Norris survives Q3 scare to lead McLaren one-two ahead of Verstappen

Lando Norris led a McLaren one-two in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, but he suffered a scare in Q3 when his first lap time was deleted.

Q1

Norris set the pace in the first phase of qualifying but his advantage over his closest rivals was thin. Russell was only a few hundredths of a second slower after switching to soft tyres and set some competitive laps on the medium rubber earlier in the session. Verstappen also looked quick, almost matching Norris on his first soft tyre run.

Oliver Bearman’s dire weekend continued, albeit this time seemingly through no fault of his own. Having had a crash and a spin during practice, his participation in qualifying ended after one lap with a technical problem. Completing Haas’s misery, his team mate Esteban Ocon was slowest.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli limped into the pits with sparks flying from the rear of his W16, the legacy of bib damage apparently caused by an earlier kerb strike. Mercedes were unable to repair it before the end of the session, which compromised his final runs.

He slipped to 15th place in the closing moments, then fell victim to fellow newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto. The Sauber driver pinched the final place in Q2 from Antonelli with his final lap, beating his team mate Nico Hulkenberg on his debut in the process. Hulkenberg said his car “just didn’t feel very good, very connected,” said on his way back to the pits.

New Red Bull driver Liam Lawson joined those who were eliminated in the first round. He complained his tyres faded at the end of his final lap, and slid off at the penultimate corner before pitting.

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Q1 result

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Q2

Norris stayed on top in the second phase of qualifying, though his team mate led much of the session until the dying moments. The McLaren pair both lapped in the 1’15.4s, Verstappen’s Red Bull an ever-present threat just a tenth of a second behind.

Russell went through in fourth place. The stewards briefly suspected he had impeded Leclerc at turn three but ruled no investigation was needed. The Ferrari drivers followed him into Q3, Hamilton doing so despite a spin at the exit of turn 11.

That spin led to DRS being briefly deactivated, which disadvantaged some drivers, notably Jack Doohan, who dropped out in 14th place. Bortoleto was 15th after a hair-raising moment on the exit kerb at turn four.

Both Aston Martin drivers also went no further. Fernando Alonso damaged his floor earlier in the session which his team said impaired his final run. Newcomer Isack Hadjar missed the cut for Q3 by just six-hundredths of a second on his debut.

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Q2 result

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Q3

McLaren’s challenge looked like it was going to fall apart after their final runs in Q3. Piastri made a mess of the penultimate corner, slithering wide, and producing a 1’16.147 which his rivals made light work of. Norris appeared to be among them, but his 1’15.921 was deleted when he ran wide at turn four.

That handed an opportunity to their rivals, who grabbed it. Leclerc was first to beat Piastri, then Russell and finally Verstappen, whose 1’15.671 put him on top.

Verstappen’s effort was a tenth of a second off his best from Q2. “The guy in front of me kept going off everywhere,” he reported. That was Hamilton, who only managed seventh, 0.656s off.

With Norris sitting 10th without a time, race engineer Will Joseph suggested they avoid risking being held up in traffic. “Lando, why don’t we go first, do our own thing?” he asked. “Nope,” Norris replied confidently.

His confidence was repaid. Piastri produced a stunning final lap, thrilling the local fans with a 1’15.180 to claim the top spot. But Norris displaced him moments later, claiming pole position with a lap of 1’15.096.

Russell temporarily took third place off Verstappen until the Red Bull driver hit back. The Ferrari drivers were poised to claim the third row of the grid, then were stunned by a pair of brilliant laps by two midfielders.

First Alexander Albon claimed fifth on the grid, then Yuki Tsunoda took it away from him. Hamilton will therefore start his first race for Ferrari in eighth place.

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Q3 result

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2025 Australian Grand Prix

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• Lawson ‘will come alive on tracks he knows’ says Horner after Q1 elimination
• Norris survives Q3 scare to lead McLaren one-two ahead of Verstappen
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