Lando Norris Claims Pole Position at the Austrian Grand Prix
Lando Norris has secured pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix, showcasing his prowess during the qualifying session held on Saturday at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. The McLaren driver clocked a remarkable time of 1:03.971, marking the 12th pole of his career and his third of the season, following his success in Monaco. Joining him on the front row of the grid is Charles Leclerc from Ferrari, who managed to secure second place.
Starting Grid Overview
In an exciting qualifying session, the first row features Norris and Leclerc, while the second row is composed of another McLaren and Ferrari duo: Oscar Piastri in third and Lewis Hamilton in fourth. The third row includes George Russell from Mercedes and Liam Lawson from Racing Bulls, starting in fifth and sixth positions, respectively. Gabriel Bortoleto, representing Sauber, achieved his best qualifying performance of the year, starting in eighth alongside Max Verstappen, who will begin in seventh. Unfortunately for Nico Hulkenberg, Bortoleto’s teammate at Sauber, he faced elimination in Q1 and will start from the back of the grid.
The final positions in the top ten are rounded out by Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes in ninth and Pierre Gasly from Alpine in tenth place.
Q1 Recap: The Elimination Round
The first qualifying session, known as Q1, lasted for 18 minutes, during which the five slowest drivers were set to be eliminated. Norris initially took the lead with a time of 1:04.672, followed closely by Verstappen and the Ferrari drivers, with Hamilton ahead of Leclerc. Isack Hadjar momentarily broke up the Ferrari duo by claiming fifth place, only to be surpassed by Antonelli, who jumped to fourth.
With six minutes left in Q1, Piastri moved up to second, trailing Norris by just 0.332 seconds, while Bortoleto found himself in a precarious position in 16th. The Sauber duo ventured out for another quick lap, but Hulkenberg failed to improve his time. Conversely, Bortoleto managed to climb to fifth but dropped to sixth as Alex Albon set a time that pushed him down the standings.
As the session drew to a close, all drivers returned to the track for one final push. Lawson impressed by jumping to third place, while Gasly also moved up to fourth. Russell, who found himself among the eliminated, managed to salvage a spot in 11th, just behind Antonelli. Ultimately, the five drivers who failed to advance were Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, and Hulkenberg.
Q2 Recap: The Battle for Top Times
The second qualifying session, Q2, offered a 15-minute window for drivers to secure a position in the final round. Ferrari was quick off the mark, with Leclerc setting a time of 1:05.4, followed by Hamilton at 1:05.6, both on used soft tires. Hadjar initially occupied second before Lawson set a blistering time of 1:05.248 to take the lead.
As the session progressed, Verstappen put down a time of 1:05.103, only for Piastri to shine with a time of 1:04.556, briefly taking the top spot. However, Norris soon eclipsed that, setting a new benchmark at 1:04.410. A dramatic moment occurred when Hamilton went off track in the last corner, igniting a small fire in the grass, leading to a red flag and halting the session.
When the session resumed, Bortoleto managed to clock in at 1:04.846, which placed him in third momentarily. However, Verstappen edged him out by just 0.010 seconds. Leclerc and Hamilton improved their times, moving to fifth and sixth, respectively, but still trailed behind Bortoleto. The session concluded with Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Verstappen, and Bortoleto rounding out the top five, while Fernando Alonso, Albon, Hadjar, Colapinto, and Bearman were eliminated.
Q3 Recap: The Final Shootout for Pole Position
The final session, Q3, lasted for 12 minutes and was crucial for determining who would take the coveted pole position. Piastri was the first to set a time, followed closely by Antonelli. However, Norris soon took over the top spot with a stunning lap time of 1:04.268. Leclerc managed to slot himself in second place, while Hamilton remained in fourth, ahead of Russell, who was under investigation for a potentially unsafe exit from the pits.
As the first laps in Q3 unfolded, Verstappen found himself in sixth, and Antonelli was in seventh. Bortoleto placed eighth, nearly three-tenths faster than Gasly, who was in ninth. The tension mounted as a queue formed in the pit lane with three minutes remaining in the session.
In a nail-biting finale, Norris improved his time to an impressive 1:03.971, solidifying his position at the top of the timing sheets and claiming pole position. Leclerc would line up alongside him in second place. Piastri and Hamilton completed the second row, while Russell and Lawson filled the third row. Verstappen and Bortoleto, who achieved his highest qualifying position to date, settled into the fourth row, with Antonelli and Gasly rounding out the top ten.
Final Grid for the Austrian Grand Prix
The grid for the Austrian Grand Prix is as follows:
- Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes) – 1:03.971
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:04.492
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes) – 1:04.554
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:04.582
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:04.763
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT) – 1:04.926
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) – 1:04.929
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber/Ferrari) – 1:05.132
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:05.276
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Renault) – 1:05.649
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Mercedes) – 1:05.128
- Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes) – 1:05.205
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT) – 1:05.226
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Renault) – 1:05.288
- Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari) – 1:05.312
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Mercedes) – 1:05.329
- Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari) – 1:05.364
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) – 1:05.369
- Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes) – 1:05.582
- Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber/Ferrari) – 1:05.606
In summary, the Austrian Grand Prix qualifying session was filled with thrilling moments and impressive performances, particularly from Lando Norris, who demonstrated his speed and skill to clinch pole position. The race promises to be an exciting showdown as the grid is set for what could be a memorable competition.
