It’s time to set the grid for the Australian GP! Will Ferrari be able to confirm the strong pace shown so far, or will Verstappen ultimately be able to go three for three?
Qualifying down under saw Albon, the Haas and the Alpine drivers out on track first in Q1. The only Williams car remaining had a moment at turn 10, running slightly off track, signing a 1:18.709 then deleted for track limits
Esteban Ocon clipped the wall at the final corner, puncturing his left rear tyre in the process. With ten minutes too go, it’s a provisional Ferrari 1-2, as FP3 leader Leclerc has posted a 1:17.244s, only 0.045s off Sainz’s time and 0.234s from championship leader Verstappen.
Red Bull’s Perez is noted for impeding Hulkenberg, with the incident to be investigated after the end of the session. The McLarens slot in between the Ferraris and Verstappen, as Alonso and the Dutch driver both cycle to the front.
Sainz is the latest driver to take P1, with a 1:16.731s, but the whole top three is in less than an hundredth of a second. On the radio, Russell mentions braking issues whereas Verstappen laments understeering. Tsunoda bolts up to P7.
In the final, heated moments of the session, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon manages, in spite of his previous tyre issues, to qualify for Q2. Ricciardo’s fast, latest attempt saw him running slightly wide at Turn 5, deleted for track limits afterwards, as he is out in Q1 for the first time in Australia. Zhou Guanyu’s efforts were marred by damage on his Sauber picked up, losing a sizeable chunk of his front wing out of turn 10.
Out in Q1: Zhou, Ricciardo, Gasly, Hulkenberg
All the remaining drivers immediately returned on track for Q2. The first driver to post a time is Carlos Sainz, in his first appearance since the removal of his appendix, with a 1:16.671s, bested by Verstappen on new tyres shortly after.
At the halfway point of the session this is the provisional knockout zone: Albon, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Ocon, Alonso on the cusp.
In the meantime, local talent Oscar Piastri jumps up to provisional P2, with Leclerc and Verstappen swapping the head of the standings
Albon doesn’t return on track saving a new set of soft tyres ahead of the main event tomorrow.
Tsunoda and Stroll showed a great deal of speed in their final attempts, bumping out seven times World Champion Lewis Hamilton. It has been a complicated session for Mercedes, as his teammate Geroge Russell is barely through to Q3.
At the top, Sainz ultimately led Q2 as well with a 1:16.185s ahead of his teammate and Verstappen. The top ten however is all incredibly close, with all the drivers involved covered by 0.712s.
Out in Q2: Hamilton, Albon, Bottas, Magnussen, Ocon
The Spanish Ferrari driver is the first to sign a lap in Q3 as well, taking the lead with a 1:16.333, a time bested by Verstappen’s first effort on a cracking 1:16.048.
Fernando Alonso lost the car and ran wide off track at Turn 6 and returns to the pits to check for damage. McLaren’s Piastri asks for a check as well after hitting the turn 10 kerb.
After the first set of attempts, Verstappen leads from the Ferraris and Perez, as Norris completed the provisional top 5.
With his second try, the reigning champion signs a 1:15.915, which is not matched by Sainz and Perez who slot in P2 and P3 respectively. Leclerc aborted his latest attempt and will start from P5, behind McLaren’s Norris. The Monegasque later mentioned issues of instability from his SF-24.
Piastri, Russell, Tsunoda, Stroll and Alonso round off the top ten, as Verstappen secures his third pole position in a row in the 2024 season. Stay tuned tomorrow to see if he can convert it in a third win!
