Verstappen Secures Pole Position in F1 Austrian GP, Outshining Leclerc by a Margin of 0.048s

In the presence of overcast skies and stronger winds compared to Friday’s practice session, the drivers faced penalties for exceeding track limits, particularly during Q2.

Verstappen dominated all three segments, with Leclerc trailing behind the reigning champion by 0.206s in Q3’s first runs.

During the final two attempts in Q3, Verstappen led the pack and set impressive sector times, resulting in a fastest lap of 1m04.391s.

Leclerc, determined to challenge Verstappen for pole position, pushed hard and managed to surpass his teammate Carlos Sainz, achieving the fastest time in the middle sector.

In a daring last lap in Q3, Leclerc flirted with the track limits through the double right-hander, causing his left rear to slip slightly. However, as he crossed the finish line, he fell short by less than half a tenth, allowing Verstappen to secure the coveted pole position.

In the only updated McLaren, Lando Norris trailed Sainz, securing a spot ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who finished fifth in his Mercedes.

Lance Stroll outperformed his teammate Fernando Alonso in qualifying for the second time this season, despite losing his initial Q3 run due to a track limits violation at the final corner.

Nico Hulkenberg claimed eighth place for Haas, followed by Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. Although Albon lost his best time in Q3, it wouldn’t have elevated him higher on the grid regardless, as the other nine drivers improved their positions.

The track limits issue intensified in Q2, resulting in both Red Bull drivers losing their initial times for running wide out of the final corner. While Verstappen successfully made it through with his second attempt, Perez faced setbacks, losing his second try due to going wide on the approach to the last corner and running off track after the penultimate corner.

Perez managed to secure second place temporarily before the final laps, but his time was invalidated once again for exceeding track limits at Turn 10. Consequently, he finished in 15th place, joining George Russell, Esteban Ocon, Oscar Piastri, and Valtteri Bottas in elimination.

During Q1, the session was temporarily halted when Bottas lost control of his car while following Perez through the first corner. The incident occurred as Bottas’s left rear corner hit a yellow sausage kerb, causing the Alfa Romeo to spin off the track and come to a rest partially on the grass. After a six-minute red-flag period, Bottas managed to restart and return to the pits.

After the resumption of Q1, Bottas’s last-minute improvement eliminated Yuki Tsunoda in 16th place. Zhou Guanyu achieved his personal best in the other Alfa Romeo, but it was insufficient to save him from being knocked out in 17th place. The same fate awaited Williams driver Logan Sargeant, who regretted leaving too much margin at the heavily-monitored final corner during his last lap.

Kevin Magnussen complained about downshift problems at Turn 3 and finished in 19th place, while Nyck de Vries concluded Q1 in the last position for AlphaTauri, setting a personal best time on his final lap.

Full Results:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1’04.391
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1’04.439 (+0.048)
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 1’04.581 (+0.190)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1’04.658 (+0.267)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 1’04.819 (+0.428)
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 1’04.893 (+0.502)
7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 1’04.911 (+0.520)
8. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) – 1’05.090 (+0.699)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1’05.170 (+0.779)
10. Alex Albon (Williams) – 1’05.823 (+1.432)
11. George Russell (Mercedes) – 1’05.428 (+1.037)
12. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) – 1’05.453 (+1.062)
13. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1’05.605 (+1.214)
14. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) – 1’05.680 (+1.289)
15. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 2’06.688 (+1’02.297)
16. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) – 1’05.784 (+1.393)
17. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) – 1’05.818 (+1.427)
18. Logan Sargeant (Williams) – 1’05.948 (+1.557)
19. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) – 1’05.971 (+1.580)
20. Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri) – 1’05.974 (+1.583)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about pole position

More about pole position

• F1 Austrian GP Qualifying: Verstappen Claims Pole Position
• Max Verstappen secures Austrian GP pole with late lap, Charles Leclerc second
• Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc explains losing F1 Austrian GP pole position
• Track limits penalties dominate F1 Austrian GP qualifying
• F1 Austrian GP Qualifying Results