Australian GP: George Russell first poleman, Isack Hadjar 3rd!

The rumor had been brewing, and now it's confirmed by the facts: the best car The current model is the W17. Mercedes Benz. The F1 Brackley was magnified by George Russell, who secured his 8th pole position, allowing him to equal the record of fellow world champions Jenson Button and John Surtees. A sign of things to come? Before drawing hasty conclusions, it's essential to highlight the margin by which George Russell dominated the chasing pack. He was already the fastest in Q1 (+0,157 s on Piastres), No. 63 increased the pace in Q2, relegating Charles Leclerc at 0,423 s.

In the final part of qualifying, George Russell continued his dominance, setting an untouchable time of 1:18.518. For Mercedes, it was a perfect day: Kimi Antonelli joined his teammate on the front row, despite the Italian not being certain of participating in Q1 after his crash in Free Practice 3, which destroyed his car. It was ultimately repaired at the last minute, allowing the Bologna native to progress through the session to second place on the grid.

Hajar shines, Verstappen crashes into the wall

The reason the mechanics at Brackley had time to refine their repairs within the allotted time was that Q1 was red-flagged following an off-track excursion… Max VerstappenThe Dutchman, unaccustomed to this kind of incident, lost control of his Red Bull At the first corner, the rear of the car broke loose, and it's still unclear whether this was due to driver error or a mechanical problem. After going through the gravel trap, the four-time world champion crashed into the TecPro cars and climbed out holding his right hand, but escaped serious injury.

MAX VERSTAPPEN’S CRASH IN Q1 😱😱#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/dIj9n6fgd5

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) March 7, 2026

His absence during the remainder of qualifying placed the burden of Red Bull's expectations on his teammate Isack Hadjar, the Austrian team's sole representative in Q3. The Frenchman had a very successful session, climbing to 3rd place and perhaps glimpsing the hope of a second Formula 1 podium on Sunday morning. However, he will not be the only contender, as the Classic Ferrari for sale and McLaren are also lying in wait. From Charles Leclerc, 4th, to Lewis Hamilton, 7th, via Oscar Piastri (5th) and Lando Norris (6th), there's only one tenth of a second difference! Enough to guarantee some great battles during the Grand Prix.

Audi and Racing Bulls celebrate, Alpine far from the mark

On the positive side, Arvid Lindblad shone in his first Formula 1 qualifying session, reaching Q3 alongside his teammate Liam Lawson. The two Racing Bulls drivers finished ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto, who qualified his Audi for Q3 but was unable to participate in the final qualifying segment after suffering a mechanical failure at the end of Q2, just before entering the pit lane.

Reliability was also lacking in Williamswho was unable to roll Carlos Sainz, victim of an engine problem in EL3, and to Aston Martinat whose home Lance stroll will not have covered a single lap of the day. Fernando Alonso He managed to drive, but was eliminated in Q1 along with Stroll, Sainz and Verstappen, who were denied a time, and the two Cadillacs, logically a step behind the competition.

The disappointment also stems from the performances ofAlpine, with Pierre Gasly Only 14th, two places ahead of Franco Colapinto. The French drivers expected better, but they seem more confident in their race pace than in their flying lap speed. There was also no Q3 for Esteban Ocon, 13th, will start behind his teammate Oliver Bearman, 12th, and ahead of his former teammate Pierre Gasly. Points are an achievable goal for our French drivers.

Join us on Sunday at 5 a.m. to follow the Grand Prix live with text commentary on AUTOhebdo.fr.

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