Live: Follow qualifying for the Australian GP

Follow qualifying for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix live with F1i.com.

A new qualifying format will be used for the first time, with a tight battle having emerged between Mercedes and Ferrari during FP3. The only practice session to feature serious dry running saw Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel separated by 0.2s.

Toro Rosso also impressed in final practice, as did Red Bull with a fight expected between those two teams and Williams to reach the final part of qualifying.

The new qualifying system will take place across the same three parts as last season, with Q1 seeing seven cars knocked out. Following an initial eight-minute period, the slowest car will be knocked out at 90-second intervals. In Q2, the same format applies after an initial seven-minute period, leaving eight cars in Q3.

The final part of qualifying will see eliminations start after six minutes until two cars are left fighting it out for pole position.

F1i's live coverage will bring you all the latest information about what is happening on track as well as news and features from the paddock.

Follow qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix LIVE

F1i's Australian Grand Prix preview

2016 F1 season: Team-by-team preview

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Mekies: ‘We all agree’ F1 must bring back flat-out qualifying

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has made it clear: Formula 1 must rediscover the…

15 hours ago

‘Rusty, me?’: Perez fires back at Andretti’s Cadillac claim

Sergio Perez isn’t taking lightly the suggestion that his return to Formula 1 with Cadillac…

17 hours ago

Formula 1’s heartfelt gift to new dad Fernando Alonso

While Aston Martin’s F1 car is currently giving Fernando Alonso some massive engine vibrations and…

18 hours ago

Hill says unhappy Verstappen ‘should stop and do something else’

For a driver who has spent years bending F1 to his will, Max Verstappen suddenly…

20 hours ago

‘He’s up against it’: Brundle fears Sainz facing career dead end in F1

For Carlos Sainz, what was meant to be a strong second season at Williams is…

21 hours ago

Alonso’s brutal verdict: ‘High-speed corners now charging stations’

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has delivered another withering verdict on Formula 1’s 2026 regulations…

22 hours ago