George Russell secured pole position for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes front-row lockout with teammate Kimi Antonelli, as Max Verstappen crashed out in qualifying and will start last.
Russell and Antonelli dominated the session, with Russell's pole time nearly eight-tenths of a second faster than third-placed Isack Hadjar of Red Bull. Verstappen, the four-time world champion, failed to set a timed lap after locking his rear axle under braking, leaving him perplexed by the incident.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified fifth and sixth respectively, both over eight-tenths off the pace, with Norris's final run compromised after running over a cooling fan that had fallen off Antonelli's car. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took fourth, while Lewis Hamilton was seventh.
The new regulations, featuring a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical energy, drew criticism from drivers including Norris, Verstappen, and Hamilton, who described the cars as difficult to drive. Russell and Antonelli were more measured in their comments.
Cadillac, making their F1 debut, qualified 18th and 19th with Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas, while Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto impressed with 10th place.
