Home F1 Australian GP: Verstappen bounces back to pole from Sainz

Australian GP: Verstappen bounces back to pole from Sainz

23/03/2024

Max Verstappen bounced back from practice to take F1 pole in Australian GP, with Carlos Sainz in P2 and Sergio Perez in P3.

Q1:

The first part in F1 Australian GP qualifying saw an early lap deletion for Williams’ Alexander Albon after his kerb moment at Turn 10. It only added to the pressure he had being the sole to drive after being given the chassis of Logan Sargeant.

It was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz on top with a 1m16.731s from the Red Bull pair of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen after late improvements and multiple laps by the latter two. The Mexican is under investigation for potential impeding of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg.

It was a close battle with the Top 15 finishing under a second of Sainz’s time. The Q2 dash saw heartbreak for Visa Cash App RB’s Daniel Ricciardo who initially made it in but track limits at Turn 5 saw his lap deleted to put him in 19th with a 1m18.085s lap.

His drop helped Haas’ Kevin Magnussen make it in Q2, with teammate Hulkenberg (1m17.976s) out in 16th. While one Alpine made it in, Pierre Gasly (1m17.982s) was 17th from Ricciardo, as Stake F1 Team’s Zhou Guanyu (1m18.188s) was 19th after suffering a front wing endplate damage.

Q2:

The second part in F1 Australian GP was less dramatic as Sainz led the way again with a 1m16.189s lap from teammate Charles Leclerc as Verstappen rounded out the Top 3. It was not good for Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton after a late bump out.

Late improvement from especially Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll allowed them to make it in Q3, with Hamilton (1m16.960s) missing out in 11th by 0.059s margin on teammate George Russell, who himself managed only 10th.

Williams’ Albon (1m17.167s) did well in 12th after all the troubles, ahead of Stake F1 Team’s Valtteri Bottas (1m17.340s), as Haas’ Kevin Magnussen (1m17.427s) was 14th from Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (1m17.697s).

Q3:

The final part in F1 Australian GP saw Verstappen take centerstage with a 1m16.048s lap to provisional pole after first run from the Ferrari pair of Sainz and Leclerc, with Perez in fourth ahead of McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The Australian had a kerb moment and wanted a floor check, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso unable to set a lap time early on after gravel moment at Turn 6. Teammate Lance Stroll went for a different strategy to run in the gap when others pitted.

The final run saw Verstappen improve further with a 1m15.915s lap to take F1 pole in Australian GP from Sainz (1m16.185s) as Perez (1m16.274s) rounded the Top 3. Norris (1m16.315s) ended up fourth from Leclerc (1m16.345s), who abandoned his lap.

He had a moment on the kerb at Turn 13 which forced him to abandon, as Piastri (1m16.572s) was sixth from Russell (1m16.724s), Tsunoda (1m16.788s), Stroll (1m17.027s) and Alonso (1m17.552s) where both the Aston Martin drivers had their moments which disrupted their laps.