Lando Norris takes pole at Australian GP, McLaren challenges Red Bull

Photo : AFP

Lando Norris won the first position in the Australian Grand Prix race start. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished in second place, making it a strong day for McLaren. The race took place in Melbourne at Albert Park. The weather was very hot, and drivers had to work hard to keep control of their cars.

World champion Max Verstappen finished third. George Russell from Mercedes will start next to him in the second row. Lewis Hamilton, who is driving for Ferrari for the first time, could only finish in eighth place.

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Norris was very happy with his performance. He said the team did a great job. He also said that the car is very fast but difficult to control sometimes. He hopes to do well in the race, but he is careful not to be too confident.

The weather for Sunday’s race may be different. It could be cooler, and there might be rain, which could make the race more difficult. Norris finished with the fastest lap time of 1 minute and 15.096 seconds. Piastri was only 0.084 seconds behind him. Piastri said he was happy but felt he could have done a little better.

No Australian driver has won their home Grand Prix since 1980. Piastri now has a big chance to make history.

Verstappen, who started first in the last two Australian Grand Prix races, was three-tenths of a second behind Norris. His new teammate, Liam Lawson, had a tough day and was knocked out in the first round of qualifying. Mercedes’ young driver, Kimi Antonelli, also faced problems after his car was damaged by gravel on the track.

Verstappen said he was happy with third place, especially since practice was not easy for him. He is hoping to win the race and start his journey to a fifth world title. If he does, he will match the record of Michael Schumacher, one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history.

Yuki Tsunoda from RB surprised many people by finishing fifth. Alex Albon from Williams will start next to him. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Hamilton finished seventh and eighth. Pierre Gasly from Alpine and Carlos Sainz from Williams finished in ninth and tenth place.

Last year, Ferrari had a great race in Melbourne, finishing first and second. But this time, they are struggling. Hamilton said he is still learning about his new car and hopes to improve.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll from Aston Martin did not do well and could not pass the second round of qualifying. Gabriel Bortoleto from Sauber, Isack Hadjar from RB, and Jack Doohan from Alpine also did not qualify for the final round.

Haas driver Ollie Bearman had a terrible weekend. On Friday, he crashed in practice. On Saturday, his car went into the gravel again, and in qualifying, his gearbox broke before he could set a lap time. He was one of the drivers who got eliminated in the first round, along with Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Antonelli, and Lawson.

Now, the drivers are getting ready for Sunday’s race. McLaren has shown great speed, but Red Bull and other teams will try their best to win. With the weather possibly changing, anything can happen in the race.

March 15, 2025 4:17 p.m. 402

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