Lewis Hamilton was the fastest qualifier at the curtain-raising Melbourne Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver produced an incredible lap to finish 0.360 seconds fast than his teammate, Nico Rosberg, claiming his 50th pole position in the process. But the attention afterwards was as much on the new qualification format as the performance of the world champion. The track was empty for the final five minutes, as a number of drivers stopped running in order to save tyres for tomorrow’s race.

Etihad Airways and McLaren Racing take to the skies with racing team livery
Hamilton visits Rafah crossing to witness Gaza aid efforts
Budapest set for star-studded Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot
UAE achieves another gold medal at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
