Norris edges to Piastri for pole as McLaren blocks the front row of Melbourne

Melbourne – Lando Norris assured the Pole position on Saturday for the Australia Opening Grand Prix of the season before the Oscar Piastri teammate when McLaren shot a warning shot to his rivals.

In burning conditions at Albert Park in Melbourne, Max Verstappen world champion was third in tense classification.

George Russell de Mercedes will keep the World Bull World Company in the second row. Lewis Hamilton will begin in eighth in his debut in Ferrari.

“It is the perfect way to start the year. A great congratulation for the team, all have done incredible job to start with a two,” said Norris after his tenth career post.

“But it’s just Quali, right? Let’s see tomorrow,” he added.

“The car is extremely fast. When you join it, it is incredible, but it is difficult to assemble it.

“I’m never going to advance, I’m sure the car is in a good place, but we have never handled it in the wet.”

The prognosis of Sunday’s race are colder temperatures and rain.

Norris eclipsed his rivals with a 15,096 -second flying turn in soft tires, 0.084 seconds ahead of Piastri.

“Quite happy, great to start the year in the first row,” Piastri said.

“Very happy with how the qualification was, but not enough in the third quarter, but it is a long season, so a good start,” added the Australian.

“Maybe he left a little on the table.”

No Australian pilot has won his local career from Alan Jones in 1980, but that was a race that is not of change before Australia was added to the F1 calendar in 1985.

Verstappen, who was the helmet in 2023 and 2024, was three tenths behind Norris.

But his rookie teammate Liam Lawson, who replaced Sergio Pérez’s low performance, could not leave Q1.

‘Quali’s turns are exciting’

Mercedes’s teenager, Kimi Antonelli, was another great victim of the first quarter after the gravel damaged her car’s floor.

“It was good, yesterday it was quite difficult, so for us to be P3 today, it would take it,” Verstappen said.

“Quali turns are exciting, a good grip around here and some fast corners.”

Verstappen is chasing a second victory in Australia after his 2023 victory to start his offer for a fifth consecutive world title, a feat that only Michael Schumacher has achieved.

Yuki Tsunoda of RB will begin a fifth surprise along with the Williams of Alex Albon.

Ferrari Charles Leclerc and Hamilton’s couple were a seventh and eighth disappointing with Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz de Alpine in the other Williams filling the Top 10.

Last year in Melbourne was a Ferrari One-Two with Sainz stopping his teammate Leclerc for victory, ahead of Norris.

“It is not where we wanted to be, but in general, I am satisfied with the progress we have achieved in the last two days,” Hamilton said.

“We did not expect to have eight or nine tenths behind Pole, but since this is a weekend of first for me, I did not underestimate how steep it would be the learning curve.”

Fernando Alonso and his teammate at Aston Martin, Lance Stroll, have fought for PACE all weekend and failed to pass the Q2 with Gabriel Bortoleto de Sauber, Isack Hadjar and Jack Doohan de Alpine.

Ollie Bearman de Haas could not establish a time in the first quarter and was eliminated with her teammate Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Lawson and Antonelli de Sauber.

Briton’s Bearman has endured a weekend of horror, colliding with barriers in the first practice on Friday and cannot participate in the second session.

He slid in the gravel on Saturday in his first round in the third practice, before informing that his gearbox was “broken” without completing a return in the rating.