George Russell claimed pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix following a dramatic qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring. His final qualifying effort placed him ahead of Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The session was marked by a late crash involving Red Bull driver Max Verstappen during Q3.
During the final runs of the pole shootout, drivers were pushing to improve their times when Verstappen lost control of his car at Turn 9. His vehicle collided with the barriers, leading to yellow flags being displayed. This incident occurred as Russell, Leclerc, and Hamilton were completing their laps.
Russell navigated the yellow flag zone, stating he lifted off the throttle, and managed to record a time that was quicker than both Leclerc and Hamilton. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, who had held provisional pole after the initial Q3 runs, backed out of his lap and did not improve his time. Antonelli later indicated he believed he saw double yellow flags, which prompted him to abort his lap.
The provisional top four for Sunday’s race are Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, and Antonelli. Verstappen is set to start in fifth position despite his crash. Following them are McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, and the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
Qualifying Session Overview
The qualifying hour began with high expectations for a close contest, following three practice sessions topped by Mercedes. Antonelli led in FP1 and FP2, while Russell was fastest in FP3. As qualifying commenced, many drivers quickly took to the track to set initial times.
In Q1, Antonelli initially set the fastest time with a 1m 07.083s, placing him ahead of Norris, Hamilton, the Red Bulls, Piastri, and Leclerc. Russell, after an initial run, improved his time but remained in eighth position. The session saw significant movement as drivers pushed for better times on fresh tires.
Williams experienced a double Q1 elimination, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon finishing in P17 and P18, respectively. Sainz narrowly missed a Q2 spot after sliding through the final corner on his last lap. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas of Cadillac qualified in P19 and P20, despite a major update package. Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll ended up at the back of the field.
Q2 saw Antonelli continue his strong performance, setting the quickest time with a 1m 06.763s, slightly faster than Piastri, Leclerc, and Hamilton. Verstappen and Hadjar followed on used tires. Russell initially ran deep at Turn 3, but later improved his lap to place fourth behind Antonelli, Piastri, and Norris. Verstappen narrowly avoided a Q3 exit, with Pierre Gasly missing out on a Q3 spot by a small margin.
Dramatic Q3 Conclusion
The pole position shootout in Q3 began with Antonelli setting a strong pace, recording a 1m 06.414s, just ahead of Russell and Verstappen. Piastri, Leclerc, Norris, Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad, and Hamilton, who abandoned his first lap, followed.
During the second runs, Ferrari drivers Hamilton and Leclerc briefly held provisional pole. Verstappen was also on a fast lap when he crashed at Turn 9, sending his car into the barriers and prompting yellow flags. Race Control issued yellow flags to manage the incident.
Antonelli completely aborted his lap, but Russell continued, lifting through the corner where Verstappen crashed. Russell’s actions were noted by the stewards, who took no further action. Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, confirmed Russell lifted for approximately 100 meters, which cost him some time. Russell’s final effort secured him pole position, with Leclerc and Hamilton in second and third.
Verstappen’s time before his crash placed him in fifth. Norris and Piastri, who also eased off during their final runs, will start in sixth and seventh. Hadjar, Lawson, and Lindblad completed the top 10 positions.
Russell expressed his satisfaction with the result, having navigated the yellows and gone quicker than Leclerc and Hamilton.
The Austrian Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday.
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Source: formula1.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.