Max Verstappen will start from first for tomorrow’s Sprint Race at the Austrian Grand Prix, going just under a tenth faster than Lando Norris.
SQ1
The track was rather dusty for the drivers during this first Sprint Qualifying session, with a time being found by a good number of drivers as the session progressed and the racing line got cleaner.
One driver that certainly struggled for grip was Lewis Hamilton, who had a nervy SQ1. Having barely kept his car pointing in the right direction at turn 1 on his first lap, he would go on to invalidate his banker after running wide at turn 6. He came in to refuel, and on his final lap was still struggling to find grip, having ran wide of the apex at turn 4, as well as having to manage traffic at what is the shortest track of the season in terms of lap time. He would manage to make it through to SQ2, but only in 12th place.
Being such a short track, the margins for elimination can be rather fine, as Ricciardo and Hulkenberg found, both being eliminated despite being within 3 hundredths of 15th placed Tsunoda. Zhou Guanyu though didn’t have the best of times during this Sprint Qualifying though, being over 6 tenths shy of making it through to the next session.
ELIMINATED
16. Daniel Ricciardo – RB +0.024
17. Nico Hulkenberg – Haas +0.026
18. Valtteri Bottas – Kick Sauber +0.168
19. Alex Albon – Williams +0.197
20. Zhou Guanyu – Kick Sauber +0.640
SQ2
There was a variance in strategy in SQ2, as those in the top 4 teams all decided to run early laps, confident that they could still get the time to make it through to SQ3 even without the optimal track conditions, though leaving the time to do a second lap if absolutely necessary, albeit needing to do so with the same set of tyres as per the rules for Sprint Qualifying.
The other 7 drivers in the session all left it late, making it an effective one lap shootout to see who will be eliminated from this point. Logan Sargeant was able to outqualify his teammate for the second time in his career, with Albon being eliminated in SQ1, but was unable to make it any higher than 15th place in SQ2.
The RB team also looks to still somewhat be struggling following the upgrades put onto the car at last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, with a Ricciardo elimination in SQ1 being followed up with a Tsunoda elimination in 14th in SQ2. Aston Martin’s struggles also continue, with both Stroll and Alonso occupying 12th and 13th respectively.
ELIMINATED
11. Kevin Magnussen – Haas +0.049
12. Lance Stroll – Aston Martin +0.090
13. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin +0.121
14. Yuki Tsunoda – Alpha Tauri +0.203
15. Logan Sargeant – Williams +0.256
SQ3
Despite having just about enough time in SQ3 to be able to set two times, everyone opted to leave it to the last minute to make this a one lap shootout for first in Sprint Qualifying. Some drivers left it very late, with Perez and both Alpines barely making it to the line with sub-optimal outlaps, whilst Charles Leclerc had an issue getting out of the pits, and wasn’t able to get around quickly enough in order to get his lap in.
The Mercedes drivers set their times first, though Hamilton continued to struggle, and was quickly beaten by his teammate in the timing sheets. Carlos Sainz then came round to split the two silver arrows. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri would take provisional pole for a moment, before quickly being beaten by teammate Lando Norris, who himself was then beaten to the top spot by Max Verstappen, who was able to find a little under one tenth of a second on the Brit.
Sprint Qualifying results
1. Max Verstappen – Red Bull 1:04.686
2. Lando Norris – McLaren +0.093
3. Oscar Piastri– McLaren +0.301
4. George Russell – Mercedes +0.368
5. Carlos Sainz – Ferrari +0.440
6. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes +0.584
7. Sergio Perez – Red Bull +1.322
8. Esteban Ocon – Alpine +1.415
9. Pierre Gasly – Alpine +1.938
10. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari NO TIME
