Motorsport: Record lap gives Lewis Hamilton sixth straight pole

Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton relax after qualifying. Photo / AP

Lewis Hamilton produced the fastest lap ever at the Australian Grand Prix to take pole position at the Formula One season opener for the sixth consecutive year.

The five-time world champion overhauled team-mate Valtteri Bottas' leading time with seconds remaining to top qualifying yesterday in 1m 20.486s.

"Oh, man, I'm shaking, it was so close out there," Hamilton said in a post-session TV interview. "I'm so proud. Valtteri did an exceptional job out there, so close."

Bottas was second in 1m 20.598s and will start alongside Hamilton on the front of the grid in today's Grand Prix. Two-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel was third and Red Bull's Max Versteppen split the Ferraris by finishing fourth in front of Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton collected the 84th pole position of his career and his eighth in Australia.

Asked about matching Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna's record for most pole positions at an F1 circuit, the British driver was slightly taken aback.

"I didn't even know about that," Hamilton said. "That's news to me."

The Ferraris appeared to be the fastest cars in winter testing, but so far haven't been able to top the Mercedes in any of the three practice sessions or qualifying in Melbourne.

That doesn't bother Vettel, who has won in Melbourne the last two years despite finishing behind Hamilton in qualifying.

Asked if Ferrari can make it three in a row in Australia, Vettel said: "Of course I think we can. We have a good race car. We're in good form.

"Obviously Mercedes are clear favourites, but we're here to race."

Leclerc had the quickest time in the first qualifying section but slipped back to third, then fifth.

Both Renault drivers missed the last stage of qualifying, with Nico Hulkenberg 11th after the second run and Daniel Ricciardo 12th in his first qualifying session for his new team.

- AP