Formula 1 Teams Clash in Exciting Open Qualifying

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The first qualifying session of the new Formula 1 season is in the books. In Melbourne, all 11 teams and their drivers hit the track for the first time, fighting to lock in the fastest lap and the best possible starting spot for Sunday. All of them? Almost. Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz failed to set a time, while George Russell stormed to pole position.

Loser of the day? Four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

But even Ferrari fails to impress in the end. In the first free practice, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton set the fastest times, and in the second session, the Monegasque still ranked among the top five. In qualifying? A picture strangely reminiscent of 2025. Only P4 and P7 for the team that seemed it could be one of the best in 2026.

Isack Hadjar Shocks the Grid — Max Verstappen Suffers Qualifying Disaster

An unusual sight for Red Bull. Max Verstappen didn’t head out in Q1 until more than ten minutes had passed — only to crash out moments later. At the very start of his flying lap, he lost control in Turn 1 and slammed into the barriers. His qualifying session was over on the spot, and the session was immediately red-flagged.

Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher said: “The rear axle locked under downshifting. Too much engine braking.” Moments later, Max Verstappen’s team radio was played — and the Red Bull driver appeared to back up Schumacher’s assessment himself: “The rear just locked. Fantastic.”

That left Isack Hadjar as Red Bull’s sole hope. Typically, second drivers at Red Bull struggle to get on top of the car, especially at the start of a new season, so the usual outcome was expected. But Hadjar defied expectations, delivering a stunning performance in Q3 to secure third place, right behind the Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

The result for the new Cadillac team was as expected: Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas lagged more than three seconds off the pace and were eliminated in Q1, just like Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll, who didn’t run at all.

Mercedes Dominates — Ferrari’s Grid Position Raises Questions

Already on Friday, it became clear that Mercedes could be one of the biggest contenders and favorites this year — a fact even Charles Leclerc noticed. “I think Mercedes is slowly showing a bit more of what they have, and in FP2 we are starting to see where we are lacking compared to them,” the Monegasque said. “They are clearly very strong, especially in terms of race pace. I don’t know how much margin they still have on qualifying pace, but in race pace they seem very strong compared to us.”

Qualifying confirmed that impression. Despite a somewhat chaotic day for second-year driver Kimi Antonelli — who, in the third free practice, took one kerb too many in Turn 2, lost the rear of his car, crashed into the wall, and later even lost a radiator on track — he still managed to claim P2, right behind teammate George Russell. Once again, the meme made the rounds: “Does nothing — WDC.”

The complete opposite of that standout performance? The two Ferraris. While Leclerc manages to secure a spot in the second row, Hamilton can only manage seventh place.

When asked if he was happy with P4, Leclerc replied: “No, I’m not. (…) I was expecting half a second. I didn’t expect to be on pole at all. Instead of half a second, it’s eight tenths (…) I don’t think anyone expected that.”

“They surprised the entire paddock,” the 28-year-old added.

In the race, it will become clear whether Ferrari might hold an advantage over Mercedes over the long distance. But for that to matter, the Italian team’s strategy will also have to be spot on.

Here’s the starting grid for the Formula 1 race in Melbourne:

1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
3. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
9. Arvid Lindblad (Rennbullen)
10. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
11. Nico Hülkenberg (Audi)
12. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
13. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
15. Alexander Albon (Williams)
16. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
18. Sergio Pérez (Cadillac)
19. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
20. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
21. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

Fabienne Lampe Fabienne Lampe is a German sports journalist, covering the NFL, College Football, NBA, and Formula 1 for Heavy Sports. Lampe has years of experience covering the NFL, especially the Atlanta Falcons as their sole German reporter. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in the NFL, including Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. Lampe also hosts a Formula 1 podcast and works as a play-by-play announcer. More about Fabienne Lampe