Max Verstappen in the Red Bull shook off the challenge from both Ferrari drivers and took pole position for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz, returning impressively from surgery, and Sergio Perez, completed the top three, showcased the competitive edge between Red Bull and Ferrari.
Lando Norris managed to secure a spot on the second row alongside Perez, while Charles Leclerc, after abandoning his final attempt, ended up in fifth. Oscar Piastri, the home crowd favorite, achieved a commendable sixth place, adding to the excitement with George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda following closely behind.
Lewis Hamilton faced a setback, being edged out to start from P11 after Yuki Tsunoda‘s last-minute leap in Q2, highlighting a challenging session for Mercedes. Alex Albon, stepping into Logan Sargeant‘s chassis due to a crash in Free Practice 1.
Sargeant did not take part in Qualifying, as his chassis was given to Williams teammate Albon after the Thai driver wrecked his car in FP1 with the team failing to bring a spare chassis to Melbourne.
F1 2024 Australian GP – Qualifying results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:15.915 |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +0.270 |
| 3 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +0.359 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.400 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.520 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.657 |
| 7 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.809 |
| 8 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | +0.873 |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1.157 |
| 10 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.637 |
| 11 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 12 | Alex Albon | Williams | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 13 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 14 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | Eliminated in Q1 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | Eliminated in Q1 |
| 18 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | Eliminated in Q1 |
| 19 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | Eliminated in Q1 |
