2023 F1 Australian GP qualifying: Winners and Losers
The 2023 F1 Australian GP qualifying proved to be an amazing spectacle, as Max Verstappen clinched his second pole of the season. In challenging conditions, the field bunched up, and drivers started making a difference. Verstappen did secure the pole position, but it wasn't without a fight.
Interestingly, the fight came from all quarters, as Verstappen's first lap was bettered by Aston Martin, Ferrari and Mercedes. It was in the second time of running that Verstappen pulled a gap on the field. Even then, unlike the pronounced one-second advantage enjoyed by Red Bull at Jeddah, the gap was much smaller this time around.
Verstappen will be joined by George Russell in the front row. In the second row, we will have Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, while the third row will feature Carlos Sainz in P5 and Lance Stroll in P6. In a session that was far more competitive than many envisaged, who would be feeling content, and who would be a bit unhappy at how things unravelled? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 Australian GP qualifying
Winner
Mercedes
Mercedes will have a driver on the front row of the 2023 Australian GP. In the eyes of many, the result is not only a surprise, but it's also almost shocking to a certain extent. Mercedes were the fourth fastest car in Bahrain, and Lewis Hamilton had claimed that Red Bull almost had a 1.5-second advantage.
During the 2023 Australian GP, Hamilton was in provisional pole position before Verstappen took over. Even then the gap between Verstappen and the fastest Mercedes was around two tenths of a second. Kudos to Mercedes to perform such an impressive comeback after a disastrous start to the season.
Loser
Sergio Perez
If there was one driver that needs to sit down and have some introspection, it's Sergio Perez. After a rough FP3, the pressure was on the Mexican. The Red Bull driver had a certain sense of desperation this season, as he knew a title is on the line.
What followed, though, was a rather poor show, as Perez found himself outbraking in the first sector and into the barrier. Sure, there did appear to be some sort of issue with the car, but the aesthetics of it did not look great from the outside.
Winner
Nico Hulkenberg and Alex Albon
From Alpine till the slowest car on the grid, drivers made a difference in qualifying. The gap in outright pace was minimal between these teams. As a result, extracting the last droplet of performance will be pivotal to secure a strong result. That's where drivers like Hulkenberg and Albon are shining this season.
At the 2023 Australian GP, both Albon and Hulkenberg blew their teammates out of the water with their performance. It was a spectacular display of sheer speed and performance from both drivers.
Loser
Ferrari
Ferrari are now in a downward spiral that has been oh-so-familiar in the last few years.
They started the season as the second fastest car but after two races, finds themselves fourth in the pecking order. It's not a good look for a team with the legacy and resources other teams can only dream of.
Winner
George Russell
Amidst all the glitz and glamour of a Mercedes comeback, there's a young driver starting to mature brilliantly. George Russell was considered to be Lewis Hamilton's successor once the legend retires. By the looks of it, Russell has taken a season to get everything in line and is now starting to take over.
He's 3-0 in qualifying against Hamilton this season, and at the 2023 Australian GP, he will once again be the leading Mercedes driver, just like he was at Bahrain and Jeddah.
Loser
McLaren
McLaren would have hoped for more from the 2023 Australian GP. They had a P11 qualifying result in Bahrain and a Q3 appearance in Jeddah. While the races have been far from ideal, qualifying has been the team's saving grace.
Unfortunately, that was not the case at the 2023 Australian GP. The car is just not good enough at the moment ,and if talents like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can't do much with it, it's safe to say where the fault lies.
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