Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari underwhelmed in the first Formula 1 qualifying session of the year at the Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton and new teammate Charles Leclerc had to be content with a fourth-row lock-out.
Somewhat alarmingly, Ferrari lost out to Yuki Tsunoda in the Racing Bulls car and Alex Albon in the Williams. They expected to be competing with McLaren for pole position.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri did indeed take a one-two. Paddock experts thought Ferrari were fastest in qualifying, but instead it was Max Verstappen who came closest to denying Norris.
Even then, Verstappen was four-tenths of the adrift of the polesitter. The lead Ferrari of Charles Leclerc was nearly seven-tenths off the pace on a 75-second lap.
Toto Wolff and Andrea Stella thinks Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are quicker than they showed
Speaking to Sky Sports just after qualifying, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella suggested Ferrari were an outlier. While most teams showed their true performance, he thinks the Scuderia are ‘much closer’ to the pace than they seem.
“I think this is the most factual assessment so far in terms of pecking order,” Stella said. “I don’t really take Ferrari’s performance today at face value. I think they are much closer than the gaps would show.”
Hamilton’s former boss Toto Wolff also spoke to Sky, and insisted Ferrari are ‘definitely’ in the mix. George Russell was fourth fastest, with debutant Kimi Antonelli going out in Q1.
| Outside | Inside |
| Lando Norris (1st) | |
| Oscar Piastri (2nd) | |
| Max Verstappen (3rd) | |
| George Russell (4th) | |
| Yuki Tsunoda (5th) | |
| Alex Albon (6th) | |
| Charles Leclerc (7th) | |
| Lewis Hamilton (8th) | |
| Pierre Gasly (9th) | |
| Carlos Sainz (10th) |
“At the front, you can see how close it is between Verstappen and the two Ferraris that were not quick this time around, but they are definitely there,” Wolff said.
Interviewer Ted Kravitz informed Wolff that Stella had made the same point. Clearly, they expect Ferrari to bounce back – whether that’s in Sunday’s race or future weekends.
Kravitz said: “It’s funny, you’re the second team principal who’s told me that ‘don’t think Ferrari are as far down as they look’.”
Lewis Hamilton sounded confused after first Ferrari qualifying at Australian Grand Prix
Ferrari fans can be reassured that Hamilton will do everything required to unlock Ferrari’s true pace. His work ethic this winter has drawn praise.
Indeed, Hamilton told F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali he was sleeping at the Ferrari factory to maximise his time with the engineers. The short gap before the next race in China may make thorough analysis difficult, though.
For now, the seven-time world champion doesn’t understand why they’re so far off. Hamilton’s unbroadcast radio message at the end of Q3 confirmed as much.
He told engineer Riccardo Adami ‘I don’t know what happened there’, but he was reassured that he did a ‘good job’ overall.
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