On Saturday, March 15, 2025, Lando Norris made history at the Australian Grand Prix by securing the first pole position of the season for McLaren, marking the tenth of his Formula 1 career. Norris cruised to victory against his fellow teammate, Oscar Piastri, who finished just 0.084 seconds behind, creating a remarkable 1-2 finish for the McLaren team at the Albert Park circuit.
The qualifying session unveiled the promising potential of McLaren's MCL39 car, as Norris's time of 1:15.096 showed significant speed—almost eight-tenths faster than last year’s pole time. Following Norris was reigning world champion Max Verstappen from Red Bull, who crossed the line nearly four-tenths behind, demonstrating the sheer pace and efficiency of the McLaren team as they kicked off the season.
“It’s fantastic to start the season like this,” Norris said, relishing the victory. “We’ve been working hard during the off-season, and it feels rewarding to see it paying off already.” The top grid places were rounded off by George Russell from Mercedes (4th) and Yuki Tsunoda from Racing Bulls (5th), who both showcased excellent pace throughout the session.
Disappointment was on the horizon for Ferrari, as they found themselves placed on the fourth row—Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified 7th and 8th respectively, trailing behind competitors such as Alex Albon (6th) and Pierre Gasly (9th). Ferrari's performance fell short of their high expectations for the season and raised questions about their competitive position against McLaren.
The qualifying stages unfolded under dry conditions, but predictions for the race indicated potentially wet weather, prompting the FIA to discuss possible adjustments to the race start times for the following day. The team initiated conversations to adapt the schedule, either moving it forward or backward, concerns primarily arising from losing track visibility as daylight faded.
Beyond scheduling, safety discussions prompted another adjustment—the safety car's protocol was revisited, especially concerning tire management during wet conditions. Drivers expressed worries about tire cooling and grip loss should the safety car fail to maintain adequate speed. A solution under consideration involved early laps behind the safety car to stabilize tire temperatures before transitioning to standard racing conditions.
Notably, the qualifying rounds revealed some serious struggles for others on the grid. Liam Lawson and Kimi Antonelli were eliminated early in Q1, facing challenges with their vehicles. Lawson’s performance was particularly lackluster as he battled difficulties throughout the session. Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman faced technical malfunctions with his Haas, ending his qualifying without setting any times at all.
The grid for the Australian Grand Prix is as follows:
With the race approaching on March 16 at 5 AM, all eyes will be on whether Norris and Piastri can maintain their favorable positions amid the unpredictability of the weather, and whether Ferrari can rebound from their challenging qualifying round.