Ferrari had a great opportunity to prevent Red Bull from securing pole position in the qualifying session of the 2024 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix. However, Max Verstappen ended up clinching his third consecutive pole position of the season in Q3.
Despite Red Bull’s success, there was a slight setback when Sergio Perez, who qualified in third place, received a three-place grid penalty for obstructing Nico Hulkenberg of Haas. This changed the grid for the Australian GP as follows:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
11. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
12. Alex Albon (Williams)
13. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)
14. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
15. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
16. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
17. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
18. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
19. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)
As a result of Perez’s penalty, Lando Norris moved up to third place on the starting grid, joining Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the second row. Leclerc topped the free practice sessions two and three in Melbourne.
Carlos Sainz, who recently returned after undergoing an appendectomy during the Saudi Arabian GP weekend, got closer to Verstappen in the final part of qualifying and will start in second place.
Oscar Piastri also benefited from Perez’s penalty, moving up to fifth position. Although not entirely satisfied with his result, he fared better than Daniel Ricciardo, whose last lap in Q1 was invalidated for exceeding track limits and was eliminated as a result.
On the other hand, Yuki Tsunoda’s efforts to secure a place in Q3 for the second consecutive weekend paid off, as he qualified in eighth place, surpassing Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin.
Tsunoda’s performance played a crucial role in eliminating Lewis Hamilton in Q3. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion will start in 11th place, four positions behind his teammate George Russell, who secured the last spot in Q3.
Esteban Ocon managed to take the struggling Alpine team to Q2 for the first time this season, but only secured 15th place. He will share the eighth row with Hulkenberg, who was frustrated by Perez’s obstruction but believes it was not the only reason for his elimination in Q1, as it occurred during his first attempt.
Zhou Guanyu, whose front wing broke during a Q1 lap, will start in 19th place for Sauber, occupying the last position on the grid for the Australian GP. This is because Williams decided to replace Logan Sargeant with Alex Albon, as the team’s only other chassis was discarded due to Albon’s crash in the first free practice session on Friday.
Albon qualified in 12th place.
