McLaren 'In a Good Place'

Norris and Piastri Secure Australian GP 1-2 for Last Season's F1 Constructors' Champions

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MELBOURNE — McLaren fired a warning shot to their rivals on March 15, as Lando Norris clinched pole position for the season-opening Formula One Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri.

In scorching hot conditions at Melbourne's Albert Park, world champion Max Verstappen came third in tense qualifying.

Mercedes' George Russell will keep Red Bull's four-time world champion company on the second row. Lewis Hamilton will start in eighth on his Ferrari debut.

"It's the perfect way to start the year. A big congrats to the team, everyone has done an amazing job to start with a one-two," Norris said of McLaren, who won the constructors' championship last season.

"But it is just quali, right? Let's see tomorrow.

"The car is extremely quick. When you put it together it is unbelievable, but it is hard to put it together. I'm never going to get ahead of myself, I'm confident the car is in a good place but we have never run it in the wet."

The forecast for the race on March 16 is for cooler temperatures and rain.

The Briton eclipsed his rivals with a flying lap of 1min 15.096sec on soft tires, 0.084sec ahead of Piastri.