MELBOURNE, Australia — Max Verstappen not surprisingly clinched pole position for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. More surprising was record eight-time Australian pole winner Lewis Hamilton not making it into the final round of qualifying on Saturday

Verstappen, who has won both races to start the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez second both times, will start in the front row for Sunday’s 58-lap race on the temporary Albert Park street circuit.

It was the 35th pole of Verstappen’s F1 career.

Carlos Sainz, returning from appendix surgery ahead of the last race in Saudi Arabia, was second-fastest, followed by Perez in third.

 

“It was a bit unexpected but I’m very happy,” Verstappen said. “It’s been a bit of a tricky weekend so far. (Ferrari) seem very quick, so it’s a bit of a question mark for tomorrow.”

 

“Even throughout qualifying, Q1, Q2, I didn’t really feel like (I was) fighting for pole. 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 was quite happy with it.