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Autosport

Sport

F1 Australian GP qualifying - Start time, how to watch & more

Mercedes Red Bull Ferrari A Albon Williams Sky Sports Australian GP Channel 4 Max Verstappen Aston Martin Red Bull Racing

Leclerc was top in all three sectors on Friday as only a later Max Verstappen effort denied Ferrari a 1-2.

The Dutchman had sat out the opening 20 minutes of the second session after sustaining floor damage late in FP1, which required a new floor to be fitted.

But there was worse news at Williams, with Alex Albon's heavy FP1 crash sparking serious concerns for the team, with no spare tub on-site in Melbourne.

Albon did not take part in FP2 and it is possible the team could be down to one car for the remainder of the weekend, although who will be in the cockpit is currently a matter of speculation.

Lewis Hamilton endured a torrid day, complaining about a problem with his Mercedes as he finished down the order in 18th.

Lando Norris, who had topped FP1, ended the day in ninth.

What time does qualifying start for the F1 Australian Grand Prix?

Qualifying for the Australian GP starts at 4pm local time (5am GMT), using the regular Q1, Q2 and Q3 knockout session format.

Date: Saturday 23 March 2024
Start time: 4pm local time – 5am GMT

How can I watch Formula 1?

In the United Kingdom, Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, except for the British GP, which is shown live on both Sky Sports and Channel 4, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20 (Photo by: Mark Horsburgh / Motorsport Images)

Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels, which costs £18 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.99 or a monthly membership of £34.99 per month.

How can I watch F1 Australian GP qualifying?

In the United Kingdom, every F1 practice, qualifying and race is broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with Australian GP qualifying coverage starting at 4:15am GMT on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event.

Channel: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event
Start time: 4:15am GMT 23 March 2024

Autosport will be running a live text coverage of qualifying here.

When can I watch the highlights of F1 Australian GP qualifying?

In the United Kingdom, Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of qualifying for the Australian GP at 10:15am GMT on Saturday morning. The full programme will run for 90 minutes, covering both qualifying and wrapping up the major talking points of the race weekend so far.

For the entire 2024 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying and race of each event. The highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s on-demand catch-up services.

Channel: Channel 4
Start time: 10:15am GMT 23 March 2024

Will F1 Australian GP qualifying be on the radio?

Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2024 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC 5 Live Sports Extra or via the BBC Sport website.

Coverage of Australian GP qualifying will start at 5:00am GMT on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds app.

What's the weather forecast for qualifying in Melbourne?

Cloudy and mild conditions are forecast for Saturday afternoon for the start of qualifying in Melbourne. The temperature is set to be 21 degrees Celsius at the start of qualifying, with a decent chance of rain and low winds.

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24 (Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images)

Australian GP FP2 results

1 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	26	1'17.277		245.879
2	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	21	+0.381 1'17.658	0.381	244.672
3	C. Sainz Ferrari	55	Ferrari	Ferrari	25	+0.430 1'17.707	0.049	244.518
4	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	29	+0.545 1'17.822	0.115	244.157
5	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	31	+0.635 1'17.912	0.090	243.875
6	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	24	+0.674 1'17.951	0.039	243.753
7	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	29	+0.800 1'18.077	0.126	243.359
8	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	33	+0.813 1'18.090	0.013	243.319
9	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	23	+0.878 1'18.155	0.065	243.116
10	Y. Tsunoda RB	22	RB	Red Bull	27	+0.911 1'18.188	0.033	243.014
11	Z. Guanyu Sauber	24	Sauber	Ferrari	32	+1.144 1'18.421	0.233	242.292
12	D. Ricciardo RB	3	RB	Red Bull	30	+1.257 1'18.534	0.113	241.943
13	L. Sargeant Williams	2	Williams	Mercedes	23	+1.301 1'18.578	0.044	241.808
14	V. Bottas Sauber	77	Sauber	Ferrari	32	+1.308 1'18.585	0.007	241.786
15	P. Gasly Alpine	10	Alpine	Renault	33	+1.414 1'18.691	0.106	241.460
16	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27	Haas	Ferrari	28	+1.425 1'18.702	0.011	241.427
17	E. Ocon Alpine	31	Alpine	Renault	32	+1.428 1'18.705	0.003	241.417
18	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	23	+1.557 1'18.834	0.129	241.022
19	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20	Haas	Ferrari	31	+1.998 1'19.275	0.441	239.682
20	A. Albon Williams	23	Williams	Mercedes	0
View full results

Australian GP FP1 results

1 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	23	1'18.564		241.851
2	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	19	+0.018 1'18.582	0.018	241.795
3	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	21	+0.033 1'18.597	0.015	241.749
4	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	22	+0.035 1'18.599	0.002	241.743
5	Y. Tsunoda RB	22	RB	Red Bull	26	+0.057 1'18.621	0.022	241.675
6	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	23	+0.078 1'18.642	0.021	241.611
7	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	26	+0.103 1'18.667	0.025	241.534
8	C. Sainz Ferrari	55	Ferrari	Ferrari	23	+0.122 1'18.686	0.019	241.476
9	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	20	+0.207 1'18.771	0.085	241.215
10	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	25	+0.354 1'18.918	0.147	240.766
11	D. Ricciardo RB	3	RB	Red Bull	25	+0.710 1'19.274	0.356	239.685
12	A. Albon Williams	23	Williams	Mercedes	11	+0.879 1'19.443	0.169	239.175
13	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20	Haas	Ferrari	21	+0.925 1'19.489	0.046	239.036
14	L. Sargeant Williams	2	Williams	Mercedes	22	+0.955 1'19.519	0.030	238.946
15	E. Ocon Alpine	31	Alpine	Renault	25	+0.997 1'19.561	0.042	238.820
16	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27	Haas	Ferrari	21	+1.040 1'19.604	0.043	238.691
17	P. Gasly Alpine	10	Alpine	Renault	25	+1.058 1'19.622	0.018	238.637
18	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	16	+1.152 1'19.716	0.094	238.356
19	Z. Guanyu Sauber	24	Sauber	Ferrari	23	+1.425 1'19.989	0.273	237.542
20	V. Bottas Sauber	77	Sauber	Ferrari	21	+1.450 1'20.014	0.025	237.468
View full results