Austrian Grand Prix could become a Verstappen showcase at the Red Bull ring as the World Championship leader dominated the weekend, topping the only free practice sessions and securing his fourth consecutive pole and sixth of the season. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz carried strong feelings from Canada into the final qualifying, joining the Dutchman on the front row for Sunday. Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, was edged out by teammate Lance Stroll for the first time in qualifying, dropping to seventh on the grid for the race.
Q1: Red Bull at home makes a statement
A brief track incident involving Valtteri Bottas in an Alfa Romeo brought out the red flag just three minutes into the session. Carlos Sainz collected an entry penalty after two laps were voided for crossing track limits. When action resumed, the Madrid native had to rely on a fresh soft compound to break into Q2.
As in the lone practice session, Verstappen held the lead over the Ferraris, with Sainz and Leclerc close behind. Alonso chose to conserve a set of soft tires to use in the Austria weekend, keeping a provisional top five position that kept him out of the danger zone.
The session ended with two Red Bull drivers in front—Verstappen and Perez—while Sainz was just off the pace, posting a 1’05″655 that still allowed Alonso to climb to seventh. Others eliminated included Tsunoda, Zhou, Sergeant, Magnussen, and De Vries.
Q2: The boundary drama reshapes the order
In a session marked by strict track limits and vigilant stewards, Verstappen, Perez, Leclerc, and Stroll found their best laps wiped, triggering a chorus of frustration from the championship leader who muttered that it felt like a joke.
Aston Martin navigated a different path under the sprint format, experimenting with tire strategy for doubles and race pace in a Grand Prix scenario. The confusion widened the gap for several top names, pushing Russell, Stroll, and Perez toward the brink of elimination. The Mexican driver produced a brilliant lap to move into second, but it wasn’t enough to overhaul the time set by Verstappen, as he finished just 39 thousandths behind on a 1.04.951. The shakeup kept fans on edge.
The result was a blow for Sergio Perez, who has faced scrutiny over a recent stretch of results and recently missed the Q3 cutoff for the fourth straight year. The track boundary rulings also caught out Russell, Ocon, Piastri, and Bottas.
Q3: The final shootout
The battle for pole of the season’s ninth is fought between two Ferraris and two Aston Martins along with Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, Gasly, Hulkenberg, and Albon. The contenders began with a cautious first attempt, aiming to set a clean lap within the limits. Verstappen surprised by taking provisional pole again with a 1.04.503, while Leclerc and Sainz trailed by about two tenths. Alonso sat sixth after his opening run.
With one run left, every driver pushed to topple Verstappen. Leclerc attempted to delay his exit to force traffic on the Dutchman, but Max found pace again and clocked a 1.03391—just ten-thousandths of a second faster than his rival. Leclerc ended up 48 thousandths away. Sainz finished third, and Alonso dropped to seventh, complicating his Sunday prospects.
Having determined the grid for the main race, Saturday’s program included a sprint with a qualifying session at 12:00 PM and a short race at 4:30 PM, awarding eight points to the winner and one point to the runner-up. The sprint format is scheduled to appear in Belgium, Qatar, the United States, and Brazil during the season.