Austrian Grand Prix: Verstappen Claims Sprint Race Pole

Austrian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen secured pole position for the sprint race by just 0.093 seconds ahead of Lando Norris. Verstappen, despite concerns about his tires following a chaotic session and a crowded track, managed to set the fastest time. Oscar Piastri took third place for McLaren, trailing Verstappen by 0.301 seconds, followed by George Russell in fourth for Mercedes and Carlos Sainz in fifth for Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc, unable to complete his flying lap in time, will start from 10th position. Lewis Hamilton, who struggled with track limits throughout the session, finished sixth, ahead of Sergio Perez in seventh for Red Bull. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten for Alpine. Verstappen and Norris have been the dominant forces in recent races, and the sprint qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring was no different.

Despite Norris showing strong form, Verstappen’s final lap secured him pole position to the delight of his fans, especially those from the Netherlands who turned out in orange to support him at Red Bull’s home race. Max Verstappen commented, “It’s fantastic to be first here in front of my home fans at my home Grand Prix. The car felt great from the start, and we made some adjustments that worked well for sprint qualifying.”

In the Austrian Grand Prix, Norris acknowledged Verstappen’s strong performance, saying, “I struggled until my final lap, but it was close; Max did a great job, and it sets us up well for the sprint race tomorrow.”