Australian Grand Prix Qualifying: Hamilton takes pole for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton takes pole position for Mercedes in the opening round of the 2014 Grand Prix calendar with a stunning last lap time.

It’s all change for 2014 in the world of F1, with new turbo V6 engines making funny noises and new nose cones looking as odd as the engines sound. But one thing hasn’t changed – it’s Mercedes and Red Bull fighting for the front.

Lewis Hamilton took a stunning pole in tricky, wet conditions on the last lap of final qualifying to edge out the Red Bull in to second spot.

But it wasn’t Sebastian Vettel pushed in to second place, but new boy Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull making his debut and taking second place (with Sebastian Vettel down in 13th) just ahead of Hamilton’s team mate Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes.

Behind those three came another familiar car – the McLaren – but this time driven by McLaren’s new boy Kevin Magnussen, not by Jenson Button who failed to make final qualifying – and starting in 11th place – after having what should have been a lap to get in to final qualifying wrecked by a yellow flag.

Behind the McLaren is the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso whose new team mate, Kimi Raikkonen, crashed out in Q2 and starts behind Jenson Button in 12th place.

It was a mixed bag behind the top five, with Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso in 6th, Nico Hulkenberg in the Force India in 7th,  Daniil Kvyat in the Toto Rosso in 8th, Felipe Massa in the Williams in 9th and Valtteri Botas, also in the Williams, taking 10th.

The race itself will be an interesting outing, with no idea how reliable the new cars will be, no clear idea of whether it will rain or not and serious contenders like Button, Raikkonen and Vettel comong from well down the grid to fight for position.

It’ll be a race worth watching.