• yesterday
Some surprise early exits and a front-row lock out! Catch up on all the highlights from the first qualifying session of the season in Australia.

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Transcript
00:00This is Formula One in 2025.
00:04We meet again for the first qualifying session of the season.
00:08We're on the streets of Albert Park in beautiful Melbourne.
00:12It is time for time-lapse at the limit.
00:15We're 20 of the best drivers in the world.
00:21Oh, I have a problem with the gearbox.
00:24No, no, no, I can't shift the gearbox.
00:27Oliver Behrmann reporting another issue
00:30in what is turning into a really testing weekend.
00:34The field is so condensed.
00:36So even though Lawson's well down on the positions,
00:39he's only one second off the top time.
00:41He's 18th. It is so close.
00:44And he's finding little bits in wide. That's going to cost him.
00:46Yeah, got it too much into the left,
00:49that high-speed section, and that just then, it was inevitable.
00:53And, well, he'll get to start another lap,
00:56but this lap is definitely not going to be a big improvement.
00:59I don't know if he will start another lap
01:01because he's going to be deploying battery all the time on this one.
01:03He's wide again. Oh, wide and off.
01:05And Liam Lawson finds the grass.
01:07He was in touching distance, but it all fell apart at Turn 9.
01:12By the time that he got to the exit kerb of Turn 10,
01:15the chance had gone, and Lawson will fall at the first hurdle.
01:20Bortoletto winning the Formula 2 Championship last year.
01:23Kimi Antonelli, multiple race winner in that championship last year.
01:28Improves to 10th.
01:29Wasn't happy with his tyre temperature, but improves to 10th.
01:33Let's see what Gasly can do. This is crucial.
01:35Gasly finds a time and gets up to 8th.
01:38That's a great lap when he needed it most.
01:40And now Hajar trying to respond.
01:42Bortoletto is the driver to drop in to the bottom five.
01:45Other improvements coming in, though, from so many other drivers
01:48behind where Hajar has gone up to.
01:51That's nice. Look at Sainz in the Williams, 10th.
01:53Hamilton's, 11th, and not safe just yet either.
01:56Are there going to be improvements?
01:57Dewan is on the brink at the moment.
01:59This would be a great time for a great lap.
02:01And that's what the home favourite has done.
02:03His father looking on, proud of his boy, proud of that effort.
02:08Not just debut pressure, but reserve driver pressure as well.
02:12Alex Albon down to 14th right now.
02:14Bortoletto, the driver, looking for the improvement
02:17to put the pressure on anyone who can't perform.
02:20Albon gets to 7th. He's the first car to take the flag.
02:23As Hamilton goes to 6th place, can Bortoletto, on his Formula 1 debut,
02:28can he find anything?
02:30And can Hülkenberg use all of that speed to unlock the pace when it matters?
02:35Hülkenberg goes over the line, but only to 16th.
02:39So Sauber's hopes rest with the rookie.
02:41The Brazilian driver, Gabriel Bortoletto, to the line,
02:44trying to knock out Antonelli.
02:46And Bortoletto does so!
02:48He goes to 15th position.
02:51And Bortoletto means that it's Antonelli, Hülkenberg, Lawson,
02:56and the Haas pair of Ocon and Oliver Behrmann,
03:00who had a gearbox issue, who fall at the first hurdle.
03:06There's an improvement, sector 1, sector 2, for Stroll.
03:09And then the yellow flag, I believe, is Lewis Hamilton, who's gone around.
03:13Middle part of the lap not ideal for Jack Dewan.
03:17Now coming to the line, there is Lewis Hamilton,
03:20facing the wrong way, coming out of Turn 11.
03:23And that's going to do for Jack Dewan,
03:24who has just passed Hamilton there and was on a really decent lap.
03:28And I don't think Jack's going to be able to improve on this time.
03:32He flies past his teammate, who's back right off it.
03:34Sounds like he's still got his foot in,
03:36but difficult to do that when you've got a car pointing the wrong way.
03:39Dewan goes across the line, giving his all, improves up to 13th.
03:42That tells a tale of what could have been for him.
03:45Still fighting and looking for a way through.
03:47Isaac Hajar, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon.
03:50Hajar in the drop zone at the moment.
03:51The Frenchman trying to climb into the top 10 shootout.
03:54Is this the lap to do so? No!
03:56Misses out by five hundredths of a second.
03:59It was his best lap, but it wasn't enough.
04:01Sainz currently on the bubble.
04:03So it's only now Fernando Alonso who can improve on his time.
04:07He's out there and in the middle sector.
04:09Albon is in 9th, Gasly is looking over his shoulder.
04:12Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly improving in the second sector.
04:16Let's see what he can do across the line.
04:18Alonso only gets to 12th.
04:20Frustrated as he sees the readout on the dash.
04:22There's nothing he can do now.
04:24And Gasly, currently in 10th position,
04:26has done well to progress through there,
04:28has done well to take his place in the top 10 shootout.
04:33This is the moment that brought out the yellow flags.
04:35Lewis Hamilton in 6th and round he went.
04:38He's aggressive on the throttle,
04:40trying to get on the gas.
04:41Short burst up to turn 12.
04:43Washed wide on the entry, running out of space.
04:45Had plenty of steering lock
04:46and I think just too much right foot for Lewis.
04:49And then you had the yellow flags
04:51and I think Jack Dewan was the main driver that lost out there.
04:54He had done a really decent first sector.
04:56He was quicker than Gasly in Q1, but you can't improve.
05:00We're going to go on board with Bortoletto as he went over the kerb.
05:04And massive crusher there.
05:06Full opposite lock rally style and gets away with it.
05:10Five hundredths of a second between Hajar and Q3 on debut,
05:15but he will start in 11th position.
05:18Then Alonso, Stroll, Dewan and Bortoletto with that massive moment.
05:22The 5-4 ahead of the pole position shootout.
05:27Russell has the fastest first sector.
05:29Leclerc has the fastest middle sector.
05:31Verstappen, oh, big moment there.
05:33Coming through into the 14th corner for Oskar Piastri.
05:37And he was all over the road to lose time.
05:39That won't be ideal. What can Lando Norris do?
05:42He's coming through Turn 14 now.
05:44Big opportunity for the two McLarens,
05:46but others are bringing the pressure behind.
05:48Norris, unsurprisingly, goes ahead of Oskar Piastri.
05:52And now we're on board with Charles Leclerc.
05:55Fastest middle sector of anyone so far.
05:57He goes to the top of the tines with a roasting final sector.
06:00Nicely done for Charles Leclerc, but there's more out there to come.
06:03Norris made a mistake as well.
06:05He's lost his lap time because he went off at Turn 4.
06:07So both McLarens pushing so hard, and they're off.
06:10Russell gets to provisional pole position.
06:13The Mercedes man hits the front.
06:15Hamilton will respond.
06:16He's in fourth.
06:18But look at who's going rapidly right now.
06:21Max Verstappen is so quick.
06:24Sector 1, sector 2.
06:26Across the line he comes.
06:28And the reigning world champion's done it by two hundredths of a second.
06:33This is going to be Norris coming through Turn 4.
06:35Clearly over. Way over.
06:40Albert Park roars for Oskar Piastri.
06:44I've never heard a crowd cheer a driver like that out of the final corner
06:48around this racetrack unless they're winning.
06:50This is just qualifying.
06:51Piastri looking for what he couldn't find last time out.
06:55For 14 perfect corners to give himself a chance
06:59of a first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix pole.
07:03And on home soil as well.
07:05It's looking clean. It's looking neat.
07:07It's looking tidy.
07:08But let's look to the stopwatch.
07:09Is it looking quick?
07:10It's enough. He's in the ballpark.
07:12Yeah, he's in the mix and he's very neatly through Turn 6 as well.
07:15Now he's coming down the lakeside drive,
07:17building the speed,
07:19and all focus is going to be on that final sector where McLaren are good.
07:22Look at Norris.
07:23Even quicker than Piastri through the first sector of the racetrack.
07:26Throw it into 9 and 10.
07:29Amazing speed and direction change.
07:31And nowhere near the exit curve.
07:33He's going for efficiency.
07:34Can he keep the tyres in?
07:36Will he have the grip?
07:38Norris is up by three hundredths of a second.
07:41Rotating through Turn 11 goes Piastri.
07:43Just a couple of corners to go.
07:45Can he find a clean route through this time?
07:47The home favourite looking to bring the crowd to their feet.
07:52There's never been an Australian driver on pole position
07:55for the Australian Grand Prix.
07:57Can he change all of that?
07:58He can!
08:00With a monster final sector.
08:02Over to you, Lando Norris.
08:04Over to you, Max Verstappen and George Russell.
08:07Can Norris take it away?
08:08He does!
08:10By eight hundredths of a second.
08:12Big pressure lap when it counted.
08:14And now Verstappen has to find a response.
08:18Two corners to go.
08:20The reigning world champion trying to break the hearts of those dressed in papaya.
08:25Norris ahead of Piastri.
08:27Third place for Russell.
08:28Does Verstappen have a reply?
08:31No!
08:32It's a personal best in the final sector.
08:34But only third position.
08:36Can Hamilton get on terms with his teammate who's still in the pit lane?
08:40Leclerc is not going to be the second Ferrari on the grid.
08:44Lewis Hamilton can't get past Charles Leclerc.
08:47Who's going to win?
08:48The battle of the two Williams cars now.
08:51Sainz gets ahead of Albon.
08:52But Albon is a few meters back.
08:55This battle between the two of them.
08:58What's it going to give us?
08:59Albon to fifth.
09:00What a fantastic lap at the last from the Thai driver
09:04who out-qualifies his new teammate.
09:07It's Lando Norris who takes the opening pole of the year.
09:11Then it's Oskar Piastri, Max Verstappen, George Russell
09:15and Yuki Tsunoda puts a racing bull fifth on the grid.
09:19OK, that is all.
09:22Not a bad way to start the year.
09:24Well done everyone.
09:25Unbelievable car.
09:26Amazing work all winter.
09:28Thank you so much.
09:29Let's keep it up, baby.
09:31He was on the back foot after run one.
09:33Needed a fast lap.
09:35He's beaten his teammate by less than a tenth of a second.
09:38And it's an all-papaya front row to start the year.
09:42The World Championship team on top.
09:49World Championship