What are the tactical options for the Australian GP?

Mercedes dominated qualifying for the season opener at Albert Park, with George Russell securing pole position three-tenths ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli. Isack Hadjar surprisingly claimed P3, though a significant eight-tenths adrift of Russell. The session's biggest shock came from Hadjar's teammate, Max Verstappen, who failed to set a lap time after crashing at Turn 1. Despite Mercedes' strong front-row lockout, analysts suggest that Sunday's race outcome remains wide open, especially for the teams outside of Mercedes, promising an unpredictable start to the new season.