Max Verstappen ended his wait for pole position at the Australian Grand Prix, but Mercedes came out of Saturday with their optimism renewed in Melbourne.
While reigning Formula One champion and season leader Max Verstappen remains the man to beat, he is without Red Bull team-mate in support at the front of the grid this weekend.
Instead, George Russell joined Verstappen on the front row, with Lewis Hamilton qualifying third-fastest in a qualifying session the pair acknowledged was "unexpected".
It could have been even better for Mercedes, with Hamilton setting an initial provisional pole in a hotly contested Q3.
Just 0.301 seconds separated the top seven at one stage, before a dominant Verstappen performance took him 0.236s clear.
"The last run was very good," he said, acknowledging a "very tough" weekend.
After finally securing pole in Melbourne, his next aim is a first Australia GP win.
Verstappen added: "I've been on the podium once, but I want to be on a different step this time."
Yet Mercedes intend to have something to say about that, even if merely getting this close to Verstappen was far beyond their expectations.
"We weren't expecting that, that's for sure," said Russell. "There's a lot of hard work going on back at the factory here in Melbourne, and what a session for us. The car felt alive.
"The lap at the end was right on the limit, and to be honest, I was a little bit disappointed we didn't get pole position.
"It's one of those things, how your expectations change so quickly in this sport. We probably would have been happy with top four, top five yesterday, but the car felt awesome.
"It goes to show we've definitely got potential still to come."
Hamilton suggested this week it would take "the rest of the year to potentially close that gap" to Red Bull, yet the Silver Arrows are suddenly back in contention.
"I'm so happy with this. This is totally unexpected," Hamilton said. "I'm really, really proud of the team.
"George did a fantastic job today, so for us to be up there on the two front rows is a dream for us.
"We're all working as hard as we can to get right back up the front, so to be this close to Red Bull is honestly incredible. I hope tomorrow we can give them a bit of a run for their money."
Absent from the Q3 battle was Perez, who is on a career-best run of three straight podiums and had talked up his title aspirations this week.
But he endured problems right from the outset on Saturday, delayed in his start to FP3 and then running into trouble at Turn 3.
Perez locked up again at the same corner early in Q1 and ended in the gravel, his session over as he bemoaned "the same issue again" over the team radio.
McLaren's home favourite Oscar Piastri, making his Australian GP debut, fared little better, out in Q1.
A strong start to the season for Fernando Alonso continued as the veteran qualified fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
8. Alexander Albon (Williams)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
Wolff refuses to rule out meeting Verstappen over Mercedes move
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has refused to rule out meeting with Max Verstappen to discuss a potential switch from Red Bull, though he says the Silver Arrows are also looking at other drivers.
Verstappen looks unlikely to be denied a fourth straight world championship after starting 2024 with four wins from six races, though he was beaten by Lando Norris at Sunday's Miami Grand Prix.
However, the Dutchman's future has become a subject of discussion amid a difficult period for Red Bull behind the scenes.
Team principal Christian Horner was accused and later cleared of engaging in controlling behaviour towards a female employee earlier this year, while chief technical officer Adrian Newey is stepping back from his role and will be free to join another team in early 2025.
While Verstappen's contract with Red Bull runs through 2028, reports have suggested he could follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton and exercise a break clause to push through a huge move.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz has also been linked with Mercedes after seeing the Scuderia promise his 2025 seat to Hamilton, and Wolff says the team have plenty of irons in the fire.
Asked if he was keen to meet with Verstappen, Wolff said: "There's always plenty of meetings. I can't really say about the second driver. I think we've talked about the possibilities.
"I want to be fair to these guys and not make it look like we are playing chess with humans, because we are not doing that.
"I think we want to take our time, see where Max's thinking goes, and at the same time monitor the other drivers. Carlos was very strong in Miami again and that's why we are a little bit on observation mode at the moment."
Verstappen has said the strength of teams' cars after regulation changes are implemented in 2026 will inform any decision on his future, and Wolff says the Dutchman is right to bide his time.
"I was him I wouldn't leave, at least for 2025, but he's the leading driver, he's the top guy at the moment and that's why it's for him to take those decisions," Wolff said.
"There may not be any decisions to take, maybe everything continues like it is, but that is then also guidance for us."
Jamaican fans embrace Formula One at Miami Grand Prix viewing event
Jamaican Formula One enthusiasts turned out in force on Sunday at the AC Hotel Conference Room to witness the Miami Grand Prix, with the venue packed to capacity as patrons enjoyed a thrilling race-day experience as Lando Norris took his maiden F1 victory at the Miami International Autodrome, racing from fifth on the grid to finish seven seconds clear of three-time world champion Max Verstappen
The event, organized by Heineken Jamaica, drew a full house of fans who relished drinks and a lavish all-you-can-eat buffet, complemented by exotic Heineken-infused concoctions like "Heineken brewed passion" and "Heineken Brujitos." Prior to the race, attendees engaged in virtual racing on consoles, adding to the excitement and anticipation.
One of the standout attractions was a Ferrari displayed at the venue, owned by Member of Parliament Hugh Graham, which drew admiring looks and photo opportunities from attendees.
Rising young racer Tommi Gore, son of Jamaica's racing icon Doug Gore, was also present, adding a touch of local motorsport flair to the event.
Patrons enjoying the Miami Grand Prix at the AC Hotel Conference Room in Kingston on Sunday.
Amoye Phillpotts-Brown, Brand Manager for Heineken Jamaica, highlighted the motivation behind the activation, emphasizing the aim to bring the electrifying Miami Grand Prix experience directly to Jamaican fans.
"Heineken is a global partner for F1, and this year, we decided to bring the Miami Grand Prix to Jamaicans," explained Phillpotts-Brown. "We wanted to create a high-end, premium event similar to what you'd experience at the race itself. Miami Grand Prix is known for its energy, and we wanted to capture that for our fans here."
Phillpotts-Brown also emphasized the importance of responsible consumption and showcased Heineken's innovative product, Heineken 0.0, catering to those looking for a non-alcoholic option.
Reflecting on the event's success, Phillpotts-Brown noted the overwhelming response from fans: "It's a really good crowd, and we actually had to close out our list due to the high level of interest. Within hours of sending out invitations, we had over 150 sign-ups, highlighting the enthusiasm for Formula One in Jamaica."
Amoye Phillpotts-Brown (left) with Tommi Gore and Hanna Turner Junior Brand Manager at Heineken.
Looking ahead, Phillpotts-Brown expressed intentions to continue fostering interest in Formula One through similar events, with plans to potentially activate around the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix in June.
The Miami Grand Prix viewing event exemplified the growing passion and excitement for Formula One racing among Jamaican fans, fueled by immersive experiences crafted by Heineken Jamaica.
Hamilton delighted to see McLaren back on top as Norris claims maiden F1 win
Lewis Hamilton was delighted to see his former team McLaren back on top as Lando Norris claimed his first Formula One victory at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
Norris raced from fifth on the grid to beat Max Verstappen by seven seconds at the Miami International Autodrome, becoming just the second driver – after Ferrari's Carlos Sainz – to overcome the three-time world champion this year.
Norris' victory made him the 21st British driver to win an F1 race but the first since George Russell took the honours at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, while Russell's Mercedes team-mate Hamilton has not recorded a victory since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton won the first of his seven drivers' championships with McLaren in 2008, and he is pleased to see his former team challenging the dominance of Red Bull.
"I'm really happy for Lando," Hamilton told Sky Sports after the race. "I just told him he needs to stay tonight, he's got to change his flight home – he just won a race!
"It's a special moment to win your first Grand Prix. I started at McLaren and I'm really happy to see them back at the top. It's been a long time."
McLaren are third in the constructors' championship standings with 124 points through six races of the season, 63 behind Ferrari in second and 60 clear of fourth-placed Mercedes.
A gap of over 18 seconds separated the two Silver Arrows on Sunday as Russell finished eighth, two places behind Hamilton, and he was at a loss to explain his lack of pace.
"I don't think it caught us off guard. I just had no pace at all. It was just a lot worse than expected," Russell said.
"My race pace has been pretty strong this year but compared to Lewis I was nowhere. We need to check and see what happened and go from there.
"We lost even more points but as I said yesterday, we know where we are as a team. We're a long way from where we want to be."
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