)
Hamilton, who will start ahead of Alonso on second row, seemed to take a subtle dig at the Spaniard, saying he hoped to have a first corner similar to the one he had in 2007 on his debut.
Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, outpacing the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling qualifying session.
Verstappen's lap was 0.236 seconds quicker than Russell's, while Hamilton was a further 0.136 seconds back in third.
Fernando Alonso secured the fourth spot on the grid in his Aston Martin, followed by Carlos Sainz Jr in his Ferrari.
The second Red Bull car driven by Sergio Perez crashed on his first lap during qualifying, forcing him to start the race from the back of the grid.
This was a huge disappointment for Perez, who was just one point behind his teammate Verstappen in the championship standings, and had expressed confidence in Red Bull's backing to challenge his teammate.
Lance Stroll secured fifth place on the grid in his Aston Martin, followed by Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari, and the impressive Williams car driven by Alex Albon.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Haas' Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.
Mercedes' performance in qualifying was a surprise, with Russell securing second place ahead of Hamilton.
"We weren't expecting that, for sure," said Russell. "Wow. What a session for us. The car felt alive. The lap was right on the limit.”
“I have to be honest - I was a little disappointed we didn't get pole. It's funny how your expectations change in this business."
Hamilton also expressed his happiness with Mercedes' performance, saying "I am so happy with this. This is totally unexpected. To be up on the two front rows is honestly a dream for us.”
“We are all working as hard as we can and to be this close to the Red Bull is incredible. I hope tomorrow we can give them a bit of a run for their money."
Verstappen admitted that Red Bull had struggled to get the most out of their car during the weekend, but was pleased with his final lap during qualifying.
"The last lap was pretty good," Verstappen said. "Until then the whole weekend it has been difficult to get the tyres in the right window.”
“It was pretty tricky to find the grip and nail it on one lap. But it all came right in qualifying. I'm pretty happy with that."
There was some tension between Hamilton and Alonso, who had expressed in a recent interview that Hamilton had "weaknesses" now that he no longer had the best car.
Hamilton, who will start ahead of Alonso on second row, seemed to take a subtle dig at the Spaniard, saying he hoped to have a first corner similar to the one he had in 2007 on his debut.
"Does anyone remember that?" he asked. This was a reference to the famous moment in his debut race where he passed his then-McLaren teammate Alonso around the outside of Turn One.
The stage is set for an exciting start to the Australian GP, with Verstappen and Russell on the front of the grid, Hamilton starting just ahead of Alonso on second row.
It remains to be seen if Mercedes can keep up with Red Bull's pace during the race, and if Perez can make up ground from the back of the grid.
Related content
)
21:41 - 19.03.2023
FORMULA ONE Perez Holds Off Verstappen to Seal Red Bull One-Two at Saudi Arabian
Fernando Alonso, though he had taken his second successive podium, but was relegated to fourth place with a 10 second penalty at the end of the race.
)
19:26 - 13.01.2023
F1 Report: Lewis Hamilton rumoured to be dating Kanye West's Ex
The seven-time world champion is currently in Antarctica on vacation with a mystery lady believed to be the former girlfriend of Kanye West.
)
10:00 - 08.08.2022
F1 Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton in Kenya for holiday
The seven-time Formula 1 champion landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in two private jets
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)