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FACTS AND STATS: Leclerc breaks Hamilton's Melbourne pole streak, while Bottas sets a new F1 record
Charles Leclerc made it two poles from the first three race weekends of the year, but while there was jubilation for the Ferrari man, there was despair elsewhere. Aston Martin had to repair their cars more times than they can remember, which contributed to ending one of Sebastian Vettel’s proud records, while Lewis Hamilton couldn’t buck the odds and grab a seventh straight pole at Albert Park. Here are some of the best facts and stats from F1’s return to Melbourne…
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Charles Leclerc is the first man other than Lewis Hamilton to take pole in Melbourne in the hybrid era.
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Leclerc’s pole is also the first time Ferrari have started P1 here since 2007 when Kimi Raikkonen was with the team.
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All of Leclerc’s three career wins were from pole.
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Max Verstappen grabbed Red Bull’s first front row start in Australia since 2014 when Daniel Ricciardo started second for the team.
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Verstappen has never previously started higher than fourth at Albert Park.
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Sergio Perez qualified P3, having never previously been higher than ninth here. It was also only the second time he’s ever made Q3 in Australia.
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The last four Australian Grand Prix winners have come from second or third on the grid, which are Red Bull’s starting slots.
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Lando Norris was fourth, McLaren’s best qualifying here since Kevin Magnussen qualified fourth and finished second on debut in 2014.
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Lewis Hamilton’s fifth is the first time he’s been outside the top three in Australia since 2010, when he was 11th for McLaren.
READ MORE: Leclerc relieved to take pole on track where 'I’ve always struggled'
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Ricciardo’s seventh is his best qualifying on home soil since 2015, when he was sixth for Red Bull.
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After missing out with both cars in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, McLaren got both cars into Q3 in Melbourne.
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Esteban Ocon was eighth, the first time he’s ever made Q3 in Melbourne.
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Carlos Sainz’s P9 was the first time a Ferrari has qualified outside the top five in Melbourne since 2014.
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Only five teams made Q3, the minimum number possible.
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Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda exited in Q2, the third consecutive Australian Grand Prix where the Faenza team have failed to make Q3.
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Valtteri Bottas’s consecutive streak of Q3 appearances has ended after 103 weekends, an F1 record.
MUST-SEE: Stroll and Latifi crash heavily during Q1 at Albert Park
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Mick Schumacher out-qualified Magnussen for the first time.
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The Dane exited in Q1 after making it all the way to Q3 in the first two races of the season.
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Sebastian Vettel has only completed 26 laps in the 2022 season so far – 18 in FP1, 5 in FP3 and 3 in Q1.
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This is the first time the three-time Australian Grand Prix winner has failed to reach Q3 at Albert Park.
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