLaren’s status as reigning Team Champions.

Max Verstappen initially stole the show by securing provisional pole during Q3’s first runs. However, Piastri, racing on home soil, excited fans by surpassing Verstappen’s time by four-tenths of a second. But the spotlight returned to Norris, who completed his lap in an impressive 1:15.096.

Verstappen took the third spot on the grid for Red Bull, determined to challenge McLaren. George Russell claimed fourth for Mercedes, while Yuki Tsunoda impressed with a fifth-place finish in his Racing Bulls car.

Alex Albon put his Williams into sixth, suggesting potential for the team. Meanwhile, the Ferrari pairing of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton faced a tough session, landing in seventh and eighth. Pierre Gasly secured ninth for Alpine, and Carlos Sainz, in his debut Williams run, completed the top ten.

FORMULA 1 LOUIS VUITTON AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2025

Australia 2025 Qualifying results: | Position | Team Name | Time | | — | — | — | | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:15.096 | | 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:15.180 | | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:15.481 | | 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:15.546 | | 5 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:15.670 |

Rookie Isack Hadjar narrowly missed the top 10 for Racing Bulls, finishing 11th. Aston Martin saw both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll exit in Q2, placing 12th and 13th.

Jack Doohan placed his Alpine in 14th, although a yellow flag in Q2, caused by a Hamilton spin, hindered his final lap. Gabriel Bortoleto, the 2024 F2 champion, concluded his first outing for Kick Sauber in 15th.

Ollie Bearman had a challenging day, unable to set a lap in his Haas due to a gearbox issue. Rookie Kimi Antonelli narrowly missed advancing by ending Q1 in 16th, while Liam Lawson faced an early exit in his Red Bull debut, finishing 18th.

Experienced competitors like Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon struggled, with Hulkenberg out in 17th for Kick Sauber and Ocon in 19th for Haas.

Verstappen ended Q3 in third after initially setting the best time.

AS IT HAPPENED

Q1 – Norris Leads as Antonelli, Lawson, and Bearman Exit

Following an eventful final practice, focus shifted to the first Qualifying session of the 2025 season in Melbourne. Questions loomed about Bearman’s performance after a significant crash in FP3, leaving the Haas driver with limited track time.

Uncertainties also surrounded Lawson, sidelined in practice due to a power unit issue. As Q1 began at 16:00 local time, Ocon and Bearman led a parade of cars out of the pits. However, Bearman soon faced difficulties with a gearbox problem sending him back to the pits.

The initial laps saw Norris lead with a 1:16.003, edging Verstappen by a mere one-hundredth of a second while Piastri was a tenth behind in third.

Alonso captured attention by slotting his Aston Martin into fifth, but Lawson’s troubles continued as he found the gravel, provoking yellow flags. This left him in the danger zone as the session wound down, along with Gasly, Hulkenberg, Ocon, and Bearman, the latter still languishing in the pits.

Antonelli, at risk in 14th, went off into the gravel during his lap. Lawson tried to claw back from trouble with a final lap attempt but ended up on the grass, sealing his fate in 18th.

Gasly managed to escape elimination, making it into the top 10, right behind his teammate Doohan, while Hamilton, facing increasing pressure, improved to sixth in his first Ferrari qualifying.

Antonelli, stepping in for Mercedes, was bumped to 16th after Bortoleto, driving for Kick Sauber, narrowly claimed the last qualifying spot in P15. Mercedes later cited “bib damage” for Antonelli’s impaired performance on his final laps.

Hulkenberg, Lawson, Ocon, and Bearman joined him in the knocked-out roster.

Q2 – Norris on Top, Hamilton’s Spin Brings Yellow Flags

Q2 kicked off energetically with Verstappen setting an initial pace, only to be outpaced by local hero Piastri and Norris of McLaren, all on new soft tyres.

Alonso had a rough time, running over kerbs and returning to the pits without a recorded time, while Doohan lost a lap due to track limit violations. Also facing pressure were rookies Hadjar, Stroll, and Bortoleto.

Hamilton tightened the gap with teammate Leclerc, landing sixth, but both remained behind Piastri by several points. With used tyres on their final attempts, the Ferrari drivers faced a potential disadvantage.

Bortoleto nearly lost control of his Sauber but recovered, while Hamilton spun, causing yellow flags and compromising other drivers’ runs.

Norris topped the session with a lap time of 1:15.415, with Hamilton in sixth. Hadjar narrowly missed Q3 at 11th. A dual exit saw Alonso and Stroll leave in 12th and 13th, while Doohan and Bortoleto concluded the list of eliminations.

Q3 – Norris Edges Out Piastri for Pole

In the climactic battle for pole, Leclerc seemed to hold provisional pole until Verstappen pipped him by just eight-hundredths, with Russell also getting ahead.

Norris faced a setback with a lap time deletion for track limit violations, placing pressure on his final run. Meanwhile, Piastri was fourth, with impressive performances from Albon in fifth for Williams and other drivers heading into their final attempts.

As the time ticked down, newly-minted home crowd favorite Piastri surged ahead of Verstappen by four-tenths, to cheers from the audience. However, Norris overtook with an enthralling 1:15.096 lap, securing the pole by 0.084 seconds.

Russell was initially set in third, but Verstappen retook the spot, with Russell finishing fourth. Tsunoda impressed with a fifth-place finish, showcasing Racing Bulls’ potential.

Albon spearheaded Williams in sixth, while Ferrari had a less favorable session with Leclerc and Hamilton in seventh and eighth respectively. Gasly placed ninth, and Sainz rounded out the top ten for Williams.

Norris celebrated his pole feat, marking his 10th career achievement.

Key Quote

“I’m feeling amazing!” polesitter Norris exclaimed. “It’s the ideal start to the year. Big kudos to the team—everyone at McLaren has done outstanding work to carry forward last season’s momentum and begin with a 1-2. It’s just qualifying; let’s see how tomorrow unfolds. It’s going to be challenging, but today was a perfect start.”

What’s Next

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix revs up at 15:00 local time on Sunday. Visit the RACE HUB for details on catching the action from Melbourne.