Preview: Formula 1® Qualifying beckons at Albert Park
Friday, 31 March 2023
Qualifying and Sprint Races await fans on Saturday at the Grand Prix™.
The third day of action at the FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2023 is expected to be one to remember, with Qualifying beckoning for the Formula 1® teams and drivers.
All eyes will be on the pitlane at 12:30 pm when the cars roll out for the third and final Practice session, a vital 60 minutes in which the teams fine-tune their cars for the 4:00 pm Qualifying session.
The
battle for pole position is expected to be between the Red Bull drivers Max
Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Aston martin’s Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
But one of the in-team fights to watch us sure to be at McLaren. Melbourne’s Oscar Piastri dazzled the pitlane when he put car into Q3 in Saudi Arabia last month, and teammate Lando Norris will be looking to reassert himself in Piastri’s hometown. If Piastri can make Q3 again, Norris may be looking over his shoulder on Sunday...
There will be a lot to see in the Support events, with Formula 3® having its first Sprint race in Australia at 10:45 am, and Formula 2® following with its own Sprint race at 2:20 pm. Aussie driver Jack Doohan will start the Formula 2® race from 15th place after a tough and wet Friday Qualifying session.
In their first appearance in Australia, Brazilian Gabriele Bortoleto took pole in Formula 3® while the three Aussies on the grid are led by Christian Mansell in 13th, clear of Hugh Barter (23rd) and Tommy Smith (28th).
The Supercars drivers will have a busy day. Twin Qualifying sessions will kick off the on-track action at 9:05 am and 9:30 am, to set the grids for the final two races in the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint for the weekend. Saturday’s race is set for 5:25 pm, and the battle between Shane van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki, who split the first two race wins, and the Ford hordes promises to be a cracker.
In the Paynter Dixon Porsche Carrera Cup, the grid will take to the track for their third and final race of the weekend, due to start at 6:25 pm. Youngster Max Vidau has been first across the line in both races, and a win in the final race would make him the first driver to take out Porsche honours at Albert Park twice.
