WELCOME TO MELBOURNE! Hello, and welcome to Eurosport’s LIVE coverage of qualifying from the Australian Grand Prix! For the first time since 2019, the Formula 1 bandwagon has rolled into Albert Park, but can Ferrari continue their excellent start to the season in Melbourne, or will Red Bull have something to say in the fight for pole position? We’ll have every moment of the action covered.
Formula 1 | Australian Grand Prix
Albert Park | 09.04.2022
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Completed
Qualifying
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Live
Live Updates
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Updated 09/04/2022 at 07:34 GMT
- All
- Highlights
08:34
LECLERC TAKES POLE POSITION!
What a performance again from Charles Leclerc!
It looked like Max Verstappen would take pole position, but instead it is the flying Ferrari who takes his second pole position of the season by +0.286s.
The noise of the crowd suggests they enjoyed that one!
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Image credit: Getty Images
08:31
MERCEDES SET THEIR TIMES
Lewis Hamilton records a 1:19:046, quick enough for fifth. He’s quickly surpassed by George Russell, however, who moves fourth.
Less than two minutes left now...
08:29
SO CLOSE FOR PEREZ
The Red Bull’s latest flying lap is +0.001s adrift of Charles Leclerc’s leading time!
A sport of milliseconds, quite literally.
08:25
LET’S GO AGAIN
A seven-minute fight for pole position. Ferrari, Red Bull, another - who will come out on top?
08:24
MORE SUN-RELATED ISSUES
Bad news for the drivers…
The sun is hanging pretty low as Q3 nears its conclusion. That could cause any manner of problems for those preparing to return to the track.
08:21
ALONSO CRASHES OUT
A closer look at Fernando Alonso's session-ending confrontation with the barrier.
After a blistering middle sector, he will be very disappointed indeed.
08:18
THE RACE FOR POLE INTENSIFIES
Things couldn’t be any closer, could they?
As it stands with 06:58 of the session remaining, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc leads the way with a time of 1:18.239. Sergio Perez is +0.159s adrift of him, with Max Verstappen a further thousandth of a second back.
08:13
ANOTHER RED FLAG
And another hefty shunt for Fernando Alonso, who goes in too deep on the brakes and sends his Alpine skidding through the gravel and into the tyre barrier towards the back-end of his flying lap.
His time looked good enough to challenge the current top three, but alas it isn’t to be.
He is out of his car quickly, thankfully.
08:10
RED BULL SET THE PACE
Max Verstappen is first to set a time, but a slight error towards the end of his lap ruins what could have potentially been a VERY good time.
Sergio Perez, next over the line, betters his team-mate's time by one thousandth of a second.
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Image credit: Getty Images
08:08
TIME FOR Q3
Right then, who's ready for a top-10 shoot-out?
We go again at Albert Park, led out by the Ferrari and Red Bull cars.
08:07
TROUBLES WITH THE SUN
Plenty of drivers complaining over team radio about being blinded by the sun.
Less-than-ideal for those through to Q3, as Charles Leclerc asks his team to supply the “darkest visor they have”.
08:05
PEREZ TOPS THE PILE
The Red Bull of Sergio Perez tops the timing charts yet again; not bad going for a man who has only reached Q3 in Melbourne once before in his career.
However, it is worth noting that the Mexican is under investigation for speeding under a yellow flag during Q2.
08:01
END OF Q2
Lewis Hamilton makes it through in his Mercedes, but the same can’t be said for former team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
The 32-year-old exits qualifying alongside fellow Alfa Romeo driver Guanyu Zhou, AlphaTauri duo Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda and Haas’ Mick Schumacher, who finishes 15th.
07:58
TROUBLE FOR BOTTAS
Valtteri Bottas has reached Q3 in 103 consecutive races - but his latest flying lap is only good enough for P12.
Could the flying Finn’s streak be about to end?
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Image credit: Getty Images
07:55
FIVE MINUTES TO GO
The calm before the storm, maybe?
With time running out in Q2, Sergio Perez sits in the cockpit of his car in the Red Bull garage and casts his eye over the on-track action.
07:53
HAMILTON ISN’T HAPPY
“The Red Bull was in the way!”, argues Lewis Hamilton over team radio.
On a flying lap, the seven-time world champion was potentially slowed by long-time rival Max Verstappen, who doesn’t seem best pleased with his own actions over team radio.
One to keep an eye on…
07:51
ALONSO FLYING HIGH
Alpine have already shown their pace in free practice this weekend, and now Fernando Alonso puts himself into provisional P2 with a time of 1:18.815, just over two-tenths behind Max Verstappen.
Impressive stuff from the experienced Spaniard.
07:45
OFF WE GO AGAIN
The cars take to the track for Q2, led out of the pit lane by defending world champion Max Verstappen, who was quickest in the opening part of qualifying.
There's still a long way to go, and plenty more scripts to be written in Melbourne, however.
07:43
STEWARDS INVESTIGATION
Unsurprisingly, that hefty collision between Nicholas Latifi and Lance Stroll will be investigated by the stewards. You’d expect nothing less really.
Latifi has already spoken out on the incident…
07:40
BAD NEWS FOR WILLIAMS (AND ALBON)
Having already seen Nicholas Latifi crash out, things just get worse for Williams.
Alex Albon, eliminated in Q1, is asked over team radio to park his car by the side of the track. He isn't making it back to the pits but does manage to get his car pushed to safety.
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Image credit: Getty Images