George Russell storms to Australian GP pole after Max Verstappen crashes | EUROtoday

George Russell threw down the gauntlet in ultimate observe earlier than qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, going six tenths faster than anybody else. But a spectacular crash involving his team-mate Kimi Antonelli made it a bittersweet session for Mercedes.

Antonelli seems set to overlook qualifying solely after he misplaced management at flip two with simply over 10 minutes of FP3 remaining, spinning backwards into the obstacles and sending particles and wheels flying. Fortunately, the Italian teenager emerged from the shunt unharmed nevertheless it was not the begin to the weekend he would have needed after a topsy-turvy rookie season.

When the session resumed, with 4 minutes remaining, Russell instantly went eight tenths faster than the subsequent quickest automobile, drawing gasps from the followers at Albert Park. “That’s a mighty lap from George Russell,” agreed Martin Brundle on Sky Sports F1. “They [Mercedes] have been sandbagging!”

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton additionally went for a flying lap on the finish, and whereas he managed to go second quickest, he was a full six tenths slower than Russell regardless of being on a model new tender tyres. Russell’s effort got here on the identical tyres he had been utilizing when Antonelli crashed.

Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc was third quickest, forward of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen. World champion Lando Norris was eighth, a full 1.390sec slower than Russell.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll didn’t make it out of the pits resulting from one more Honda energy unit associated problem.

Earlier, in a weird chain of occasions, the FIA introduced that it was axing the “straight line mode” activation zone between Turns 8 and 9 at Albert Park following considerations raised within the drivers’ briefing on Friday night, solely to reinstate it hours later following important push-back from groups.