Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc claimed his second pole position of the year with a blistering final lap in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Leclerc, who won the season-opening race in Bahrain in March, posted a time of 1 minute, 17.868 seconds to edge Red Bull driver and defending series champion Max Verstappen by .286 seconds.

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez qualified in third position, while Lando Norris will start from the second row in his McLaren after qualifying fourth.

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Lewis Hamilton, who had claimed pole position in the six previous Grand Prix races held in Melbourne, finished .957 seconds behind Leclerc in fifth.

The brilliant drive from Leclerc gave Ferrari its first pole position in Melbourne since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

"It felt good. Even more, because it was a track I have always struggled at as a driver," Leclerc said.

"In Q3, I managed to pull everything together. It feels great. Tomorrow we just need to do a good start and hopefully we can maintain pole position."

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Verstappen said he "didn't really feel good in the car all weekend so far" and that it had been a "bit of a struggle . . . For me, this weekend has been all over the place. As a team, we want more."

In a major renovation to the Melbourne track, five corners were reprofiled at Albert Park and two were removed completely.

After two races, Leclerc leads the drivers' championship with 45 points, followed by Sainz with 33 and Verstappen, who won in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, with 25.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc claimed his second pole position of the year with a blistering final lap in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday. Leclerc, who won the season-opening race in Bahrain in March, posted a time of 1 minute, 17.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc claimed his second pole position of the year with a blistering final lap in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday. Leclerc, who won the season-opening race in Bahrain in March, posted a time of 1 minute, 17.868 seconds to edge Red Bull driver and defending series champion Max Verstappen by .286 seconds. Red Bull driver Sergio Perez qualified in third position, while Lando Norris will start from the second row in his McLaren after qualifying fourth. ALSO READ: Formula One: Sebastian Vettel fined 5,000 euros for riding scooter around Australian Grand Prix circuit Lewis Hamilton, who had claimed pole position in the six previous Grand Prix races held in Melbourne, finished .957 seconds behind Leclerc in fifth. The brilliant drive from Leclerc gave Ferrari its first pole position in Melbourne since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. "It felt good. Even more, because it was a track I have always struggled at as a driver," Leclerc said. "In Q3, I managed to pull everything together. It feels great. Tomorrow we just need to do a good start and hopefully we can maintain pole position." ALSO READ: UEFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Atletico Madrid for 'discriminatory behaviour' after Man City tie Verstappen said he "didn't really feel good in the car all weekend so far" and that it had been a "bit of a struggle . . . For me, this weekend has been all over the place. As a team, we want more." In a major renovation to the Melbourne track, five corners were reprofiled at Albert Park and two were removed completely. After two races, Leclerc leads the drivers' championship with 45 points, followed by Sainz with 33 and Verstappen, who won in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, with 25.

Formula 1: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc beats Max Verstappen to claim pole position for Australian Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg set a scorching pace under pressure today to seize pole position, ahead of Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, in qualifying for his home German Formula One Grand Prix. 
 
Rosberg, determined to take back the championship lead from Hamilton on Sunday after losing it in last weekend&#39;s race in Hungary, lapped the 4.5-km Hockenheim track in one minute 14.363 seconds. 
 
The German had only one flying lap to set his time, however, after being forced to abandon his first attempt in the final pole-position phase of qualifying due to an electronics problem. 
 
&quot;It was a great feeling and just a great lap,&quot; Rosberg said. &quot;I also had extra fuel to make sure that I do have another shot if a mistake or something happens... so I was really satisfied with that one, that was cool.&quot; 
 
Today&#39;s pole was the 27th of Rosberg&#39;s career and fifth of the season. It was also Mercedes&#39;s 47th in the last 50 races. The German team have started all but one race this year from the front. 
 
Hamilton, who escaped a penalty for an unsafe release in the final practice session, was 0.107 seconds slower than Rosberg. 
 
The Briton had trailed the German in each of the three practice sessions in the build-up to qualifying but was quickest in Sunday&#39;s opening two phases before locking up on his final lap. 
 
&quot;I had the pace today, I just didn&#39;t finish it off in the last lap,&quot; said Hamilton, who leads Rosberg by six points heading into Sunday&#39;s race. 
 
Daniel Ricciardo will head an all-Red Bull second row after going third-fastest ahead of 18-year-old Dutch team mate Max Verstappen. 
 
The Australian, who finished third in Hungary, was 0.363 seconds behind Rosberg&#39;s benchmark but was optimistic that a different tyre strategy to the Mercedes pair could put him in the mix. 
 
Kimi Raikkonen was fifth for Ferrari, beating team mate Sebastian Vettel who was a disappointing sixth on his first appearance on home soil in the Italian team&#39;s scarlet colours. 
 
Nico Hulkenberg was seventh ahead of Williams driver Valtteri Bottas and Force India team mate Sergio Perez. Felipe Massa, in the second Williams, was 10th. 
 
Rosberg won at Hockenheim in 2014 and a repeat would allow him to put the brakes on Hamilton, who has won five of the last six races. 
 
(Reuters)

Saturday's pole was the 27th of Nico Rosberg's career and fifth of the season

Nico Rosberg set a scorching pace under pressure today to seize pole position, ahead of Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, in qualifying for his home German Formula One Grand Prix. Rosberg, determined to take back the championship lead from Hamilton on Sunday after losing it in last weekend's race in Hungary, lapped the 4.5-km Hockenheim track in one minute 14.363 seconds. The German had only one flying lap to set his time, however, after being forced to abandon his first attempt in the final pole-position phase of qualifying due to an electronics problem. "It was a great feeling and just a great lap," Rosberg said. "I also had extra fuel to make sure that I do have another shot if a mistake or something happens... so I was really satisfied with that one, that was cool." Today's pole was the 27th of Rosberg's career and fifth of the season. It was also Mercedes's 47th in the last 50 races. The German team have started all but one race this year from the front. Hamilton, who escaped a penalty for an unsafe release in the final practice session, was 0.107 seconds slower than Rosberg. The Briton had trailed the German in each of the three practice sessions in the build-up to qualifying but was quickest in Sunday's opening two phases before locking up on his final lap. "I had the pace today, I just didn't finish it off in the last lap," said Hamilton, who leads Rosberg by six points heading into Sunday's race. Daniel Ricciardo will head an all-Red Bull second row after going third-fastest ahead of 18-year-old Dutch team mate Max Verstappen. The Australian, who finished third in Hungary, was 0.363 seconds behind Rosberg's benchmark but was optimistic that a different tyre strategy to the Mercedes pair could put him in the mix. Kimi Raikkonen was fifth for Ferrari, beating team mate Sebastian Vettel who was a disappointing sixth on his first appearance on home soil in the Italian team's scarlet colours. Nico Hulkenberg was seventh ahead of Williams driver Valtteri Bottas and Force India team mate Sergio Perez. Felipe Massa, in the second Williams, was 10th. Rosberg won at Hockenheim in 2014 and a repeat would allow him to put the brakes on Hamilton, who has won five of the last six races. (Reuters)

Rosberg on pole for home German grand prix

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