Article #257233

• British driver qualifies fastest with 1min 18.518sec lap in Melbourne

• Lando Norris sixth after running over Mercedes cooling fan

George Russell claimed pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, the opening race of the new Formula One season, with an ominously dominant run for Mercedes. Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli locked out the front row with their nearest competitor Isack Hadjar in the Red Bull almost eight-tenths of a second behind the pole time in third place.

The British driver and Mercedes were in a class of their own at the front of the field but there was a disastrous opening for four-time world champion Max Verstappen who crashed out before he had even set a timed lap.