George Russell secured pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, leading a dominant qualifying performance for Mercedes at the Albert Park Circuit.
Russell topped the timesheets in Q3, while teammate Kimi Antonelli delivered another standout performance to secure P2, giving Mercedes a front-row lockout for the season opener.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar qualified third, ahead of Charles Leclerc in fourth. McLaren’s home favourite Oscar Piastri completed the top five, followed closely by teammate Lando Norris.
Lewis Hamilton placed seventh, with Liam Lawson eighth and rookie Arvid Lindblad ninth after an impressive debut qualifying performance.
Gabriel Bortoleto was classified tenth after reaching Q3 but being unable to participate following a technical issue with his Audi R26 at pit entry.
Top 10 – Australian GP Qualifying
| Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| P1 | George Russell |
| P2 | Kimi Antonelli |
| P3 | Isack Hadjar |
| P4 | Charles Leclerc |
| P5 | Oscar Piastri |
| P6 | Lando Norris |
| P7 | Lewis Hamilton |
| P8 | Liam Lawson |
| P9 | Arvid Lindblad |
| P10 | Gabriel Bortoleto |
The qualifying session in Melbourne produced several surprises, including Mercedes’ dominant pace, multiple rookie standouts, and the early elimination of Max Verstappen in Q1 following a crash earlier in the session.