Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will start in the lead on Saturday in the sprint race which will determine the grid for the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix after setting the fastest qualifying time on Friday.
The reigning world champion and current leader of the provisional championship standings, who signs his third pole position of the season, beat Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the two Ferrari drivers.
The two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were both victims of road trips in the 3rd and final phase of qualifying, but Russell will start 5th and Hamilton 10th for the sprint race.
“It was a long wait between the two interruptions which is never good,” Verstappen said, referring to the two consecutive red flags after the Mercedes crashes.
“We will have to think about the points on Saturday and Sunday,” he added to the cheers of the crowd, all won over to the Austrian Red Bull team and its star driver.
The Austrian GP, which starts on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. local time, is the second of three races this season to feature a sprint race on Saturday, a format inaugurated last season and already used this year during the Grand Prix. from Emilia-Romagna to Imola in April. The top eight in the sprint race receive additional world championship points and its outcome determines the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Leclerc stressed that the qualifying result had been “very tight” after falling 29/1000ths behind Verstappen. “We had to warm up the tires again after the interruptions,” said the Monegasque driver, currently 3rd in the world championship 43 points behind the Dutchman.
Quebecer Lance Stroll, for his part, will start from 17th place for Saturday’s race.
The Mercedes at the barriers
Ferrari won the British Grand Prix last Sunday but it was Carlos Sainz who crossed the line in the lead, Leclerc only finishing 4th after a questionable strategic choice by his team in terms of tire changes.
“I just had three races that were a bit of a disaster for me and I really hope everything will be better from tomorrow,” Leclerc said.
4th position for the start of the sprint race will be occupied by Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate.
Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) will be 6th ahead of the two Haas of Dane Kevin Magnussen and German Mick Schumacher and the other Alpine of Spaniard Fernando Alonso.
Russell, and especially Hamilton, will have no choice but to attack on Saturday in the 100 kilometer sprint to try to improve their position on the starting grid of the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, had a tough start to the season due to Mercedes’ declining form, but finished third in the British GP last Sunday, showing he has lost none of his fighting spirit. He is currently 6th in the world championship, behind his teammate Russell but already 88 points behind Max Verstappen.