Lando Norris Leads a McLaren 1-2 in Melbourne Qualifying

Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix during Saturday’s (March 15) qualifying session followed by the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri, confirming suspicions that McLaren currently has an edge over the other front-runners.

Max Verstappen will occupy third on the grid, indicating that Red Bull has more pace in the car than pre-season testing suggested.

“I mean, it is the perfect way to start the year,” Norris stated in his post-qualifying interview. “A big congrats to the team, everyone has done an amazing job to start with a 1-2. But it’s just quali, right? Let’s see tomorrow.”

LANDO NORRIS TAKES POLE POSITION IN AUSTRALIA 👏👏#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/k6PwYVHBHU

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2025

Q3

Both McLarens made mistakes on their first run, leaving Verstappen to claim the top position, followed by George Russell and Charles Leclerc. Less than a tenth of a second separated the top three after the opening shots had been fired.

The second runs saw the McLarens putting solid laps together, with Piastri claiming the provisional pole before being quickly usurped by Norris who was following closely behind.

Ferrari and Williams were both surprise showings but for very different reasons. Leclerc bested Lewis Hamilton in their first head-to-head, but the pair were a considerable distance from the McLarens. Williams, on the other hand, had both cars in Q3, confirming the strong pace they had shown in testing and free practice.

Pos.	Driver No.	Driver	Team	Time from Leader
1.	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:15:096
2.	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.084s
3.	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.385s
4.	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.450s
5.	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+0.574s
6.	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+0.641s
7.	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.659s
8.	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.877s
9.	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+0.884s
10.	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+0.966s

Q2

The second session was largely uneventful. After positive signs in practice, the two Ferraris were struggling to stay in touch with McLaren and Red Bull.

Both Aston Martins were eliminated, showing they’re still quite some distance from the front-runners.

Lewis Hamilton is facing the wrong way after having a spin! 😦#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/5Ig5WgATKl

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2025

Pos.	Driver No.	Driver	Team	Time from Advancing
11.	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	+0.244s
12.	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+0.522s
13.	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+0.552s
14.	7	Jack Doohan	Alpine	+0.932s
15.	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	+1.589s

Q1

After spinning off in FP3, Oliver Bearman suffered gear-change problems on his qualifying out-lap, forcing him to exit before a competitive time had been set. The British driver is having a disappointing weekend to open his rookie F1 season.

Liam Lawson also failed to make Q2, after he experienced technical problems and sat out most of the final practice session.

Fellow rookie Bortoleto had a better result in the first session of the year, outqualifying a much more experienced teammate in Nico Hulkenberg, and progressing to Q2.

A very tough start for Ollie Bearman 😢#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/ziYXdVnfZl

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2025

Pos.	Driver No.	Driver	Team	Time from Advancing
16.	12	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.013s
17.	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	+0.067s
18.	30	Liam Lawson	Red Bull Racing	+0.582s
19.	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+0.635s
20.	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas	No Time

The Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix begins on Sunday, March 15, at midnight ET, with the possibility of rain adding some extra uncertainty. It will be the first round in what promises to be one of the most closely fought seasons in recent history.