Australian Grand Prix: Leclerc on pole

Sunny. Dry. Air +23…22С, track +31…27С

Formula 1 did not participate in Australia for three years and returned to the renovated circuit in 2022. The organizers tried to increase overtaking opportunities, but within the existing course, limited by the lake and other sports facilities. The nature of the city circuit remained the same, it was still not easy to overtake – and qualifying remained the most important session of the weekend.

Before the start of the weekend, the FIA ​​announced the allocation of a record four DRS zones for Formula 1, but Saturday morning, twenty minutes before free practice, became one of them for safety reasons – at the request of the Alpine team.

A new, more abrasive surface was put on the track, but outside the track, the asphalt in the park remained traditionally smooth. During the weekend it was not without departures and accidents. All three practices were interrupted by red flags. Ferrari drivers took the lead on Friday, Lando Norris showed the best time on Saturday morning.

For all the Australian Grand Prix was the third stage in the calendar, for Sebastian Vettel – the first. The German missed two Grands Prix due to Covid-19 and the weekend was not easy for him. He completed the first practice earlier than planned due to power plant problems, missed the second for the same reason and the car crashed in the third. His partner Lance Stroll also had an accident, so the Aston Martin mechanics had to get to work. Stroll’s car was restored, Vettel’s car not, but then another partner’s accident helped him.

Alex Albon entered qualifying knowing he would lose three places at the start due to an incident with Lance Stroll during the race in Jeddah.

For the first time this season Pirelli brought the compositions “through one” to the podium – C2 and C3 for the race and the softest in their range C5 for qualifying.

In the first session Latifi flew away in Turn 11, after returning to the track the car started spinning but it kept moving.

Two minutes before the end of the session, they stopped the session with red flags due to a ridiculous incident. On a slow lap, Latifi first missed Stroll and then accelerated. Stroll shifted to the speeding Latifi – and there was contact. Nicholas crashed the car and then Lance pulled over with a broken suspension.

After qualifying, the stewards will deal with this incident – taking into account the actions of Perez, who did not slow down enough under the yellow flags.

The track was covered with rubble, the cars had to be evacuated. The break lasted fifteen minutes, after which the riders could continue. This break allowed Aston Martin’s mechanics to complete the restoration of Vettel’s car after the morning’s accident – and he took off.

After graduation, the engineer asked Alex Albon to stop the car on the track – it also had to be evacuated.

Max Verstappen took the lead with a lap time of 1:18.580. Elbon, Magnussen, Vettel, Latifi and Stroll dropped out of the further battle.

In the second session Perez showed the best time in the first attempt – 1:18.340.

Russell went off the track at Turn 11 with no impact on the car. Tsunoda interrupted the fast lap, returned to the pits, then took off again.

On the second attempt, the Ferrari drivers attacked, Perez’s result stood, but they were able to separate Sergio and Max – the first four steps in 0.271 seconds.

Gasly, Bottas, Tsunoda, Zhou and Schumacher did not make it to the final.

The sun was setting, regime time approaching, which is so beloved in the movies, but the riders complained about the visibility – the track was shining and nearly horizontal rays blinded the corners. Many asked for a tinted visor, but by the start of the last session the sun had set and stopped interfering.

In the final in the first attempt, Pérez was a thousandth ahead of Verstappen to lead the scoresheet. And seven minutes before the end, the red flags popped up again. Fernando Alonso put in a fast lap and crashed in turn 11.

The Spaniard himself left the cockpit and complained about the problem when shifting. Many were on a fast lap at the time – Leclerc managed to complete it and lead the protocol with 1:18.239, while Sainz didn’t.

Again a long break was needed – only after 13 minutes the riders could start again. It was half an hour before sunset.

On the second attempt, Verstappen led the scoresheet with 1:18.154, but the last attempt was faster by Leclerc – 1:17.868.

Charles Leclerc won qualifying in Melbourne with his second pole position of the season, his eleventh in his career and Ferrari’s first in Australia since 2007.

Leclerc and Verstappen will start from the front row tomorrow, Perez and Norris from the second, Hamilton and Russell from the third.

Qualification Results