Lando Norris took pole position for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after he edged out McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Norris saw off Piastri’s challenge by just 0.084 seconds as McLaren secured an impressive front-row lockout in Melbourne.
World champion Max Verstappen finished a distant third with Mercedes’ George Russell fourth. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda took a surprise fifth, one place ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon.
It was a disappointing afternoon for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc only seventh, one place ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who will line up from eighth position for his Ferrari debut. Hamilton was 0.877 sec adrift of Norris.
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Following on from their constructors’ championship triumph last season, and a strong preseason test in Bahrain last month, McLaren had been considered by their rivals as the team to beat. And the British team delivered with an ominous showing.
Norris’s first lap in the crucial Q3 session was deleted for exceeding track limits while Piastri was only fourth in the order after he ran wide at the final corner.
A scrappy start for the McLaren duo left Verstappen holding the advantage at the top of the pile before the final runs.
But Piastri bounced back first to take provisional top spot, to the delight of the home crowd, only for Norris to bump him down to second. Norris finished almost four tenths clear of Verstappen.
“Not a bad way to start the year,” said Norris over the radio. “Amazing work all winter, let’s keep it up.”
Later, he added: “As much as we want to dominate, and have a result like we just had, it was not our expectation to have that gap to the others.
“We know we have a good car. Everyone has done an incredible job to improve in as many areas as possible. We are going in with one target tomorrow, which is to be at the top, and have two cars at the top.”
Rain is forecast for Sunday’s race, and Norris added: “It will not be easy. We did some wet running here a couple of years ago and it tests you. I am excited, nervous at the same time, but we know we have a good car and we have to keep our heads down.”
Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari has been the major talking point ahead of the new campaign as the 40-year-old British driver targets a record eighth title.
Hamilton spun on the exit of Turn 11 in the concluding moments of Q2 to leave him facing the wrong way. He escaped the drama without damage and was able to make it back to his garage before returning for the final phase.
But Hamilton has not been able to match Leclerc’s speed all weekend and finished more than two tenths behind the Monegasque with Ferrari failing to impress.
Kimi Antonelli’s maiden qualifying session as an F1 driver ended at the first hurdle after he failed to progress into Q2.
The 18-year-old Italian looked on the edge throughout and his best effort was eclipsed by fellow rookie Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber to leave him 16th.
He will start two places clear of Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, who ran off the track on multiple occasions on a scrappy afternoon for the New Zealander.
Ollie Bearman will start last following a poor weekend for the British teenager.
Bearman, 19, crashed of out of first practice, leaving him unable to take part in the day’s second running. He then beached his Haas in the gravel on his first lap in practice on Saturday. Bearman attempted to qualify but complained his car was broken and did not set a time.
