F1 Australian GP live commentary and updates - qualifying

Good morning everyone - and welcome to our live feed of qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix. So this is it, then - who's going to pick up the first pole of 2025? Stick with us, and we'll tell you; quali begins in less than 20 minutes.

FP3 recap

Oscar Piastri was top of the pops in the final practice session with a 1m15.921s, just 0.039s ahead of George Russell. Ollie Bearman caused another red flag, while Liam Lawson was garage-bound with a powertrain issue.

Max Verstappen found a bit more of a spark in FP3; after Friday's struggles, the Dutchman was a bigger presence at the front in today's earlier session. Can he keep that up and challenge for pole? He'll have the McLarens and Mercedes to battle, and possibly the Ferraris if they can raise their game.

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

This is your five-minute klaxon: qualifying starts very soon!

Gearbox trouble chez Bearman's car - this has been what one would diplomatically term as an "inauspicious weekend". The Briton can't find fourth gear.

Ocon starts us off with a 1m17.517s. That's going to be an easy benchmark - as I write that, Russell finds a 1m17.210s on mediums.

Russell continues on mediums and goes fourth fastest - Mercedes reviving a trick from the title-winning years by saving a set of softs. Alonso gets purple sectors at the first two splits, and ultimately goes fifth. There's time out there.

Lawson's unfortunate weekend continues with a slip off the road at Turn 3. He's only 17th at the moment, and he needs to pull his finger out.

Here's the Q1 elimination zone with five minutes to go: Gasly, Hulkenberg, Lawson, Ocon, Bearman.

Antonelli's car was sparking heavily on that last lap - he only got the 14th-fastest lap, but it seems like there's something awry there. He did brush the gravel at Turn 6.

Lawson all over the top on the exit of Turn 10, and then he's on the grass at Turn 13 - the Kiwi is a lock for the drop zone now as he retreats to the pits.

Drivers eliminated in Q1

16. Antonelli
17. Hulkenberg
18. Lawson
19. Ocon
20. Bearman

Norris found a bit more time to do a 1m15.912s in Q1, beating Russell by a scant 0.059s as Verstappen, Leclerc, and Piastri were also within 0.2s of the McLaren driver. 

Bortoleto had nudged ahead of Antonelli by just 0.009s, but it's enough of a slither of time to grant the Brazilian a Q2 appearance at the first time of asking. Fellow rookies Hadjar and Doohan also make it into the second stage of qualifying.

Russell was a tenth off Verstappen's time, but the Mercedes driver had old tyres on - Verstappen and the McLarens both had fresh softs on. Meanwhile, Sainz rattles his fillings out on the Turn 10 exit kerb and asks for a check on his floor. 

Both Leclerc and Hamilton lost time in the final sector - about three tenths a piece. The C5 tyres require a delicate touch earlier in the lap, and it seems the SF-25 can't quite provide that.

Current drop zone with four minutes to go: Hadjar, Stroll, Bortoleto, Alonso, Doohan. 

Doohan got track limits'd after going off-track at Turn 12, although his time wasn't stunning in any case. He'll have one more chance with some fresh boots.

Phwoar, Bortoleto takes too much kerb at Turn 4 and just about saves his car from a huge accident. That'll kill his lap, but it's a great save.

Hamilton's had a spin, which switches off DRS with the waved yellows - that's seen off a handful of laps from drivers trying to get out of the drop zone. 

Drivers eliminated in Q2

11. Hadjar
12. Alonso
13. Stroll
14. Doohan
15. Bortoleto

A Turn 4 incident has been noted between Russell and Leclerc - as Russell was apparently impeding. Another has been noted with Russell and Hamilton for failing to reach the maximum delta time. The latter might be a result of Hamilton's spin - we'll keep an eye out for any further word.

Doohan caught the yellow flag produced by Hamilton, as the Ferrari driver spun at Turn 11. The rear end of the Ferrari was a bit of a pendulum as the tyres failed to bite on the exit.

Gasly reports that it's quite dark on-track - and the cloud cover does look rather ominous. Reminds me of Brazil 2023, which was followed by a storm which knocked out the power in our hotel - which carried on until the morning.

After our opening laps, our order is: Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Piastri, Albon, Tsunoda, Hamilton, Gasly, Sainz, Norris. Only the top four, plus Norris, had used fresh tyres.

Verstappen was only just within bounds at a scruffy Turn 4, as he drifts wide at the car park and just stays on-side. Nothing says boy racer like dropping a handbrake turn in an empty car park...

Stewards' report: No further action for the Russell/Leclerc impeding incident. As you were.

It's last orders time - can anyone take pole from Verstappen? All on new tyres, except Leclerc who only has a used set available.