2024-03-23 06:01:00
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Sainz will accompany him on the front row, Leclerc qualifies 5th
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The three free practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix confirmed several things before qualifying: the gaps will be very small in the three parts of qualifying, the Melbourne circuit is always tricky when the drivers are at the limit, and the Medium tires perform very well on this track.
After a better time from Lando Norris in FP1, it was Charles Leclerc who dominated FP2 and FP3. In all three sessions, it was Max Verstappen who finished second, and we already know that he and his rival from Ferrari will be candidates for pole position.
It appears that Sergio Pérez, Carlos Sainz and Mercedes F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will also have a say in playing the front rows of the grid. The level of McLaren F1 and Aston Martin remains to be confirmed, but the two teams could also measure themselves against their rivals, as the gaps are so tight.
Places will obviously be expensive in Q1 and Q2, but it is obviously in Q3 that everything will be decided, and that every detail can make the difference between a place on the first two rows, and a time which would qualify in the middle of the grid.
Note that Sainz was under investigation for not having respected the start test protocols after FP3, but the Ferrari driver received a simple reprimand for doing his start test without having crossed the start/finish line. A decision “consistent” with the precedents according to the race direction.
Q1 – 18 minutes
Albon was the first to go on the track, and complained about the leaves that were on the asphalt. Leclerc asked for a darker visor for when he returned to the pits. Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg were the first to complete a time, beaten by Verstappen in 1’17″478.
Pérez slotted in second while Verstappen complained of understeer on his fast lap. Valtteri Bottas positioned himself half a second behind the Dutchman, while the Alpine drivers were provisionally one second behind.
Sainz set a time of 1’17″289, immediately beaten by Leclerc in 1’17″244. Norris and Oscar Piastri then placed fifth and sixth. Esteban Ocon brushed against the wall in the last corner, which caused a minor puncture.
Russell was only 14th and Hamilton set the fifth fastest time. Bottas moved up to 11th and Norris set the third time, 0.186 behind Leclerc, before Piastri overtook him 0.125 behind the Ferrari driver’s best time.
Fernando Alonso then took the best time in 1’16″991, and Verstappen placed second, 0″238 behind the Spaniard. Pérez also improved and was placed fourth between the two Ferrari drivers. Sainz then beat Alonso’s time in 1’16″731. Leclerc placed second, 0″253 behind Sainz.
Russell progressed with the ninth time, beaten by Hamilton by 23 thousandths of a second. This placed them behind Lance Stroll, temporarily making them the fifth force on the board. Gasly progressed to 14th position, and Ocon did not do better than 19th and last after missing his second sector.
Pérez moved up to second, and Albon progressed to fifth! Verstappen took third fastest time, less than a tenth from Leclerc. Gasly was placed under investigation for not respecting the pit exit line.
Hülkenberg improved, pushing Gasly back into the elimination zone. Ricciardo moved up to tenth and Bottas to 13th. Stroll was placed eighth and Hamilton only 11th. Zhou did not do better than 18th. Tsunoda moved up to seventh and Ocon to 15th! Russell moved up to sixth. Ricciardo’s time was overturned, sending him back to 18th.
Those eliminated were Hülkenberg, Gasly, Ricciardo and Zhou.
Q2 – 15 minutes
The 15 drivers remaining in this qualification took to the track quickly, and it was Sainz who set a reference time for this second part, in 1’16″671. Ocon placed second, more than two seconds behind, and Verstappen took the lead in 1’16″387. Leclerc placed third and Albon fourth.
Stroll and Alonso did two preparation laps, and Norris set a good fourth time. Hamilton placed sixth, while Piastri, with the record in the first sector, moved into second position two tenths behind Verstappen.
Russell took seventh fastest time ahead of Hamilton, and Stroll and Alonso moved into the top 10, following a logical hierarchy. Magnussen improved to 13th, while Ocon resumed a fast lap.
Sainz progressed and took the best time in 1’16″189. Pérez improved in his first sector but not in the second and moved up to fourth. Leclerc also progressed with the third time, 0″380 behind his teammate. Ocon improved but this did not place him better than his provisional 15th place.
Alonso set the seventh fastest time, ahead of the Mercedes drivers, while Stroll improved but remained tenth. Albon, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Bottas and Ocon, who were provisionally eliminated, would have to fight to try to enter the top 10.
Hamilton was making clear progress but made a small mistake in the penultimate corner and remained ninth. Magnussen finished 12th behind Albon, who was not on the track. Bottas also moved up to 12th, while Alonso took sixth.
Ocon remained 15th, while Tsunoda took eighth fastest, which temporarily eliminated Stroll. But the Aston Martin driver improved, and it was Hamilton who paid the price by being eliminated by 59 thousandths of a second.
Those eliminated were Hamilton, Albon, Bottas, Magnussen and Ocon.
Q3 – 12 minutes
Once again, Sainz was the first to attack the clock, setting a time of 1’16″331. Russell placed second, 0″544 behind the Spaniard’s Ferrari. Leclerc did less well than his teammate and placed himself 0″104 behind the other Ferrari.
Piastri then set a time of 1’16″867, and Tsunoda was one second behind Sainz. Verstappen took the best in 1’16″048, and Norris finished in 1’16″597 in fourth place, beaten by Pérez, fourth. The Aston Martin drivers were not on track, Stroll having only one set of tires, while Alonso made a mistake and went out in the gravel.
Stroll took to the track alone, launching his fast lap 4 minutes from the checkered flag of this third part of qualifying. The Canadian driver placed eighth, ahead of Tsunoda, more than a second behind Verstappen’s time, including a big mistake at turn 10.
Verstappen beat the absolute best first sector, but Sainz did even better than the Dutchman. At the end of the second sector, the Red Bull driver was clearly ahead. Verstappen improved to 1’15″915, and Sainz finished in 1’16″185. Piastri progressed with the fifth time.
Norris beat his teammate in 1’16″3, and Russell did no better than his seventh place. Leclerc aborted his fast lap, Tsunoda placed eighth and Alonso set a tenth time. A very good performance for the Japanese from RB F1, eighth.
Verstappen therefore takes pole position ahead of Sainz, then Pérez and Norris. Leclerc and Piastri will be on the third row in front of Russell and Tsunoda, then the Aston Martins of Stroll and Alonso.
Pos.PiloteVoitureTemps Q1Temps Q2Temps Q3
01
Max Verstappen
Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20
1:16.819
1:16.387
1:15.915
02
Carlos Sainz
Ferrari SF-24
1:16.731
1:16.189
1:16.185
03
Sergio Pérez
Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20
1:16.805
1:16.631
1:16.274
04
Lando Norris
McLaren Mercedes MCL38
1:17.430
1:16.750
1:16.315
05
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari SF-24
1:16.984
1:16.304
1:16.435
06
Oscar Piastri
McLaren Mercedes MCL38
1:17.369
1:16.601
1:16.572
07
George Russell
Mercedes W15
1:17.062
1:16.901
1:16.724
08
Yuki Tsunoda
RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01
1:17.356
1:16.791
1:16.788
09
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24
1:17.376
1:16.780
1:17.072
10
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24
1:16.991
1:16.710
1:17.552
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11
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes W15
1:17.499
1:16.960
12
Alex Albon
Williams Mercedes FW46
1:17.130
1:17.167
13
Valtteri Bottas
Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44
1:17.543
1:17.340
14
Kevin Magnussen
Haas Ferrari VF-24
1:17.709
1:17.427
15
Esteban Ocon
Alpine Renault A524
1:17.617
1:17.697
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16
Nico Hülkenberg
Haas Ferrari VF-24
1:17.976
17
Pierre Gasly
Alpine Renault A524
1:17.982
18
Daniel Ricciardo
RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01
1:18.085
19
Guanyu Zhou
Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44
1:18.188
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