Argentine driver Franco Colapinto advanced to Q2 in the qualifying for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix but couldn't improve his time and will start from 16th. His Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly finished 14th. George Russell of Mercedes took pole position.
At Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, Franco Colapinto took part in the qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, the first race of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Argentine, with number 43 on his Alpine, started Q1 on soft tires and clocked 1:22.247, placing 15th provisionally, though near the elimination zone. His teammate Pierre Gasly recorded 1:19.840 at that point, but the leader was George Russell with 1:19.840.
The session was interrupted by a crash from Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who lost control on the straight and triggered a red flag. Colapinto advanced to Q2, where he went out again on softs and tried to improve but ended 16th overall. In Q2, Gasly was 11th temporarily, but both Alpines missed Q3.
The starting grid was led by George Russell on pole, followed by Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) in second and Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) in third. Other notables include Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in fourth and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) in fifth. Verstappen, impacted by the incident, will start 20th.
In the preceding practices, Colapinto finished 16th in FP3, where Russell was fastest with 1:19.053. There was a crash by Antonelli in that session, causing another red flag. Colapinto commented after the first practices: “We haven't had a very fluid start to the weekend here in Melbourne, but I'm sure we've learned enough to improve.”
Accompanying Colapinto was his father Aníbal, who revealed on ESPN a tattoo of the number “43” in honor of his son. “It's what is appropriate. To do it, it has to be noticeable. You buy a Rolex and don't wear it, no, brother,” said Aníbal.
The race will take place on Sunday at 1 a.m. Argentina time and can be watched on Fox Sports and Disney+. The new qualifying system, adapted for 22 drivers due to Cadillac's arrival, eliminated six in Q1 and Q2, with Q3 extended to 13 minutes.
