Australian GP Qualifying: Charles Leclerc beats Max Verstappen to pole for Ferrari, Mercedes improve

Championship leader Charles Leclerc will start on pole for the Australian Grand Prix after outpacing 2022 rival Max Verstappen with his final lap of an exciting Melbourne qualifying that was disrupted by crashes.

Leclerc left it late but posted a mighty 1:17.868 in the dying embers of Q3 to snatch pole from Verstappen, who finished more than two tenths off the driver he has gone wheel-to-wheel with in both races to start the season.

More to follow.

This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.

Sky Sports brings you live updates as they happen. Get breaking sports news, analysis, exclusive interviews, replays and highlights.

Sky Sports is your trusted source for breaking sports news headlines and live updates. Watch live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, F1, Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Rugby League, Rugby Union, NFL, Darts, Netball and get the latest transfers news, results, scores and more.

Visit skysports.com or the Sky Sports App for all the breaking sports news headlines. You can receive push notifications from the Sky Sports app for the latest news from your favourite sports and you can also follow @SkySportsNews on Twitter to get the latest updates.