Austria - Qualifying

The qualifying session on the infamous Red Bull Ring was delayed after a crash during an F2 race. Thankfully for all the fans waiting in the Austrian heat, the delay wasn't too long, and the qualifying session began five minutes past four local time. 

The McLarens, the undeniable favourites of the weekend, started off very strongly. Lando Norris was the quickest of all contenders, despite a small slip-up during his push lap. Things weren't looking as great for Charles Leclerc and George Russell, both of whom struggled to find a place in the top five. In the end, they both managed to move through to Q2. The same couldn't be said about Yuki Tsunoda, who, despite his best efforts, finished the day in P18. Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, and Nico Hulkenberg joined him in the elimination zone.

The McLaren domination continued during Q2. They stayed on top of the leaderboards all the way until the short break in the session, caused by grass catching on fire due to the scorching heat. Racing was resumed shortly afterwards, and with almost six minutes on the clock, everyone could comfortably put together one more flying lap. The surprise start of the session was Gabriel Bortoleto, who not only moved on to Q3 for the first time in his career but also found himself in the top 5 as the clock ran out. Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Isack Hadjar, Franco Colapinto, and Oliver Bearman were not as lucky, and all of them ended their day early. 

As the McLarens slid into P1 and P2 for the first time, it looked like the front row would be theirs to keep. That was until Leclerc's incredible attempt put him between the two young drivers. For a while, it seemed like the Monegasque might be able to join the fight for pole, but in the end, his Ferrari was not quick enough for Norris' rapid McLaren. He did, however, manage to deny the team a front-row lockup. The session was a tragedy for Verstappen, who backed out of his last timed attempt and ended the session in P7.

Order of the grid;

1. Lando Norris

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. George Russell

6. Liam Lawson

7. Max Verstappen

8. Gabriel Bortoleto

9. Kimi Antonelli

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Fernando Alonso

12. Alex Albon

13. Isack Hadjar

14. Franco Colapinto

15. Oliver Bearman

16. Lance Stroll

17. Esteban Ocon

18. Yuki Tsunoda

19. Carlos Sainz

20. Nico Hulkenberg