The Dutch Red Bull driver will start in the lead in the sprint race on Saturday, on the eve of the Austrian Grand Prix. Bad times for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on Mercedes on the other hand…
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 nevertheless start 5th and Hamilton 10th for the sprint race.
The sprint race to determine the starting grid
The Austrian GP, which starts on Sunday, is the second of the three races of the season to offer a sprint race on Saturday, a format inaugurated last season and already used this year during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola in April. This sprint race will determine the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday. The 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.
Starting grid for the qualifying sprint race:
1st line:
Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull)
Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)
2nd line:
Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari)
Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull)
3rd line:
George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
Esteban Ocon (FRA / Alpine-Renault)
4th line:
Kevin Magnussen (DEN / Haas-Ferrari)
Mick Schumacher (GER/Haas-Ferrari)
5th line:
Fernando Alonso (ESP/Alpine-Renault)
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
6th line :
Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Red Bull)
Alexander Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes)
7th line:
Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo)
Yuki Tsunoda (JPN / AlphaTauri-Red Bull)
8th line:
Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes)
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes)
9th line:
Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes)
Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo)
10th line:
Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes)
Sebastian Vettel (GER/Aston Martin-Mercedes)