McLaren completed with a formidable one-two within the first qualifying occasion of the 2025 on the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday.
Lando Norris will begin Sunday’s opening race of the brand new season on pole with teammate Oscar Piastri ending in second after qualifying.
The McLaren pair dominated the latter phases of qualifying to outdo the early pacesetter, Max Verstappen. The Crimson Bull driver ended up ending the closest to the front-row however nonetheless 0.301 seconds behind Piastri.
Mercedes’ George Russell completed fourth and rounds off the second row on the grid.
“It’s the proper technique to begin the yr,” Norris after qualifying, earlier than praising the efforts of the whole McLaren staff.
“The automobile is extraordinarily fast and whenever you put it collectively it’s unbelievable, it’s simply troublesome to place it collectively.”
Norris remained coy about his possibilities of topping the rostrum in Sunday’s race and famous Crimson Bull and Verstappen’s velocity in what may very well be a rain-impacted affair.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton – racing for the primary time since becoming a member of Ferrari – completed eighth.
Hamilton completed 0.877 seconds behind Norris however stated he had felt good following Saturday’s qualifying.
“I had a very good time on the market,” Hamilton . “It’s been loads of work to actually adapt to this automobile, it’s a lot completely different right here to what I’ve skilled prior to now.”
The 40-year-old driver additionally added that there’s “quite a bit to dissect” following qualifying.
Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc completed one place forward of Hamilton and can begin Sunday’s race in seventh.
The 2025 F1 season begins in Australia for the primary time since 2019 and can conclude in Abu Dhabi in December.
The schedule stays at 24 races – probably the most ever in a single F1 season – with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix pushed again within the calendar throughout Ramadan.
With modifications aplenty on the grid forward of the season, drivers will probably be trying to supplant Verstappen as he goals for a fifth successive title.
CNN’s Ben Morse contributed to reporting.
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