Overview
- George Russell set a 1:18.518 to secure pole by 0.293s over teammate Kimi Antonelli, delivering Mercedes’ 83rd front‑row lockout and first Melbourne pole since 2019.
- Stewards fined Mercedes €7,500 after Antonelli’s hastily repaired car was released with cooling fans attached that fell on track, triggering a red flag when Lando Norris hit the debris.
- Red Bull debutant Isack Hadjar qualified third, while teammate Max Verstappen will start 20th after a Turn 1 crash on his first flying lap.
- New entrants and strugglers marked the session as both Cadillac cars exited in Q1, Fernando Alonso qualified 17th with Lance Stroll sidelined, and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto stalled before Q3.
- In the U.S. media shift, Apple TV is confirmed as Formula 1’s exclusive broadcaster through 2032 with F1 TV content bundled.