Verstappen continues pole perfection in Australia

MELBOURNE – Red Bull’s Formula One world champion Max Verstappen took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix yesterday with Carlos Sainz qualifying alongside on the front row for Ferrari two weeks after undergoing surgery for appendicitis.

Verstappen’s team mate Sergio Perez qualified third but will start sixth after stewards imposed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg in the first session of qualifying.

That promoted both McLaren drivers, with Lando Norris to start third and Oscar Piastri fifth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen had bemoaned handling problems through practice but put together a sizzling lap of one minute, 15.915 seconds on a glorious afternoon at Albert Park to be 0.27 seconds clear of Sainz.

It was the irrepressible Dutchman’s third pole for the Formula One season and fourth in succession.

TRIPLE WORLD CHAMPION

“It was a bit unexpected today in qualifying, but very happy with Q3,” said the triple world champion, who won the race last year after his maiden pole at Albert Park.

“It was a bit of a tricky weekend so far but we managed to be there at the end, so very happy with that.

“(Ferrari) seem very quick, also in the long runs. So a bit of a question mark tomorrow but that makes it exciting.”

Sainz, who missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix while recovering from surgery, said he was happy with Ferrari’s pace and to be challenging the Red Bulls.

“To make it to this weekend and then obviously to put it on the front row after leading through qualifying, I was almost not believing it, especially after how tough it’s been,” he added.

It was a tough afternoon for Mercedes, with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton suffering his worst qualifying at Albert Park in over a decade.