Verstappen Soars to Third Straight Pole in Melbourne, Sets Record-Breaking Win in Sight – Hamilton Faces Uphill Battle from P11

Three-time World Champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull solidified his early season lead by claiming his third consecutive pole position at the Australian Grand Prix qualifying session on Saturday.

The “Flying Dutchman” now sets his sights on a historic achievement: securing a record-breaking 10th consecutive race win on Sunday.

Ferrari Mounts a Challenge:

Despite missing the previous race in Jeddah due to appendicitis surgery, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari delivered a strong performance, qualifying second and securing a spot alongside Verstappen on the front row.

Surprises on the Grid:

Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull, will start from the third position.

An unexpected contender emerged in Lando Norris of McLaren, who qualified a surprising fourth.

Verstappen’s Dominant Lap:

The 26-year-old driver unleashed a blistering lap with a time of 1:15.915, securing his 35th career pole position.

This dominant performance puts him 0.270 seconds ahead of Sainz.

The Rest of the Field:

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) round out the top six qualifiers.

George Russell (Mercedes), Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), and the Aston Martin pairing of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso follow closely behind.

Hamilton’s Setback:

In a major upset, Mercedes’ seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton failed to advance to the crucial Q3 session.

Consequently, Hamilton will start the race from a disadvantageous 11th position.

Full Starting Grid:

It provides a comprehensive breakdown of the starting grid for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, detailing the positions of all drivers and their respective teams.

It also acknowledges the withdrawal of Logan Sargeant from Williams-Mercedes.

Sports News

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn