FACTS AND STATS: McLaren surge forward to secure their first Australian front row lock-out in 13 years

After a long winter break, the F1 grid’s 20 drivers finally returned to action in Melbourne for the first Qualifying session of 2025. From McLaren’s unbeatable duo to some impressive rookie performances, here’s a quick round-up of all the best facts and stats…

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will line up in first and second, forming McLaren's 66th front row lock-out in F1, and their first in Australia since 2012. Last time, Jenson Button beat polesitter Lewis Hamilton to the race win.
Norris claimed his 10th career pole position and will start on the front row for the first time in Melbourne.
Piastri came agonisingly close to taking his first pole position before settling for P2. This is his seventh front row start, which is the longest streak without taking pole in F1 since Bruce McLaren, the team founder.

Max Verstappen will start off the front row in Australia for the first time since 2019.
Before George Russell's mighty lap saw him claim P4, Mercedes had only qualified in the top four once in the previous three Australian Grands Prix.

Pole position qualifier Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren looks on during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 15, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) — Norris' 2025 title charge got off to the best possible start with his pole position

Yuki Tsunoda has equalled Racing Bulls' best-ever start in Melbourne, which was previously Verstappen's P5 effort back in 2016.
Williams appear to have taken a step forward as Alex Albon took sixth on the grid – the team's best Qualifying result here since 2016.
Charles Leclerc will start outside of the top six for the second consecutive race after he qualified P19 in the 2024 finale in Abu Dhabi.
Lewis Hamilton has only finished on the podium once in nine occasions of Qualifying in eighth place. In the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, he improved five spots to claim P3.
Pierre Gasly has tied his best-ever start in Australia down in P9.

Carlos Sainz impressed on his debut for Williams, helping both cars make it to Q3 for the first time in 20 years at this circuit.
Isack Hadjar was the first of the rookies in the order. With his team mate Tsunoda in fifth, both Racing Bulls will start in the top 11.
It was a disappointing session for two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who failed to reach Q3 in Melbourne for the first time since 2018.
In the previous two seasons, Lance Stroll achieved his best result of the year in Australia – he will begin the race from P13 on the grid.

Alexander Albon driving the (23) Williams FW47 Mercedes on track during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 15, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) — The Williams pair put on an eye-catching display in qualifying

Jack Doohan qualified 14th for his home race, which is three places higher than his debut in Abu Dhabi last season.
Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto outqualified his team mate Nico Hulkenberg on his first attempt.
He also edged out Kimi Antonelli for the final spot in Q2, with the young Italian starting in P16. In the same car, Hamilton was similarly knocked out in Q1 three times in his final six races of 2024.

Despite beating Kevin Magnussen 16-6 in qualifying last year, Hulkenberg was unable to progress to Q2 in Australia, unlike his rooke team mate.
On his debut for Red Bull, Liam Lawson took P18. During his six-race stint at Racing Bulls, he was only knocked out in Q1 once in 2024. His predecessor Sergio Perez also went out in the first part of Qualifying six times in the Red Bull last year.
Esteban Ocon suffered nine Q1 eliminations with Alpine last year and will start his first race for Haas in P19.
As a result of a crash, a spin into the gravel, and a gearbox issue, Ollie Bearman only completed 15 laps across the first four sessions of the weekend.