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The qualifying session for the Australian GP ended with Charles Leclerc once again pipping Max Verstappen to clinch his second pole position of the season. The session featured as many as two red flags, one because of a clash between Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi and the second when Fernando Alonso's car failed in Q3. There was also a lot of unpredictability as the balance of power kept switching from Red Bull to Ferrari and vice-versa.
In the end, though, it was Leclerc once again who was able to string together the perfect lap and beat Verstappen to pole position. Let's take a look at some of the key highlights of the Australian GP qualifying.
#1 Charles Leclerc beats Max Verstappen yet again
Charles Leclerc made it 3-0 this season in qualifying against Max Verstappen. Throughout qualifying, it was hard to determine which team held the edge. In Q1 Ferrari appeared to be on top while Q2 saw Red Bull put together a better lap time.
In Q3, Verstappen looked on course for pole position but an error on his first flying lap cost him dearly. Leclerc subsequently bettered the lap as he claimed the provisional pole. Verstappen bettered his time on his second lap but the Ferrari driver pulled out and an even more impressive lap, taking pole position for the second time this season.
#2 Carlos Sainz dug a bigger hole for himself at Ferrari
There is no doubt that Carlos Sainz is under pressure this season. He was able to outscore teammate Charles Leclerc last season. This season, however, Leclerc has had an edge over the Spaniard. Sainz, despite looking like the faster Ferrari driver throughout the Australian GP weekend, ended up making a mistake on his fast lap in Q3 and will now start the race in P9.
In a team that is notorious for prioritizing one driver over the other, Carlos Sainz needed a better showing at the Australian GP qualifying, especially when compared to his teammate.
#3 Lando Norris and McLaren send a reminder to the midfield
Lando Norris sent a stark reminder to everyone on the grid that McLaren are staging a brilliant comeback this season. The young driver put together the fourth-fastest time on the grid and in the process out-qualified both Mercedes'.
After a slightly underwhelming first two races of the season where other midfield teams appeared to have an edge over McLaren, this was a true reflection of how strong the foundation is for the team. The car looks drastically better on the track with the slow-speed sections not proving to be a deficit any more.
#4 Mercedes fail to show up as the third-fastest car on the grid
Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were close to a second slower than the fastest time put together by Charles Leclerc. While many around the paddock still proclaim it's only a matter of time before Mercedes gets its act together, it's just not happening.
Sadly for the team, it does not seem to have a stronghold over being the third fastest car on the grid. Had Fernando Alonso not crashed, he would have been en route to qualifying higher than the two Mercedes drivers. Moreover, the McLaren of Lando Norris was already ahead. Mercedes was the fifth fastest car on the grid during the Australian GP qualifying and for a team that dreams of fighting for the title this season, this is just not the path it needs to follow.
#5 Fernando Alonso's misfortune forces him to start in P10 for the Australian GP
The Australian GP seemed destined to be the race where Fernando Alonso shone the brightest. The Spaniard had found something in the car that made him breathtakingly fast. So much so that he was almost half a second faster than his teammate.
On his lap in Q3, Alonso seemed destined to qualify in the top-5. He was on a lap that had purple first and middle sectors. Yet, at that very moment, disaster struck and his Alpine suffered an unfortunate failure.
The Spaniard will now start the race in P10 and will be looking to bag whatever points he can in this race.
