<p>Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton will start off the pole in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after winning qualifying on Saturday.<br /><br />Hamilton in a Mercedes clocked a record lap of one minute 22.188 seconds to take his 62nd career pole and sixth in Australia into Sunday's race in Melbourne.<br /><br />Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was second with Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas third.<br /><br />Hamilton has been on pole in Melbourne in each of the last four seasons, and in five out the last six Australian GPs.<br /><br />"It's been a fantastic weekend so far. I'm incredibly proud of my team," Hamilton said.<br />"Valtteri did a great job and it's great for us as Mercedes. It's going to be a tight race.<br />"Tomorrow is about putting all the work together and making sure I come back stronger than ever."<br /><br />He was pushed in the final Q3 stage first by Bottas and then by Vettel before clinching the fastest lap.<br /><br />"I lost a bit in turn one and in turn nine I tried a bit too much, but I don't think it would have been enough," said Vettel, who claimed Ferrari's first front row since 2015 in knocking Bottas out of second place.<br /><br />Hamilton's pole time was 1.7 seconds quicker than his qualifying time last year.<br />"Third position is not ideal," Bottas said.<br /><br />"In general I'm not happy for the result. But I'm proud of what the team has done. I only saw a very small part of the preparation and it's nice to see the work has pulled off and we're fighting at the front."<br /><br />Australia's big hope Daniel Ricciardo crashed his Red Bull at turn 14 looking to post a good time in Q3 and will start 10th off the grid.<br /><br />Ricciardo damaged the rear of his RB13 car and was heard over the team radio as saying: "I'm alright... sorry guys."<br /><br />The final session of qualifying was suspended while Ricciardo's car was removed from the gravel alongside the track.<br /><br />"He's absolutely fine. It's a shame. He's lost the rear of the car at turn 14. He's come on the radio and apologised. Just pushing a bit too hard in that corner," team principal Christian Horner said.<br /><br />Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Marcus Ericsson all failed to make it through the top ten shootout.<br /><br />Red Bull's Max Verstappen had a lock-up into turn six on ultrasoft tyres before he posted a time to stay alive into Q2.<br /><br />McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne had a fuel-flow issue which sent the Belgian to the pits and knocked out in Q1.<br /><br />Vandoorne was joined by Antonio Giovinazzi, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll and Jolyon Palmer to be eliminated in the first session of qualifying.<br /><br />Giovinazzi is making his F1 debut after replacing Williams team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, who has not sufficiently recovered from a back injury sustained in a pre-season crash. <br /></p>
<p>Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton will start off the pole in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after winning qualifying on Saturday.<br /><br />Hamilton in a Mercedes clocked a record lap of one minute 22.188 seconds to take his 62nd career pole and sixth in Australia into Sunday's race in Melbourne.<br /><br />Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was second with Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas third.<br /><br />Hamilton has been on pole in Melbourne in each of the last four seasons, and in five out the last six Australian GPs.<br /><br />"It's been a fantastic weekend so far. I'm incredibly proud of my team," Hamilton said.<br />"Valtteri did a great job and it's great for us as Mercedes. It's going to be a tight race.<br />"Tomorrow is about putting all the work together and making sure I come back stronger than ever."<br /><br />He was pushed in the final Q3 stage first by Bottas and then by Vettel before clinching the fastest lap.<br /><br />"I lost a bit in turn one and in turn nine I tried a bit too much, but I don't think it would have been enough," said Vettel, who claimed Ferrari's first front row since 2015 in knocking Bottas out of second place.<br /><br />Hamilton's pole time was 1.7 seconds quicker than his qualifying time last year.<br />"Third position is not ideal," Bottas said.<br /><br />"In general I'm not happy for the result. But I'm proud of what the team has done. I only saw a very small part of the preparation and it's nice to see the work has pulled off and we're fighting at the front."<br /><br />Australia's big hope Daniel Ricciardo crashed his Red Bull at turn 14 looking to post a good time in Q3 and will start 10th off the grid.<br /><br />Ricciardo damaged the rear of his RB13 car and was heard over the team radio as saying: "I'm alright... sorry guys."<br /><br />The final session of qualifying was suspended while Ricciardo's car was removed from the gravel alongside the track.<br /><br />"He's absolutely fine. It's a shame. He's lost the rear of the car at turn 14. He's come on the radio and apologised. Just pushing a bit too hard in that corner," team principal Christian Horner said.<br /><br />Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Marcus Ericsson all failed to make it through the top ten shootout.<br /><br />Red Bull's Max Verstappen had a lock-up into turn six on ultrasoft tyres before he posted a time to stay alive into Q2.<br /><br />McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne had a fuel-flow issue which sent the Belgian to the pits and knocked out in Q1.<br /><br />Vandoorne was joined by Antonio Giovinazzi, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll and Jolyon Palmer to be eliminated in the first session of qualifying.<br /><br />Giovinazzi is making his F1 debut after replacing Williams team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, who has not sufficiently recovered from a back injury sustained in a pre-season crash. <br /></p>