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Hamilton and Mercedes in shock qualifying woe

Lewis Hamilton has endured a difficult Australian Grand Prix weekend and his issues were deepened during qualifying at Albert Park.

Lewis Hamiton has suffered a shock early exit at the Australian Grand Prix, dropping out of the session in Q2. The seven-time World Champion had been struggling for pace throughout the weekend in Albert Park, as he battled his car during Friday practice. However, matters looked more promising after FP3 when the Mercedes driver classified in fourth place. But Hamilton's woes sunk further during qualifying, at a circuit where he has claimed pole position on eight occasions. Hamilton originally appeared to be safe inside the top 10 before a last-gasp effort by Aston Martin's Lance Stroll at the end of Q2 demoted him to 11th place. The 39-year-old is set to share the sixth row of the grid for the start of Sunday's race with Williams' Alex Albon.

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F1 calendar 2026
Race Date
aus GP Australië 08 Mar 2026
chn GP China 15 Mar 2026
jpn GP Japan 29 Mar 2026
bhr GP Bahrein 12 Apr 2026
sau GP Saoedi-Arabië 19 Apr 2026
usa GP Miami 03 May 2026
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RESULTS 2026 F1 Bahrain Pre-Season 2nd Test - Day 3