Melbourne: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen showcased his mastery behind the wheel, clinching pole position after fending off a formidable challenge from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz In a thrilling qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday.
Sainz, displaying remarkable resilience and speed, dominated the early stages of qualifying, setting the pace in the first two parts. However, Verstappen demonstrated his championship-winning pedigree, delivering two impeccable laps in the final shootout to snatch pole position by a commanding margin of 0.27 seconds.
The last two exquisite laps from Verstappen in the final session were too good for the Ferraris as the Dutchman took his third pole position in a row this season, one he has started in even more dominant style than his record-breaking 2023.
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez secured the third spot on the grid, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris completed the top five. Norris’ fourth place was McLaren’s best result of a year after they started a little bit behind where they expected to be.
Mercedes, enduring a challenging weekend in Australia following difficulties in the previous race in Saudi Arabia, continued to struggle for pace. Despite their efforts to address the issues with the car’s performance, both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton faced disappointment in the qualifying round.
Russell, who started on the front row alongside Verstappen in the previous year’s race, found himself over 0.8 seconds adrift this time.
Meanwhile, Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, failed to make it into the top 10, losing out to his teammate by a narrow margin.
The standout performance of the session came from Sainz, who defied the odds just 15 days after undergoing appendicitis surgery. Despite the physical setback, Sainz showcased his talent and determination, delivering a remarkable performance that earned him a front-row start alongside Verstappen. IANS
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