It was Red Bull’s ring at the Austrian Grand Prix, but who would have thought Red Bull’s Max Verstappen would be eliminated in qualifying. The race starts today at 18:30 with Mercedes’ George Russell starting again from pole position and sharing the front row with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The Red Bull Ring has always rewarded courage. Its short circuit, long straights and relentlessly fast corners leave little room for hesitation. One mistake can cost a driver an entire qualifying session, while one perfect lap can define an entire weekend.After Lewis Hamilton’s emotional Ferrari victory in Barcelona, ​​Formula 1 arrived in Spielberg with the battle for the championship once again wide open. Kimi Antonelli still led the standings with 41 points, but George Russell was on hand to remind everyone that Mercedes have two real title contenders.
Friday practice: Antonelli sets the early pace
If Barcelona belonged to George Russell, Friday in Austria belonged to Kimi Antonelli. The championship leader wasted no time in cementing his authority over the weekend, leading the first practice session with Mercedes comfortably ahead of the chasing pack. George Russell finished Mercedes one-two, while Oscar Piastri finished third for McLaren.
| position | Driver | team | Time/Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:07,796 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.040s |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.117 s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.281 s |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.665s |
Second training
Antonelli did a double practice again on Friday, setting the fastest lap ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Russell dropped to sixth after traffic and line-up changes jeopardized his afternoon, but Mercedes remained the team to beat heading into Saturday.McLaren looked increasingly competitive with one lap to go, while Ferrari’s Hamilton made quiet progress throughout the afternoon. Verstappen finished fourth again but continued to struggle with the balance of his Red Bull.
| position | Driver | team | Time/Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:07.014 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.237 s |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.325 s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.550s |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.597 s |
Saturday morning: Russell strikes back
Just when it looked like Antonelli would dominate the entire weekend, George Russell hit back. The Briton set a great lap in the final practice session, edging team-mate Antonelli by just 0.038 seconds from the top of FP3. Lewis Hamilton completed the top three despite struggling with rear-wheel lock, while Mercedes once again confirmed they have the fastest pack around Spielberg.Russell admitted the car was still not perfect, complaining about braking consistency throughout the session, but when it mattered most he coaxed every ounce of performance out of the W18. Antonelli remained untroubled in the competition, ensuring Mercedes entered qualifying as the clear favourites.
| position | Driver | team | Time/Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:07,096 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.038 s |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.115s |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.248 s |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.264s |
Qualifications: Chaos, controversy and Russell’s brilliant gender
The Red Bull Ring may produce one of Formula 1’s shortest circuits, but qualifying is rarely easy. Q1 and Q2 brought their share of surprises, and then came the dramatic Q3.Max Verstappen appeared on track to challenge for pole before losing control at Turn 9 and crashing into the barriers on his final flying lap. Yellow flags immediately flew around the track, forcing several drivers to react in an instant. Russell, approaching the incident, moved up enough to honor the individual yellow flags before completing an outstanding lap that ultimately secured pole position. The Mercedes driver was briefly under investigation after Ferrari questioned whether he had respected the yellow flags, but Antonelli and Russell confirmed his lap was legal and the pole stood. Charles Leclerc took advantage of Ferrari’s improved pace to secure second place on the grid. Lewis Hamilton ended an impressive front-row challenge from Ferrari in third place.Antonelli, who looked capable of challenging for pole throughout the weekend, mistakenly believed the double yellow flags had been shown and aborted his final flying lap, settling for fourth place.Verstappen’s earlier lap was good enough for fifth despite finishing qualifying in the barriers.
| position | Driver | team | Q3/Q2/Q1 Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (columns) | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:06.113 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:06,349 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:06.408 |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:06.414 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:06,475 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:06.502 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:06.511 |
| 8 | Isaac Hajar | Red Bull Racing | 1:06.632 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:06,955 |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:07.007 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:07.223 (Q2) |
| 12 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:07.293 (Q2) |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:07.523 (Q2) |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:07.611 (Q2) |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:07.817 (Q2) |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:08.171 (Q2) |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Williams | 1:08.252 (Q1) |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:08.509 (Q1) |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:08.945 (Q1) |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:09.030 (Q1) |
| 21 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:09.942 (Q1) |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:10,363 (Q1) |
Verstappen’s frustrating afternoon
Austria is Red Bull’s home race, but Saturday quickly turned into a disappointment. After showing promising pace in Q3, Verstappen’s late crash ended any hopes of a pole position fight. Despite being uninjured, the Dutchman will now start fifth, leaving him plenty to do on Sunday.
Race ahead
Everything points to another fascinating battle between Mercedes and Ferrari.George Russell starts from pole position trying to cut into Antonelli’s championship lead. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have Ferrari’s strongest qualifying result in weeks.Antonelli still possesses the race pace to challenge for victory. And Verstappen, despite starting from fifth place, remains one of the best Formula 1 racers at the Red Bull Ring.With overtaking opportunities at Turns 1, 3 and 4, Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix promises to be much more action-packed than Monaco.
