Verstappen will start from pole in Australia, followed by Carlos Sainz and Sergio Pérez

2024-03-23 06:58:02

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Max Verstappen left no room for surprise on Saturday in Melbourne and took first position on the starting grid for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. What is not so common is that Lewis Hamilton, who started from pole at Albert Park eight times, did not advance to the final round of the qualifying session.

Verstappen, winner of the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, will be accompanied on the front row of the long grid by Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who was returning to compete after an appendicitis operation.

His teammate at Red Bull, the Mexican Sergio Pérez, who has accumulated two second places this year, will start third.

“It’s been a bit unexpected but I’m very happy,” said Verstappen. “It’s been a bit of a complicated weekend so far. (Ferrari) seems very fast, so tomorrow will be an unknown.”

The biggest surprise in qualifying came from Hamilton’s Mercedes, which could not make it past the second round in the session.

Sainz, whose contract with Ferrari ends at the end of the season, went from being in a hospital bed before the race in Saudi Arabia to the front row in Australia.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks, so I’m very happy to get to this weekend,” said the Spanish driver. “I was a little rusty at the start, but I picked up speed and felt good in the car.”

“I’m not going to lie, I’m not too comfortable (…) but I can do it,” he said about his recovery after the procedure. “Obviously, (there is) a lot of discomfort and strange sensations, but there is no pain.”

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