In a challenging qualifying ahead of the Australian Grand Prix for the Sauber F1 Team, Marcus Ericsson was able to make it into Q2 finishing qualifying in P15, while Antonio Giovinazzi ended his first Formula 1 qualifying in P16.

As announced today, Antonio Giovinazzi replaces Pascal Wehrlein as of FP3 for the rest of the Australian Grand Prix weekend. Wehrlein does not feel fit enough for a complete race distance due to his training deficit caused by the incident during the Race of Champions in January in Miami.

Marcus Ericsson: "It was a decent first qualifying for us. Throughout the weekend we have worked hard to maximize our current package. I managed to set a good lap in Q1, which was enough to put us in Q2. The second qualifying session started off well, but then I went a bit wide in turn 9, so I lost some lap time there. P15 is a decent position for starting the first Grand Prix of the 2017 season."

Antonio Giovinazzi: "That is a special day for me kicking off my first Formula One Grand Prix weekend. I am really happy with my performance today, I was just a few tenths away from Q2. It will be a long race tomorrow; a lot can happen here in Melbourne. I will do my best to put in my maximum performance."

Check out our Saturday gallery from Melbourne, here.