Lando Norris took the first pole position of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Australian Grand Prix. He edged out McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who joins him on the front row.
It quickly became clear during Saturday’s qualifying session that it was a three-way fight for pole. Norris was the favourite before the weekend, but home hero Piastri was a contender too, while world champion Max Verstappen entered the equation after overnight improvements at Red Bull.
Both McLaren drivers fluffed their opening attempts in Q3, leaving Verstappen on provisional pole. But Piastri smashed Verstappen’s benchmark, only for Norris to deny the Albert Park crowd by going 0.084s quicker.
Everybody thought McLaren were quickest after testing, and so it has proved. Norris didn’t show his hand over a single lap in Bahrain but no-one could keep up when he unleashed his speed on Saturday.
Lando Norris praised after taking Australian Grand Prix pole
During the winter, Norris said McLaren couldn’t afford another ‘shocking’ start. They allowed Verstappen to hoover up the points with four wins from five last year, and they left Bahrain a season earlier bottom of the standings.
But the team have kicked off 2025 in truly imperious fashion to leave their rivals dazed. 1996 world champion Damon Hill used just one word to sum this up.
“Pow,” the former Williams driver wrote on his Instagram story, sharing a photo from the official McLaren account celebrating their one-two.
Norris’ pole takes him onto double figures overall. He equals 1970 title winner Jochen Rindt and also matches Alain Prost’s haul at McLaren.
This is the first time the Woking outfit have taken the first pole of the season since Lewis Hamilton in Australia in 2012. They ultimately finished third in the championship that year behind Red Bull and Ferrari.
Damon Hill reacts to ominous George Russell statement about McLaren dominance
Norris was irritated before the Australian Grand Prix because rivals kept talking up McLaren’s dominance. Perhaps he felt that it was an attempt to put them under pressure.
But if it was tactical, it didn’t work. McLaren will ultimately be judged on how they execute in the races this season but they’ve built a formidable car.
Speaking after qualifying, George Russell said they could switch focus to 2026 now and still have a lasting advantage. The teams have major regulation changes with which to contend next year.
Also on Instagram, Hill wrote ‘next level’ in response to Russell’s comments. All those who predicted that 2025 may be F1’s closest season in recent history may be rethinking their assessment.
