Summary

  • Lewis Hamilton secures pole position

  • Vettel 2nd, Bottas 3rd, Raikkonen 4th

  • Ricciardo crashes out

  • Get involved: #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

  2. It appears that Lewis Hamilton was on a new set of ultrasofts during Q2. Valtteri Bottas has improved on his showing on Friday. Could he snatch a surprise pole?

  3. Andrew Benson
    Chief F1 writer in Melbourne

    It's starting to spit with rain as the drivers prepare to battle for pole position.

  4. IN

    1) Valtteri Bottas 2) Lewis Hamilton 3) Kimi Raikkonen 4) Sebastian Vettel 5) Daniel Ricciardo 6) Max Verstappen 7) Felipe Massa 8) Romain Grosjean 9) Daniil Kvyat 10) Carlos Sainz

  5. "I cannot do more than this," says Fernando Alonso after securing 13th on the grid. 

    That's a great result considering the pre-season McLaren had.

    AlonsoRex Features

  6. OUT

    11) Sergio Perez 12) Nico Hulkenberg 13) Fernando Alonso 14) Esteban Ocon 15) Marcus Ericsson

  7. chequered flag

    Chequered flag

    Valtteri Bottas finishes fastest in the second part of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

  8. Fernando Alonso is currently 13th. Needs something big to get through...

  9. Get involved #bbcf1

    John Crowson: Why is Hamilton not doing another run, wouldn't that mean he has to start on more worn tyres?  

  10. Less than two tenths of a second separate the top four. Ferrari definitely giving Mercedes something to think about on this showing. 

    Everyone from sixth down is on the circuit for one final push to get through to Q3.

  11. The top three of Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen are all in the pits. Sebastian Vettel, currently fourth, is on the track at the moment.

    VettelAP

  13. Fernando Alonso on team radio: "Same thing with the engine - when I got back on the throttle, no power." He pits with three minutes to go...

  14. All 15 drivers in Q2 have done a timed lap now and the five in danger of going out are:

    11) Nico Hulkenberg 12) Romain Grosjean 13) Esteban Ocon 14) Fernando Alonso 15) Marcus Ericsson

  16. The Red Bulls, however, have not been as close far. Daniel Ricciardo goes fifth quickest with 1:23.989, seven tenths of a second off the pace of the Mercedes.

    It's even worse from Max Verstappen as he does 1:24.789 - 1.5 seconds slower than Valtteri Bottas.

    VerstappenAP

  17. Now the Ferraris cross the line. Kimi Raikkonen does a 1:23.376, a tenth of a second down on Valtteri Bottas, while Sebastian Vettel laps in 1:23.458.

    So far, Ferrari appear to be there or thereabouts.

  18. Valtteri Bottas sets the first time in Q2 with a 1:23.215. Lewis Hamilton follows soon after, but 0.036 slower.   

  19. Second qualifying starts

    Fifteen minutes of the second part of qualifying is under way.

    Can Fernando Alonso get into the top 10 shootout? Do we dare to dream?

    AlonsoGetty Images

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