MELBOURNE (AFP) -
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed pole on Saturday for the Australian Grand Prix ahead of title rival Max Verstappen -- and broke Lewis Hamilton’s stranglehold on the Melbourne grid.
World champion Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez is on the second row after coming in third ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris at Albert Park.
Mercedes’ Hamilton, who has been the pole-sitter eight times in Melbourne, including the last six in a row, will start an encouraging fifth.
It is a second pole of the year for Monaco’s Leclerc after the season-opening race in Bahrain, where he went on to win.
He knocked out his rivals with a flying lap at the death of one minute 17.868, fractionally ahead of Red Bull’s Verstappen, who won in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago.
This was more evidence ahead of Sunday’s third race of the campaign that they are the two to beat this season.
“It felt good, even more because it’s a track where I’ve always struggled in the past, in Q3 I managed to put everything together so it feels great, very happy,” said the 24-year-old Leclerc.
Verstappen had complained of oversteer and balance problems in the final practice ahead of qualifying and the Dutchman said he was still struggling despite being second-fastest.
While Mercedes’ speed is improving, it still has problems with porpoising -- bouncing too much at speed. But fifth was a major improvement for Hamilton, who only qualified 16th in Jeddah. His team-mate George Russell was sixth on Saturday.
“Compared to yesterday and to the last race, today was a good day for me,” said Britain’s seven-time world champion Hamilton.
Both McLarens made the third part of qualifying for the first time this season with Daniel Ricciardo coming seventh. Esteban Ocon in an Alpine was eighth and Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari ninth.
Veteran Fernando Alonso, who has been quick all weekend in the Alpine, had to settle for 10th after crashing at Turn 11, saying on the radio he couldn’t shift down gears.