Lando Norris took pole position for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after he edged out McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Norris saw off Piastri’s challenge by just 0.084 seconds as McLaren secured an impressive front-row lockout in Melbourne.
World champion Max Verstappen finished a distant third with Mercedes’ George Russell fourth. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda took a surprise fifth, one place ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon.
It was a disappointing afternoon for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc only seventh, one place ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who will line up from eighth position for his Ferrari debut. Hamilton was 0.877 sec adrift of Norris.
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F1 AUSTRALIAN GP - LATEST UPDATES
- The first F1 race of the 2025 season on Sunday starts at 4am (GMT), 3pm in Melbourne
- F1 returns this weekend with the Australian GP kicking off the 2025 season
- Lando Norris snatches pole position from Oscar Piastri; Verstappen 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10 in qualifying
- Liam Lawson, Kimi Antonelli and Ollie Bearman all out in Q1
- ANALYSIS: Hamilton and Ferrari F1 are a ‘perfect match’ – but will results live up to the hype?
TOP-10 IN QUALIFYING
06:10
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Lando Norris
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Max Verstappen
4. George Russell
5. Yuki Tsunoda
6. Alex Albon
7. Charles Leclerc
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Pierre Gasly
10. Carlos Sainz
What time is the grand prix on Sunday?
07:30
,
Kieran Jackson
The race, which is expected to be wet, will start at 4am (GMT), that’s 3pm in Melbourne.
Lando Norris starts on pole position alongside McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, while Max Verstappen is third on the grid.
Lewis Hamilton is down in eighth for Ferrari, while Charles Leclerc is seventh. Mercedes’ George Russell starts P4.
What will happen in the first race of the new season?!
QUALIFYING REPORT: Lando Norris snatches pole for Australian GP – as Lewis Hamilton receives Ferrari reality check
08:23
,
Kieran Jackson
Plenty was on the line with two minutes left of qualifying for the first race of the 2025 F1 season. Lando Norris, having gone beyond the limit in his first lap, was set to start 10th. There was a second chance – but there would not be a third.
Yet when it mattered most, the man tagged as the favourite for the 2025 F1 world championship pipped his Aussie teammate Oscar Piastri to pole for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, to the dismay of thousands in the grandstands.
Piastri had looked to have taken pole from defending champion Max Verstappen, who admitted afterwards he was satisfied with third place in an under-par Red Bull car. However, Norris, stretching his McLaren to the limit on this tricky 14-turn street circuit, made it count. Not by much, though, with just 0.084 seconds in it.
As for Lewis Hamilton, after all the fandom and hype, it was ultimately an underwhelming first qualifying showing for Ferrari. The 40-year-old, who dreams of a record-breaking eighth title with the sport’s most fabled marque, will start tomorrow’s race eighth on the grid. His teammate Charles Leclerc is alongside him in seventh.
Lando Norris on Ferrari's qualifying performance:
08:08
,
Kieran Jackson
“I was expecting a fight from Ferrari,” he said. “Max has said he is surprised to be up here [top-three].
“But everyone is quick to judge, it’s difficult out there to put a lap together. I did expect Ferrari to be a bit quicker.”
Ollie Bearman reacts after failing to set a time in qualifying:
07:46
,
Kieran Jackson
“It’s a bit disappointing, of course, to not be able to get a lap on the board, but it’s been a messy weekend so far,” Bearman acknowledged afterwards.
“I haven’t run all weekend. That’s made it tough for the guys to actually understand [what’s happening], as we’ve been running with one car all weekend.
“I can only apologise to the team for that.”
George Russell reacts after a respectable P4 in qualifying:
07:18
,
Kieran Jackson
"Q3 was a really tricky session!"
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 15, 2025
George Russell will be on the second row for the Australian GP pic.twitter.com/Fw8QXL4pml
Lewis Hamilton reacts to poor first qualifying for Ferrari in Australia: ‘A lot to dissect’
07:05
,
Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton admits Ferrari have a “lot to dissect” but remained upbeat after a disappointing first qualifying session for Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix.
In hot conditions on Saturday afternoon in Melbourne, McLaren’s tag as the favourites bore fruit as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the front row, with the Brit pipping his Aussie teammate.
Yet for Ferrari, it was an underwhelming session, with Charles Leclerc seventh and Hamilton eighth on the leaderboard. Both will start behind Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda (fifth) and Alex Albon (Williams) tomorrow.
Full piece below:
Lewis Hamilton on qualifying P8:
06:52
,
Kieran Jackson
“I generally feel good. I had a really good time out there today. Everything has been a first this weekend, first practice sessions and qualifying, and it’s been a lot of work to adapt to this car, there’s so much different here to what I’ve experienced in the past.
“I didn’t know we’d be nine-tenths off today, so a lot of dissect.”
On being two-tenths off Leclerc: “Given Charles has been in this team for seven years, he knows this car in and out, I’m still learning those tools. To be that close in my first qualifying session, I’ll definitely take it.
“We’ll get our heads down, try and find out why we’re not on pace with the frontrunners. Tomorrow will be a challenge, I’ve never driven this car in the rain, I don’t even know the rain setting so I’ve got to go and study that tonight and it will be a learning experience again tomorrow.”
Lando Norris celebrates pole position
06:41
Lando Norris after qualifying on pole:
06:31
,
Kieran Jackson
“Big congrats to the team, amazing job to continue, to start with a 1-2 but it’s just quali - it will be a tricky race but it was the perfect race to start.
“The car is extremely quick, when you put it together it’s unbelievable, little fight between me and Oscar and it was a tough one. You need to take a lot of risk but also get the lap clean, difficult mindset in the final lap but managed to pull it off.
“I’m never going to get ahead of myself, I’m not that kind of guy. We know how quick Max and Red Bull are in the rain, a lot of opportunities for everyone. We’ll see tomorrow.”
Oscar Piastri after qualifying P2:
06:20
,
Kieran Jackson
“Great to have the team on the front row, it’s the start of the season, it’s a solid start.
“Maybe left a little bit on the table, it was tricky out there for everyone - just happy to be on the front row.”
Max Verstappen, after qualifying P3:
06:14
,
Kieran Jackson
“I take P3 today.
“In the wet, always some crazy things happen, it can be quite slippery around here. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
Lando Norris:
06:02
,
Kieran Jackson
“Not a bad way to start the year!”
A stormer of a lap at the end there...
Lando Norris on pole position!
06:01
,
Kieran Jackson
Lando gets it done - by just 0.084 seconds to his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri!
Max Verstappen in third, three-tenths down!
And what a lap from Yuki Tsunoda for fifth place, Lewis Hamilton only eighth!
4-10: Russell, Tsunoda, Albon, Leclerc, Hamilton, Gasly, Sainz
Big moments this!
05:57
,
Kieran Jackson
Particularly for the McLaren duo, this is huge!
Final chance across the top-10 then!
2:00 to go...
Top-10 ahead of final laps...
05:55
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen - 1:15:671
2. Russell +0.024
3. Leclerc +0.084
4. Piastri +0.476
5. Albon +0.502
6. Tsunoda +0.568
7. Hamilton +0.656
8. Gasly +0.716
9. Sainz +1.693
10. Norris - no time
4:00 to go...
Max Verstappen on provisional pole!
05:52
By 0.024 seconds to George Russell, the Dutchman is on top!
Charles Leclerc is third, a tenth off, with Piastri fourth and Hamilton fifth.
Lando Norris had his lap deleted for track limits! He’ll only have one more chance!
7:00 to go in Q3...
Q3 underway!
05:49
,
Kieran Jackson
Here we go then!
Who will be on pole in Melbourne?!
10 drivers involved: Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, Sainz, Gasly, Tsunoda, Albon
Fernando Alonso out!
05:42
,
Kieran Jackson
Alonso can only go P12 - he’s out of qualifying!
Bottom-five and out of Q2 (11-15): Hadjar, Alonso, Stroll, Doohan, Bortoleto
Bortoleto with a big save on his final lap, but no good!
Time for the top-10 shootout!
Lewis Hamilton spins!
05:40
Hamilton should be safe but he’s spun in sector three!
Final laps coming in now...
Lewis Hamilton goes sixth-fastest!
05:36
,
Kieran Jackson
A tenth short of Charles Leclerc in fifth... the Ferraris look to be a smidge short of pole-setting pace so far!
Current bottom-five (11-15): Hadjar, Stroll, Bortoleto, Alonso, Doohan
Top-3: Piastri, Norris, Verstappen
4:00 to go.
Fernando Alonso in trouble
05:34
,
Kieran Jackson
After a visit to the gravel trap, Alonso is yet to set a time with 6:00 to go.
Current bottom-five (11-15): Hadjar, Stroll, Bortoleto, Alonso, Doohan
Carlos Sainz is the man in 10th place for the time being...
Liam Lawson:
05:31
,
Kieran Jackson
“We expected the start of quali to be tough. To be honest, the first laps were expected to be off, going off on that second lap put everything out on order.
“Last sector of final lap had a big drop, I shouldn’t be going off in quali.”
Piastri P1 early on in Q2!
05:30
,
Kieran Jackson
A stormer from the Aussie, who pips Norris to P1 by 0.088 seconds at the start of Q2!
Again, still drivers to set their first laps...
10:00 to go...
Q2 underway!
05:28
,
Kieran Jackson
Bit of a shock then in Q1 - what will Q2 bring?!
15 minutes now where, again, we will lose the slowest five drivers before the top-10 shootout...
Mercedes:
05:26
“We saw bib damage on Kimi’s car during his second run.
“That caused a loss of performance for his final two laps unfortunately.”
Kimi Antonelli:
05:23
,
Kieran Jackson
Antonelli: “Are we through?”
Engineer (Bono): “Negative, we’ve just been bumped.”
That’s a bit of a shock... Antonelli has looked strong!
Liam Lawson and Kimi Antonelli are OUT!
05:20
,
Kieran Jackson
Oh Liam!
The New Zealander was touch and go as it was, but went wide at the second-last turn and having driven over the grass, simply pits!
He’s out of qualifying!
And so is Kimi Antonelli, only P16 by 0.009 seconds to Gabriel Bortoleto at Suaber!
Bottom-five and out in Q1 (16-20): Antonelli, Hulkenberg, Lawson, Ocon, Bearman
Top-3: Norris, Russell, Verstappen
Liam Lawson heading out!
05:16
,
Kieran Jackson
Big moment for Lawson, who is about to head out of Q1!
Current bottom-five (16-20): Gasly, Hulkenberg, Lawosn, Ocon, Bearman (no time)
Antonelli in P14 in danger...
2:00 to go!
Ollie Bearman still in garage!
05:14
,
Kieran Jackson
It’s not looking good for the 19-year-old.
He’s still in the garage with four minutes to go, having not set a timed lap yet.
It’s looking like P20 for tomorrow...
Liam Lawson off track!
05:13
The Kiwi - who missed most of FP3 due to a power unit issue - just skews off track at turn 3 and goes through the gravel, with the service road saving him!
Currently P18!
Bottom-five (16-20): Gasly, Hulkenberg, Lawson, Ocon, Bearman (no time)
Antonelli only P14 so far. 5:00 to go in Q1.
George Russell on mediums!
05:11
,
Kieran Jackson
An interesting experiment from Mercedes - with Jim Ratcliffe watching on - with both drivers on medium tyres!
Russell goes an impressive P4, but Antonelli is P19 so far.
Bottom-five (16-20): Stroll, Lawson, ocon, Antonelli, Bearman (no time)
8:00 to go...
Lando Norris:
05:10
,
Kieran Jackson
“A little bit of gravel turn 6, keep an eye on the side of the car.”
Doesn’t look to be anything to worry about...
Lando Norris P1 early on!
05:07
,
Kieran Jackson
The Brit goes fastest early in Q1, with Piastri a tenth behind in second and Charles Leclerc in third - 0.450 seconds behind Norris.
A reminder: the top times don’t really matter in these first two sessions.
Still plenty of drivers to set a lap. 12:00 to go.
Ollie Bearman:
05:03
“I have a problem with the gearbox.
“No, it’s broken.”
Oh Ollie, what a nightmare this weekend has been for the 19-year-old Brit so far!
Q1 underway!
05:00
,
Kieran Jackson
A big queue at the end of the pit lane, led by Haas’ Esteban Ocon, and we are go with qualifying in 2025!
A reminder: 18 minutes where we will lose the slowest five drivers from the rest of the session...
Qualifying coming up!
04:56
,
Kieran Jackson
Who’s your money on, then?
Is it McLaren - with Norris and Piastri both neck-and-neck - or with Ferrari, with Leclerc looking quicker than Hamilton so far?
And don’t discount Max Verstappen, who looked rapid for Red Bull in that final practice!
Qualifying starts in four minutes!
Lando Norris ahead of qualifying:
04:53
,
Kieran Jackson
“I’m all good. I’m relaxed, it will be a tight qualifying, tough one ahead, but we’re confident of a strong start.”
Qualifying 10 minutes away!
04:50
,
Kieran Jackson
So excited for this - the first qualifying session of the new season!
McLaren and Ferrari look to be the favourites for pole, but Max Verstappen and George Russell have also shown excellent speed throughout the three practice sessions.
It’s set to be very tight across the grid!
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari F1 are a ‘perfect match’ – but will results live up to the hype?
04:48
,
Kieran Jackson
Nothing has ever motivated Lewis Hamilton more than the naysayers of this world. Where the sceptics see adversity, Hamilton sees opportunity. And last month, the seven-time world champion had a message for the doubters ahead of the most anticipated phase of his glittering Formula One career.
“Don’t ever compare me to anyone else,” he told Time. “I’m the first and only Black driver that’s ever been in this sport. I’m built different… I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife or kids. I’m focused on one thing and that’s winning.”
Has the Hamilton-Ferrari hype train caught you yet? If so, what drew you in? Was it the joyous scenes of week one, appearing in a black suit and Ferrari race gear in Maranello for the first time? Was it London, F1 75 Live, and an adoring British crowd? Or was it Bahrain, Milan, and now Melbourne, as the sight of F1’s joint-most successful driver in peerless scarlet red becomes the new reality?
Full piece below:
Carlos Sainz on Williams:
04:44
,
Kieran Jackson
“I feel I’ve joined a team full of motivation, who want to bring the team back to the front. It was a good test in Abu Dhabi.
“We’ve had a strong winter, a positive test, are we going to be one second off the leaders? I don’t know. We want to show progress.
Lewis Hamilton on the pressure of racing for Ferrari:
04:40
,
Kieran Jackson
“The pressure I’ve put on myself has been ten times higher than any pressure put upon me.
“I haven’t been made to feel any pressure, I know what I can deliver and it’s just getting my head down.
“No expectations this weekend, getting used to this new car. Ferrari power is new, different vibrations, different feel.”
Why Lando Norris has to win F1 title this year
04:25
,
Kieran Jackson
Taking the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi at the final race of 2024, bringing home a first constructors’ title in 26 years for McLaren, brought up mixed emotions for cheerful chappy Lando Norris.
On one hand, it was pure elation. A member of the McLaren family for eight years, this meant as much to Norris as anyone else. He described it as a “perfect” end to the season, beating Ferrari to the championship by 14 points. And he’d need no invitation; he was going to get “hammered” later that night over the border in Bahrain.
Yet in the same breath, even amid joyous papaya-clad celebrations on the pit-wall, the boy from Bristol could not help but sample that bittersweet taste. “It’s been a special year,” he said over team radio, before adding: “And next year is going to be my year, too.”
Max Verstappen’s response to ‘doctored’ F1 Drive to Survive episode is exactly what you’d expect
04:14
,
Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen says he was “not surprised” to see a doctored clip of him appearing on the latest season of Drive to Survive.
The popular F1 docu-series has previously been boycotted by Verstappen, who refused to appear in his first title-winning season, due to Netflix’s tendency to manipulate storylines and drama.
On season seven, a clip of Verstappen’s cool-down room reaction to Lando Norris’s win in Miami is mixed in with his reaction at his home race in Zandvoort in the same scenario, showing a more despondent Verstappen, some three months later.
Full quotes below:
Lewis Hamilton admits racism in Serie A ‘crossed his mind’ before Ferrari F1 move
04:01
,
Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton has admitted that incidents of black footballers being racially abused in Italy did make him think twice when deciding to move to Ferrari this year.
The seven-time F1 world champion has switched to Ferrari after 12 years and six world titles at Mercedes. His first race in Scuderia red is at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 16 March.
Hamilton is also F1’s first and only black driver and has detailed in the past the “traumatising” racial abuse he has suffered, detailing in 2023 that he had bananas thrown at him and was repeatedly called the “n-word” at school. He was also racially abused at F1 testing in Barcelona in 2008.
Serie A footballers such as Mike Maignan and Moise Kean have been subject to racial abuse in the past and Hamilton did admit that racist chanting at Italian matches “crossed his mind” when making the decision to move to Ferrari last winter.
James Vowles: ‘This is why Williams and Carlos Sainz will be F1 title contenders again’
03:46
,
Kieran Jackson
Two years into the project of a lifetime, James Vowles is keeping his ultra-focused head above the parapet.
Hunched over a table in his team’s hospitality unit, the Williams team principal is reflecting on a 2024 season of underachievement. In 24 races, his team recorded more crashes than points: 20 to 17. To say it was an expensive, energy-sapping campaign would be an understatement.
Yet ultimately, it does not matter. Nor does the upcoming 2025 season, even with Ferrari race winner Carlos Sainz, a coup of an acquisition, joining the team to partner Alex Albon.
Nearly all of Vowles’ attention is geared towards 2026; a year of new engine and chassis regulations and, as such, fresh opportunity at the front.
Read Kieran Jackson’s exclusive interview with the Williams boss:
Toto Wolff repsonds to Verstappen links
03:30
,
Kieran Jackson
More from Toto, who says: “I don't flirt outside if I am in a good relationship. At the moment that (a move for Verstappen) is not on the radar.
"I don't like to shift my concentration away from these guys (Russell and Antonelli). I'm someone who sticks to what he says and this is the combination that I want to go forward with Mercedes. I have no other reasons to doubt that."
Following Hamilton's transfer to Ferrari, Russell will enter a campaign as Mercedes' lead driver for the first time in his career.
And when quizzed about Russell's next deal, Wolff continued: "We had a chat a few weeks ago about when the right timing would be to liaise.
"We're going to find some time, I guess before the summer. We will do that in a timely manner, without disrupting the season."
Williams boss James Vowles:
03:18
“It’s just free practice! This is just 12 months of transition, last year we didn’t have enough chassis’ or enough bits!
“I have a world-class driver line-up, you can see the difference it’s making.
“A realistic expectation for us is two cars in the top-10.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff:
03:05
,
Kieran Jackson
On Russell: “George is a driver who has everything he needs to become a world champion, the car is very early days. McLaren are a smidge ahead, we expect a dominant performance from them tomorrow. It doesn’t mean it’ll be the same eight races in.
On qualifying: “Everyone has shown their hand, the drivers have more potential - we’ll see, it’s close.”
On rain tomorrow: “We’ve found a sweet spot with our setup, not to overheat the tyres, but maybe tomorrow you want them on the hot side. It’s not easy when there’s two-tenths between each car.”
FP3 RESULTS IN FULL:
02:51
,
Kieran Jackson
Oscar Piastri leads the way with George Russell and Max Verstappen close behind...
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2025
Here's the final FP3 classification #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/WpzfZ0vSSN
Oscar Piastri quickest in FP3!
02:32
,
Kieran Jackson
A happy crowd in Melbourne as hometown hero Oscar Piastri goes fastest with a 1:15:921, 0.039 seconds clear of George Russell in second!
Max Verstappen is third-fastest, with Charles Leclerc in fourth - all within three-tenths of first though!
Lewis Hamilton? Down in P8. And look at Williams in sixth and seventh!
5-10: Antonelli, Sainz, Albon, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Norris,
George Russell goes P2!
02:28
,
Kieran Jackson
Russell gets 0.039 secs within Piastri up top!
That’s four different teams in the top four!
Session ending shortly...
Charles Leclerc:
02:28
,
Kieran Jackson
“The car is very oversteery... it doesn’t give me much confidence at all.”
Leclerc now P4...
Oscar Piastri now up to top spot!
02:23
,
Kieran Jackson
The Australian takes P1 by 0.081 seconds to Max Verstappen!
The times have kept tumbling during this session... it should be a terrifc qualifying later!
Russell and Antonelli currently P3 and P4 for Mercedes too!
Just under 10 minutes to go in FP3!
Qualifying start time!
02:19
After three fascinating practice sessions, we’re all set for qualifying this afternoon at a baking hot Albert Park!
Qualifying takes place at 5am (GMT), that’s 4pm local time.
Max Verstappen back to P1!
02:16
,
Kieran Jackson
OK, now that’s a statement!
Verstappen goes P1 by four-tenths to George Russell in second!
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz now third and fourth respectively after their first laps on softs... that Williams is looking really good!
George Russell goes P1!
02:13
,
Kieran Jackson
Mercedes join the party!
Russell goes P1 with a 1:16:402, 0.195 secs clear of new No 2 Lando Norris!
3-10: Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon, Sainz, Antonelli, Piastri, Tsunoda
Just over 15 mins to go!