2023-06-30 19:01:09
By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 45 minutes ago, Just updated
Max Verstappen (Red Bull). LEONHARD FOEGER / REUTERS
The Dutchman will start the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday at Spielberg ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Untouchable, the leader of the Formula 1 world championship Max Verstappen finished first again in qualifying after dominating free practice this Friday at Spielberg in Austria. He will start the grand prix on Sunday (3:00 p.m.) ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Lando Norris (McLaren) will also start alongside the Spaniard on the second row.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) will start just behind, in 5th place, followed by the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Alexander Albon (Williams) complete the top 10 on the grid. The session was interrupted only once by a red flag, after a spin suffered by Bottas in Q1. Without consequence for the Finn.
For the second time this year after Baku, a sprint race will take place on Saturday before the Grand Prix on Sunday (there will be six in total this season). If the qualifications on Friday defined the starting grid for Sunday, a proper qualification will take place on Saturday noon for the sprint, which will start at 4:30 p.m. for half an hour of racing. Already in search of a seventh victory this season, the Dutchman is 69 points ahead of Sergio Pérez, his teammate at Red Bull, the only other driver to have won this season (Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan).
Perez at pain
Winner of the last four races to date,Mad Max» is all the more favorite that he is here at home. On the Red Bull circuit, in front of his supporters who always come in large numbers, he has already won four times (three Austrian GPs and one Styrian GP).
To achieve a double at home, the Austrian team will however have more difficulty. Blame Pérez. The Mexican is no longer there: for the fourth time in a row, he fails to qualify in Q3, the last part of qualifying. This time it’s because of his misreading of the track. His time was indeed canceled because his single-seater went out of the limits of the track. He will start 15th.
Like Pérez, Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Finn Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) saw their times canceled in Q2. They will start 12th, 13th and 14th. On this fairly short circuit (4.318 km), with very small gaps, the Englishman George Russell (Mercedes) did not have the level and only took the 11th time, far from his teammate Hamilton.
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