Leclerc was fast on Friday. Norris and Piastri were both incredibly strong. Lewis Hamilton ...was also there, and outpaced the reigning champ in FP2. At this point, it's pretty clear that Verstappen is driving – at best – the third best car on the grid. Hell, the Mercedes looked great on long runs too.

After struggling with setup issues through Australian Grand Prix practice, Max Verstappen was surprised by his Red Bull car's performance on Saturday as the Formula 1 defending champion took third place in qualifying for the season-opening race.

Red Bull Racing senior advisor Helmut Marko has issued a strong warning to his team, suggesting that Max Verstappen could part ways if he isn't given a powerful car capable of winning races. Following a dominant 2023 season,