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Max Verstappen takes pole at Suzuka as Red Bull lock out front row
Suzuka, 6 April 2024: Max Verstappen beat team-mate Checo Pérez by just under six hundredths of a second to take pole for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix as Red Bull Racing locked out the front row in Suzuka. Lando Norris qualified third for McLaren ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
“It was quite close at the end,” said Max afterwards. “This track is very sensitive with tyres, with the tarmac being really aggressive. And when you really want to go to the limit, it doesn’t always work out. But nevertheless, the most important thing is to be on pole, so yeah, overall a very good day and a good starting position for tomorrow.”
Pérez agreed, adding: “It was close today, really close with Max. It felt like a good lap. It was quite tricky out there, actually. Especially closing out the laps it was quite easy to lose a couple of tenths into the last section, into the chicane, So we hooked it in all together, but unfortunately it was just not enough.”
At the start of Q1 Verstappen was quickly into the groove and the Dutchman took top spot with a lap of 1:28.866, more than four tenths clear of Pérez. The Mexican driver was then bounced down to third place by Alonso, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri slotted into fourth place ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, the second McLaren of Lando Norris and the twin Mercedes cars of George Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
The top eight drivers elected to stay in their garages for the final runs and in the closing moments of the 18-minute session Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc vaulted from 10th to fourth, 0.035s behind Pérez who held onto third. Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas also improved to take P8 ahead of Hamilton as RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda climbed up to separate Hamilton from team-mate Russell, though the latter was placed under investigation for a potential unsafe release.
There was no place in the second session for Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was ruled out in P16 ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Magnussen, Williams’ Logan Sargeant and P20 man Zhou Guanyu of Kick Sauber.
Verstappen again seized control early in Q2. The Dutchman posted a lap of 1:28.740 to take P1 ahead of Pérez, who put in a strong opener to sit just 0.012s behind his team-mate in P2. And as the remainder of the field completed their opening runs the Red Bull pair held on to the top two spots. Norris got closest, 0.200s off Verstappen, with the McLaren driver followed by Alonso, Sainz, Piastri and Leclerc.
So strong were the leaders’ times that the top six chose to sit out the final runs and this time it was Mercedes who rose from the midfield to secure a spot in the following session. Hamilton jumped to third, 0.147s behind Pérez, while Russell went through in P7 behind Norris, Alonso and Sainz.
Tsunoda also put in a good lap to claim a Q3 berth for RB. The Japanese driver’s final lap of 1:29.417 was good enough for P10 behind Leclerc. It meant that Tsunoda’s RB team-mate Daniel Ricciardo missed out on the top-10 shootout by just 0.055s and the Australian exited in P11 along with Haas’s Nico Hülkenberg, Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, Williams’ Alex Albon and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
At the start of Q3, Hamilton was the first to post a time, a 1:18.887, but Verstappen breezed past that by six tenths of a second to stop the clock at 1:28.240 as Pérez took P2, 0.365s behind his team-mate. Norris then split the Red Bull drivers, taking second place a tenth clear of Pérez. Sainz ended the first runs in fourth ahead of Piastri and Hamilton.
There was no stopping the Red Bull pair in the final laps. Pérez was first across the line and the Mexican improved by almost four tenths of a second to seal his first front-row start since last year’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Verstappen also improved and though his final lap gain was smaller than his team-mate’s, the champion’s 1:28.197 was enough to seal his 36th career pole position and to extend a run of pole that now stretches back to last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Behind the top two, Lando Norris took P3 for McLaren, with Sainz set to start at the back of row two ahead of Alonso, Piastri, Hamilton and Leclerc. Russell qualified ninth, while Tsunodo will start from P10 for RB.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:28.197 – –
2 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:28.263 0.066
3 Lando Norris McLaren 1:28.489 0.292
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:28.682 0.485
5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:28.686 0.489
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:28.760 0.563
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:28.766 0.569
8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:28.786 0.589
9 George Russell Mercedes 1:29.008 0.811
10 Yuki Tsunoda RB 1:29.413 1.216
11 Daniel Ricciardo RB 1:29.472 1.275
12 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 1:29.494 1.297
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 1:29.593 1.396
14 Alexander Albon Williams 1:29.714 1.517
15 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:29.816 1.619
16 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:30.024 1.827
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:30.119 1.922
18 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:30.131 1.934
19 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:30.139 1.942
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber 1:30.143 1.946 -
Raheesh Khatri to race in British Talent Cup
Bengaluru, 4 April 2024: Indian Honda racer Raheesh Khatri will take part in the 2024 season of the British Talent Cup which begins on April 18. Raheesh joins the prestigious British Talent Cup, competing against 30 top racers from the UK, USA and New Zealand, according to news received here.
The 2024 R&G British Talent Cup season begins with a thrilling opener as Navarra, Spain, debuts on the calendar on April 20 with the first Round 1 after a test on April 18 and 19. Spanning eight rounds and 18 races, the season includes two weekends with three BTC races each: the season opener and the grand finale at Donington.
Wilson Racing, a British team, announces the signing of Raheesh Khatri for the British Talent Cup. From starting his journey at the age of 4 to becoming India’s youngest motocross racer at the age of 6 and setting records in drag racing, earning him the title of the ‘Holeshot King’. Raheesh has consistently showcased his exceptional skills on the track. With many trophies to his name, including winning the 2022 Honda India Talent Cup, Raheesh showcased his skills as a racer.
In the upcoming 2024 season, Raheesh will be representing Wilson Racing, a team with over 39 years of experience in the racing scene under the leadership of Gary. Riding the Honda NSF250R, the moto3 machine, Raheesh will embark on a thrilling journey in the British Talent Cup, with Round 1 scheduled in Spain on April 20 and 21 followed by 7 rounds in the UK.
Despite his international commitments, Raheesh remains committed to his roots in India. Alongside the British Talent Cup, he will also compete in the Honda Racing India Talent Cup 2024, consisting of 5 rounds in India.
Raheesh Khatri’s strategic plan includes the Asia Talent Cup, European Talent Cup, and ultimately aiming to become the first Indian to race in the prestigious RedBull Rookies Cup. His ultimate dream is to become the first Indian to win the MotoGP Championship.
This signing with Wilson Racing marks a new chapter in Raheesh Khatri’s racing career.
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Harith Noah suffers setback on Day 2: BP Ultimate Portugal rally
Grandola (Portugal), 4April 2024: Ace Indian rider Harith Noah, a product of TVS Racing, suffered a set back in his campaign on Day 2 in the BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal as he could not complete Special Section 2 due to technical issues.
“Stage 2 ended around 40km something for me due to a technical issue. Was not able to make it to the finish of the stage,” said Harith Noah after the end of Day 2 in the maiden Portugal race, the first after Dakar, where he won Rally2 class. Due to some technical infringement, he was penalised and it pushed to the the back. “It was good learning experience. I made some mistake and then lost a lot of time,” he said later, through a Sherco release.
The other Indian in the fray, Jatin Jain also completed the day.
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Harith Noah overcomes a nasty fall to finish P12
Grandola (Portugal), 3 April 2024: Ace Indian rider and Dakar 2024 Rally2 winner, Harith Noah of Kerala, managed a tough day and overcame a nasty fall to finish Day 1 in the BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal stage 1 successfully on Wednesday. Despite the fall and a technical issue, the Sherco TVS Rally Factory team rider finished overall 12th and 5th in Rally2 class.
“A technical problem in the prologue followed by a crash in stage 1, but I am healthy and ready for tomorrow. Although in terms of km it wasn’t much, it felt like a long day separated into the prologue, first part of stage 1 and second part. A lot of water puddle and very wet areas made it difficult. Learned a lot and feel a little more calm for tomorrow…,” said Noah after the 100km first stage.
Jatin Jain the other Indian also completed the tough Day 1 after he struggled with his bike and finished Overall 55 and P32 in Rally2 class.
After setting the fastest time in the morning Prologue, Tosha Schareina (Honda) claimed victory in the inaugural stage of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, just ahead of compatriot Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco). António Maio (Yamaha) will head into the second day as the leading Portuguese contender.
Tosha Schairena leads Day 1
Tosha Schairena, a rider for Honda’s official team led by Ruben Faria, made a triumphant return to competition and kicked off the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal in stellar fashion. The Valencia-based rider admitted, “The start was quite tough, with the sandy sections where I encountered quite a few difficulties. Then, the terrain hardened, and I pushed harder. Despite some minor errors, overall things went well, and the strategy of starting further back proved to be correct.”Also familiar with the course characteristics, compatriot Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) was one of the standouts of the day, finishing the stage in second position, just ahead of American Honda rider Skyler Howes.
António Maio (Yamaha) showcased an impressive performance, being the fourth fastest of the stage and the best among the Portuguese riders, with the GNR (National Republican Guard) soldier stating, “The course was a bit different from what I was expecting, but it was enjoyable. I didn’t make any navigation errors, and it was important to finish the first day with good sensations.”
Chilean Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) secured the fifth position, ahead of Sebastien Bühler (Hero). The Portuguese-German, residing in the village of Relíquias, approximately 80 km from Grândola, expressed satisfaction at the end of the first 100 timed kilometers: “I enjoyed the course quite a lot, and the only issue I had was having to backtrack two or three times to ‘fetch’ the waypoints. But it was a good stage to start.”
Despite being the fastest in the stage, benefiting from experience on similar terrains around his hometown (Durban, South Africa), a penalty pushed Bradley Cox to seventh place. Nevertheless, the KTM rider emphasized, “I really enjoyed riding here. It’s tough but fun, even when we encountered a lot of mud.”
Portuguese rider Bruno Santos (Husqvarna) finished eighth overall and first in the Rally2 class, while Argentine Manuel Andújar set the fastest time among the Quads, with a 6m39s advantage over Lithuanian Antanas Kanopkinas.
A single selective sector contested south of Grândola, spanning 193.04 kilometers, is the challenge that teams face in tomorrow’s stage (Wednesday), the second of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. A course traversing the Alentejo cork oak forest, with some sandy sections.
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Indians Harith Noah, Jatin Jain in fray; Hero Motosports’ Ross Branch leads RallyGP
Grandola (Portugal), 3 April 2024: Scrutineering for the inaugural edition of the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal wound to a close in Grândola on Tuesday. The 55 vehicles in the W2RC field (out of 148 FIA/FIM vehicles in the race) were cleared to start the race on Wednesday morning.
Among the 27 motorbikes and quads on the FIM start list, will be two Indians, Harith Noah of Sherco, the Rally2 class winner of 2024 Dakar and Jatin Jain, a Kove rider. Besides, the Indian manufacturer, Hero MotoSports, will have the leader of the Rally GP competition, Ross Branch, who will feel the heat from Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Honda), his closest pursuer at only 26 points back.
Jatin Jain
The popular Indian with the Supercross fraternity is a two-time National 2-wheeler rally champion in 2018 and 2019, and multiple times Supercross champion in different categories. Before this, he completed the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the second round of the W2RC on his Kove 450 Rally Pro. The Nagpur rider made his international debut in 2020 in the Hispania rally in Spain with a creditable fifth place in his class, and also took part in the Abu Dhabi Baja in 2023. But despite his best preparations, the privateer could not raise the sponsorship to take part in Dakar 2024.
Among the 28 FIA crews in the W2RC, Carlos Sainz (Mini JCW) holds the championship lead by just 9 points over Nasser Al Attiyah (Nasser Racing by Prodrive) and 12 over Guerlain Chicherit (Overdrive Racing).
Tomorrow, in a historic first for the W2RC, the prologue and stage 1 will be held on the same day, taking the competitors from Grândola to Santiago do Cacém and back. There will be live coverage of the finish.
The list of 169 entrants in the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal includes competitors from 30 different nationalities, a fact that reveals the global nature of the Automóvel Club de Portugal event.
As you might expect, the debut of the World Rally-Raid Championship in Portugal has attracted competitors from all over the world, who will be concentrating next week on Grândola and the trails of the Alentejo, Ribatejo and Spanish Extremadura.
The impressive list of 169 entries for the car, motorcycle and quad races has competitors from 30 different countries: in addition to Portugal, also South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Czechia, Chile, Ecuador, Slovakia, Spain, United States of America, France, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Seychelles and Switzerland are represented.
The pride of a nation
In motorcycles, World Rally-Raid leader Ross Branch is one of Botswana’s rare representatives in motorsport at the highest level. Branch represents an Indian manufacturer, Hero, and bikers from that Asian giant are also starting to emerge, such as Harith Noah, an official Sherco rider, or Jatin Jain, who rides for a Chinese brand, Kove.
The Sunshine After The Rain
The route of the rally had to be tweaked due to the unseasonal rains that drenched its host regions last week, but its overall character remains very much the same. In the end, the FIM race will stretch for 1,735 km and its FIA counterpart for 1,866 km, with 1,039 km of specials for both. The start will be hectic!
In a historic first for the W2RC, the prologue and stage 1 will be held on the same day. The first competitors will get the prologue going just 15 minutes after the sun peeks over the horizon. After that, they will set out to tame the 100 km special 1 before noon. The entire field will be brought together shortly before the finish line to provide live coverage of the last 3 km. The final sprint will be broadcast for the first time on Sport TV, the broadcaster of the premier sports events held in Portugal. Live footage with expert commentary will also be streamed on W2RC social media for the rest of the world. Tune in tomorrow at 3:25 pm (UTC+1) for the motorbike finish and 5 pm (UTC+1) for the car finish on YouTube W2RC or Facebook W2RC pages.
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Gaurav Gill all set for return to APRC at Otago rally
Internationally renowned rally driver, Gaurav Gill, will drive Hayden Paddon’s Hyundai i20 Rally2 in the upcoming Central Machine Hire Otago Rally on the weekend of April 12 -14.
28 March 2024: Gill is a three-time Asia-Pacific Rally Champion and a seven-time Indian Rally Champion, with young Kiwi co-driver, Jared Hudson, calling the pacenotes for him.
In Paddon’s hands, the Hyundai i20 Rally2 is the reigning Otago Rally winner and has not been beaten in New Zealand. It will be run in the Otago Rally by Paddon Rallysport.
“I’ve been keen to compete in the Otago Rally for some time now, and am delighted to have this opportunity,” Gill said. “The roads will be fast this year, it’s going to be exciting.”
Paddon Rallysport is a top-ranked team, the car is state of the art, and this gives me the opportunity to really give it everything.
“The top Kiwis know these roads well and are in quality cars, it’s going to be a huge challenge. I can’t wait!” Gill will only contest the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) component of the rally and won’t be eligible for Brian Green Properties New Zealand Rally Championship honours. His entry is primarily being supported by JK Tyre Motorsport, with assistance from Vamcy Merla, who is also backing the Asia-Pacific section of the rally for the second year running.
“I’m grateful for the support of JK Tyre Motorsport and Vamcy Merla, they’re doing a lot for the sport.”
The Indian has competed in New Zealand before, but never in the South Island. He was a regular at the Rally of Whangarei during his successful APRC years, but his visit to Dunedin is another huge boost for the Otago Rally.
“We are thrilled to receive Gill’s entry. He’s a top-class driver with a huge track record in the APRC, and will be driving a state-of-the-art Rally2 Hyundai,” rally promotions manager, Roger Oakley, said.“This is a great boost to the event. Along with Kris Meeke (Ireland) and Brandon Semenuk (USA), we now have top-level international drivers competing for the win in the APRC, Classic 2WD and Classic 4WD categories.
Gill’s rivals for APRC honours in the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally include Ben Hunt (Skoda Fabia), Robbie Stokes (Ford Fiesta) and local star Emma Gilmour in a Citroen C3. -
Carlos Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2 in Australia: Max logs a rare DNF
Albert Park (Melbourne), 24 March 2024: Carlos Sainz claimed an emotional first victory of the season at the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, coming back from illness to lead a Ferrari 1-2 finish as Charles Leclerc took second place, with Lando Norris third for McLaren on an afternoon on which championship leader Max Verstappen failed to finish.
Just two weeks ago, Sainz was forced to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he had to undergo surgery to remove his appendix, but in Melbourne a sensational recovery to victory was sealed within a few laps of the start.
When the lights went, pole position man Verstappen got away well ahead of front row starter Sainz and took the lead into Turn 1 with Norris third ahead Norri. By the end of lap one the Dutchman was almost out of DRS range of the lead Ferrari and it looked like the three-time champion was settling into his customary dominance.
However, in Turn 7, Verstappen suddenly slid wide and though he recovered Sainz was able to use the following DRS zone to power past the Dutchman and steal the lead.
Verstappen was quickly on the radio telling his team his car felt “loose”, but his issues escalated moments later when smoke began to pour from the rear right of his car.
With his brakes on fire, Verstappen was forced to slow and though he managed to limp back to the pits, it was clear his race was over – the first time the Red Bull driver has failed to finish since the same event in 2022.
Released into clean air, Sainz now began to pull out a gap and by lap 7 he was two-seconds clear of Norris and Leclerc. The Spaniard was then able to manage his tyres through the opening stint and the first round of pit stops.
Behind him Norris was being put under pressure by Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver dived to the pits at the end of lap nine giving the McLaren driver brief respite. Norris tried to go longer on his starting Medium tyres but Leclerc’s undercut worked well and when Norris pitted he’d not only been bypassed by Leclerc but also by his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who had also stopped for new tyres. Then Sainz pitted at the end of lap 16 and that
Bumped Hard-tyre starter Fernando Alonso into the lead, but within seconds, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton suddenly slowed and pulled over at the side of the track, his race ended by a power unit failure. The VSC was deployed and Alonso took advantage, pitting for Medium tyres, and gaining time as the field slowed around him.
That put Sainz back in the lead, with Leclerc in P2 ahead of Piastri and Norris. Alonso dropped to fifth place after his tyre change, ahead of Sergio Pérez who was gaining ground on fresh Hard tyres. On lap 27 the Mexican dispatched Alonso with ease, powering past the Aston Martin driver under DRS on the run to Turn 9.
At half distance, Sainz was six seconds clear of Leclerc who had dropped out of his team-mate’s dirty air. With Norris on fresher tyres than his team-mate, McLaren switched its drivers, a swap that left Pérez in P5, 11 seconds off Piastri.
The final round of pit stops left the order at the top unchanged and as the final stint unfolded it became clear that the gaps were solidifying. While the top five order held to the flag, there was late drama behind them when, a lap from home, a tight battle for P6 between Alonso and Russell went wrong. Russell appeared to lose downforce behind the slower Alonso into Turn 6 and slid hard into the barriers on the left side of the track. Though Russell was unhurt, his wrecked Mercedes ended up on its side in the middle of the track.
A Virtual Safety Car slowed the pack through the final lap, leaving Sainz to score a remarkable win on his return from surgery, with Leclerc taking P2 to seal as Ferrari 1—2. Norris claimed the final podium place ahead of team-mate Piastri and Pérez. Alonso came home in sixth place but was placed under by the Steward for the incident with Russell, while Lance Stroll finished seventh in the second Aston. Yuki Tsunoda delivered a good result for RB with P8 and the final points places were taken by the Haas cars of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.
“It’s not only the last two weeks. It’s the whole start to the year in general, how the year started with the news of the non-renewal,” said Sainz afterwards. “Then you get yourself fit. You get yourself ready for the start of the season, pushing flat out. And then you get to Bahrain. You do a good podium. You say, ‘OK, now the season is starting well and I can keep the momentum going’. And suddenly, boom, you’re missing a race in Jeddah and the operation. Long days in bed, not knowing if I was going to be back in time. Obviously, a lot of unknowns. Am I going to be back fit? Am I going to be back feeling still good with the car? And then suddenly you come back and win. So, yes, what I said on the radio: life is a roller coaster sometimes, but it can be really nice and good to you sometimes. Just letting it sink in and enjoying the moment.”
2024 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – Race
1 Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 58 1:20’26.843
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 58 1:20’29.209 2.366
3 Lando Norris McLaren 58 1:20’32.747 5.904
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren 58 1:21’02.613 35.770
5 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 1:21’23.152 56.309
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 58 1:21’47.835 1’20.992
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 58 1:22’00.065 1’33.222
8 Yuki Tsunoda RB 58 1:22’02.444 1’35.601
9 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 58 1:22’11.396 1’44.553
10 Kevin Magnussen Haas 57 1:20’30.924 1 lap /4.081
11 Alexander Albon Williams 57 1:20’31.852 1 lap /5.009
12 Daniel Ricciardo RB 57 1:20’38.351 1 lap /11.508
13 Pierre Gasly Alpine 57 1:21’07.796 1 lap /40.953
14 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 57 1:21’09.169 1 lap /42.326
15 Zhou Guanyu Sauber 57 1:21’11.136 1 lap /44.293
16 Esteban Ocon Alpine 57 1:21’20.822 1 lap /53.979
17 George Russell Mercedes 56 1:18’04.734 Accident
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 15 21’18.426 Power Unit
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 3 4’14.672 Brakes
Logan Sargeant Williams 0 – Withdrawn -
Max Verstappen takes pole in Melbourne: Sainz P2
Albert Park (Melbourne), 23 March 2024: Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen took his third straight pole position of 2024 with a blistering final lap of Q3 that left him almost three tenths of a second clear of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, with Sergio Pérez third in the second Red Bull.
Verstappen had struggled for car balance throughout practice sessions in Melbourne and even as he worked through the opening two sessions of qualifying the Dutchman was unhappy with the handling of his Red Bull RB20. But following tweaks made after Q2 the three-time champion found a sweet spot and powered clear of his rivals.
“So far this weekend it’s been a bit tough to find a good balance in the car,” he said after taking his 35th career pole position. “Even throughout qualifying, Q1, Q2, I didn’t really feel like fighting for pole. But then we made some little tickles on the car and that seemed to help me in Q3 to really push it to the limit. Both of my laps I felt quite happy with it. I mean, there are always things that you can improve, but overall, I am satisfied with the performance.”
Sainz’s front-row start represents a good result for the Spanish driver who is returning following surgery to last time out in Bahrain to remove his appendix.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks, a lot of days in bed, waiting for this moment, to see if I could be here today,” he said. “To make it to this weekend and then obviously to put it on the front row after leading through qualifying, I was almost not believing it, especially after how tough it’s been. But very happy to be here, very happy to be challenging the Red Bulls this weekend.”
Sainz led the way in Q1, setting a lap of 1:16.731, ahead of Ferrari Pérez who took P2 thanks to a lap of 1:16.805. Verstappen took third place just 0.014 behind his team-mate. The Dutchman wasn’t happy with his RB20 however, complaining about understeer.
Eliminated at the end of Q1 were Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg in P16 ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. RB’s Daniel Ricciardo was also dumped out of the session when he plummeted from P10 to P18 after his final lap was deleted for overstepping track limits in Turn 5. Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu was slowest in the session and exited in P19.
At the start of Q2 it was Verstappen, on fresh tyres, who made the most of the first runs, the champion taking P1 with a lap of 1:16.387 that put him little over two tenths ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Sainz and Leclerc, on used tyres, took third and fourth places, ahead the second McLaren of Lando Norris.
With fresh Soft tyres on board, Sainz then moved ahead, taking top spot with a lap of 1:16.189. 0.198s ahead of Verstappen, who stayed in the garage for the final laps. That gave Leclerc an opportunity and in the final moments the Monegasque driver posted a lap of 1:16.304 to bump Verstappen down to third.
There was no place in the top-10 shootout for Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton who exited in P11 ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon, Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, the Haas of Kevin Magnussen and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
With Sainz in charge through the opening two segments and with Leclerc also quick, it looked like Ferrari had the upper hand, but in the minutes before the green lights were lit to start the top-10 shootout, whatever adjustments Verstappen’s team made to his car paid off and in the opening runs of Q3, the Dutchman stamped new authority on the session as he took provisional pole ahead of Sainz and Leclerc.
And he tightened his grip on pole with his final flying lap. The Dutchman ended the session as the only driver to dip below 1m16s and his time of 1:15.915 was good enough to beat Sainz by 0.270s with Pérez a further nine hundredths of a second back in third.
Fourth place went to Norris, but Leclerc slumped to fifth after a mistake on his final flyer forced him to abandon his bid for pole. Piastri will start sixth ahead of Russell and Tsunoda, with the Astons of Alonso and Stroll in ninth and tenth.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:15.915 – –
2 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:16.185 0.270
3 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 1:16.274 0.359
4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.315 0.400
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.435 0.520
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:16.572 0.657
7 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.724 0.809
8 Yuki Tsunoda RB 1:16.788 0.873
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:17.072 1.157
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:17.552 1.637
11 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.960 1.045
12 Alexander Albon Williams 1:17.167 1.252
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 1:17.340 1.425
14 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:17.427 1.512
15 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:17.697 1.782
16 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 1:17.976 2.061
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:17.982 2.067
18 Daniel Ricciardo RB 1:18.085 2.170
19 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber 1:18.188 2.273 -
Kush Maini inherits third place in the F2 Sprint; Winner gets a penalty
Melbourne, 23 March 2024: Indian racing star Kush Maini acquired a third place following a penalty to the ‘race winner’ and thus gained important points to move up to the third place in the F3 championship. The Bengaluru driver finished fourth in the race, but moved up after penalties were implemented. “Not the ideal way to get the podium, but we will take the extra point and the trophy,” said Kush Maini after the race.
Following the conclusion of the Formula 2 Sprint Race in Melbourne, multiple drivers have received post-race penalties.
Isack Hadjar has been handed a 10-second time penalty after the Campos Racing driver was found to have caused a collision with his teammate Josep María Martí and Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto at the start of the Race.
The Stewards spoke to all three drivers involved and examined video evidence before determining that the Frenchman moved significantly to the right to get a run on the car on Roman Stanek in front of him without realizing that Martí had a significant portion of his car alongside him.
This move caused Martí to move to the right to take avoiding action and as a result he made contact with Bortoleto leading to a second collision. The Stewards determined that Hadjar was predominantly to blame and handed him a 10-second time penalty.
This means that Hadjar loses his victory and drops down to sixth, promoting Trident’s Stanek to P1. MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger takes P2, and Invicta Racing driver Kush Maini moves up to third. The Indian driver also moves up to third in the Drivers’ Championship as a result, now on 33 points.
Moreover, Oliver Bearman has also been handed a 10-second time penalty for forcing PHM AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen off the track.
After the Stewards heard from both drivers and examined all available video evidence, it showed that Bearman was alongside Duerksen at the apex and exit of Turn 4 and. While the PREMA Racing driver raced in a controlled manner, he did not leave a fair and acceptable width for Duerksen at the exit of the corner.
This means Bearman drops from P8 to 15th in the classification, promoting ART Grand Prix driver Zak O’Sullivan up to eighth and giving him the final point in the Sprint Race.
Finally, Jak Crawford has been handed a five-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s Feature Race after the Stewards found that he did not have the correct number of tyres to comply with the Sporting Regulations in relation to the Feature Race.
The Stewards considered the matter extensively and having discussed the situation with a Technical Delegate, concluded that during Qualifying, Crawford rendered the left rear tyres of both “option” compound sets unusable for safety reasons.
It was determined that it was not for reasons of force majeure and therefore Car 7 cannot comply with the regulations as a result. He will drop five places in the Feature Race as this is when the tyre is required to be used.
UP NEXT
The FIA Formula 2 Feature Race from Melbourne is set to get underway at 11:35 local time around Albert Park. Dennis Hauger starts from pole position for MP Motorsport.
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Beast mode engaged: Bastianini edges out Viñales for pole
A front row split by a tenth, Bagnaia P4 and Marc Marquez P8 after a dramatic Q2 sets the stage for a spectacle in Portugal.
Portimao, 23 March 2024:
Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) continued his statement weekend at the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal with pole position on Saturday morning, Beast mode most definitely engaged. It’s close at the top, however, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) getting to within less than a tenth of the number 23 after a late charge. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) completes the front row only a further 0.024 behind, setting the stage for some serious fireworks on the Algarve.
Q1 was a hard-fought battle to move through. Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and home hero Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) were just some of those with more than a shout of moving through, and it went down to the wire. Acosta was leading the way until a late overhaul from AM73, with the Gresini taking over on top by an infinitesimal 0.005. No one could overhaul that or split the two, so Acosta and Alex Marquez moved through, leaving Espargaro P13 on the grids ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Oliveira..
Q2 began with sheer expectation and the field piled out of pitlane ready to deliver. The first drama came almost immediately as Marc Marquez slid out, the number 93 losing the rear round Turn 15 and sliding across the run off. The race was on to get back to the box and get back out. Then Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) went down, rider also ok, making it two big hitters looking to reset quick.
Meanwhile, the red sectors were coming in on the first runs. The first pacesetter was reigning Champion Bagnaia, who held the top by less than a tenth ahead of Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and FP2 pacesetter Viñales.
From there, the first mover was Martin as he took over on top, but Bastianini had a near instant riposte to cut another tenth off, making it #23-#89-#1 on the provisional front row. Then the red sectors starting coming in from Bagnaia again, but the final part of the lap put paid to that. One final lap was going to challenge Bastianini, and despite Marc Marquez being back out, it’s wasn’t his – it was Viñales’.
The Aprilia was up and had already proven plenty with that new FP2 lap record, but it wasn’t quite enough to take pole over the line, coming up short by just 0.082. So it’s the Beast of Bastianini back on top, ahead of Viñales and Martin relegated to P3 on the outside of the front row.
Bagnaia heads up Row 2, with Miller starting from P5 as his speed continues to impress in Portugal. Sixth goes to Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) whose Round 2 continues to be a big leap forward from a tough Round 1.
The apprentice edges out the master on Row 3. Acosta is P7 at the head of it, just hundredths ahead of Marc Marquez as the number 93 didn’t quite find the fireworks on his second run. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) takes P9, ahead of Binder who, like MM93, couldn’t quite bring the noise on his final attempt after that early crash.
And so the grids are decided, and they set quite a stage. The Tissot Sprint promises much on Saturday afternoon, and that’s just the first serving of the world’s most exciting sport at full throttle on the rollercoaster. Tune in for two stunning showdowns, with lights out on Saturday at 15:00 (UTC) and Sunday at 14:00.
