Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson will start the season-opening Australian Grand Prix from eighth on the grid after a strong qualifying performance in Melbourne.
The Racing Bulls driver secured a spot in the final qualifying session at Albert Park and set a best lap of 1m 19.994 seconds to claim P8, finishing just ahead of rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad in ninth.
"Well done to everybody, that's a really f***ing good effort," Lawson said over team radio after being told his result.
His race engineer Alexandre Iliopoulos replied: "Agreed Liam, well done and let's capitalise on that tomorrow."
At the front of the grid, Mercedes driver George Russell delivered a dominant lap of 1m 18.518 to claim pole position for Sunday's race.
His teammate Kimi Antonelli would start alongside him on the front row after qualifying second with a 1m 18.811 time, capping off a remarkable recovery following a major crash earlier in the day in practice.
Antonelli brought out a red flag during the final practice session after hitting the Turn 2 barriers at high speed, leaving Mercedes in a race against time to repair the car before qualifying.
Liam Lawson was in the Breakfast studio ahead of this weekend’s season-opener in Melbourne. (Source: Breakfast)
There was further drama in the final qualifying session when debris flew from Antonelli's car, with one piece striking the front wing of Lando Norris' McLaren. The incident briefly halted the session.
Reigning world champion Norris qualified sixth, one place behind teammate and hometown favourite Oscar Piastri.
Lawson's former teammate Isack Hadjar placed his Red Bull third on the grid, with an impressive debut for the team.
The session's biggest shock came earlier in Q1 when four-time world champion Max Verstappen crashed after suffering a rear lock-up while starting his flying lap.
The Dutch driver hit the wall before setting a lap time and was set to start from the back of the grid.
Qualifying in Melbourne marked the first competitive session of Formula 1's new regulatory era, with the 2026 season introducing sweeping changes including new cars, power units and aerodynamic rules.
Speaking to Breakfast earlier this week, Lawson said Melbourne would be a "big eye-opener" for teams as they adjusted to the new regulations.
"As drivers, we haven't raced with these cars yet, so I think this weekend will be a big eye opener as to what that's like," Lawson said.
The Australian Grand Prix will take place in Melbourne on Sunday (5pm NZT).
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