The reigning world champion saw off both Mercedes drivers to take pole, while Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez skated off track into the gravel in Q1, leaving him to qualify down in last place for the Albert Park race.
Perez blamed a brake balance issue for his qualifying off, which was a problem he also suffered throughout final practice.
With Mercedes showing promising pace after a tough start to the year, George Russell feels he and Lewis Hamilton can take on the dominant Verstappen and Red Bull in the grand prix, rather than focusing on defending their positions from the Aston Martin and Ferrari drivers behind.
Alonso qualified in fourth place ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, with the sister Aston Martin of Lance Stroll in sixth in front of Charles Leclerc.
Alex Albon impressed in qualifying to secure eighth place on the grid for Williams, ahead of the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg.
Alex Albon, Williams FW45
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
When is the F1 Australian Grand Prix?
Date: Sunday 2 April 2023
Start time: 6:00am BST, 3:00pm local time
The third round of the 2023 F1 season, the Australian GP at Albert Park, gets underway at 3:00pm local time (6:00am BST) on Sunday 2 April.
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom, Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels – which costs £24 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98 or a month membership of £34.99 per month.
How can I watch the F1 Australian GP?
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will be live broadcasting the Australian GP, with the race shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Pre-race coverage will start at 4:30am BST on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, ahead of the race start at 6:00am BST.
• Channels: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event
• Start time: 4:30am BST on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, Sunday 2 April 2023
Autosport will be running a live text coverage of the Australian GP here.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14
Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images
When can I watch the F1 Australian GP highlights?
In the United Kingdom, Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of the Australian GP at 12:30pm…
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