Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen edged out Sergio Perez and Lando Norris to top Formula 1’s second sprint shootout qualifying, as Mercedes suffered Q1 and Q2 nightmare.
The day started in rainy conditions at the Red Bull Ring and sprint qualifying being declared wet meant the strict slick tyre requirements for the compacted session were suspended and drivers could use whatever compound they wanted throughout.
In the end, other than the Williams completing early Q1 laps on intermediates, the drivers ran slicks throughout.
Verstappen made full use of the new softs he had saved progressing smoothly in Friday qualifying to lead the way on the first runs in Q3 with a one minute, 04.613 seconds ahead of Norris and Perez, with Carlos Sainz fourth and at that stage running new mediums because of his lack of new softs.
Several drivers switched compounds for the final Q3 runs, where Charles Leclerc led the charge having not headed out immediately in Q3 to save his single set of new softs.
But these were not enough to make an impression on the leaders, as he could not replicate his Friday evening near pole-clinching pace and at that stage could not even beat his teammate’s time on the harder compound.
Verstappen then again went even faster to set the quickest time in all three sectors to claim pole for the sprint race, going quicker by 0.173 seconds to post a one minute, 04.440 seconds.
Perez slotted into second while Norris was shuffled down to third and Nico Hulkenberg brilliantly shot into fourth despite running the mediums at the end.
Sainz switched to new softs for his second Q3 go and although he improved could only manage fifth, with Leclerc completing a second run on the same set of softs that was a personal best but only quick enough for sixth.
Then came Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who also found time switching to the mediums for the final Q3 runs.
Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen completed the top ten for Alpine and Haas respectively.
In Q2, which Verstappen topped, Leclerc faced a late battle to progress while just running used softs as he ran P11 ahead of the final times, but he did enough to progress – unlike Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries.
Like Leclerc, Gasly and Tsunoda produced their best right in the final moments, but could not climb into the top ten.
Tsunoda lost an earlier time that was even faster to a track limits violation, but it was not quick enough to get into Q3 ahead of Hulkenberg in any case.
George Russell was also eliminated at his stage as he suffered a hydraulic failure at the end of Q1 and, despite Mercedes mechanics being spotted working on his car during the middle segment, he did not take to the track.
In Q1, both the Ferrari drivers had contrasting fortunes as Sainz spent most of the shortened 12-minute segment in the pits as his team had to solve a brake-by-wire problem on the rear of his car that left him with only the mechanical system working and so the rear brakes heated up and began smoking.
Sainz emerged with one minute, 40 seconds remaining on the clock and then brilliantly blasted to the top of the pile in the opening segment.
Leclerc was able to circulate and made a late change trip to the pits, after which he struggled to build tyre temperature compared to those that stayed out.
He improved on his last effort enough to jump clear of the drop zone but as the flurry of final improvements came in, he was shuffled back down the order and only progressed by 0.001 seconds – quicker by a fraction ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu.
Zhou had spun early in Q1 clipping the still wet inside kerbs at Turn 9 and was eventually eliminated ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who will go to see the stewards now sprint qualifying as ended as he appeared to be impeded by Leclerc at Turn 9 as the Ferrari made its late dive into the pits.
Hamilton was Q1’s major casualty as he ran too wide at the exit of Turn 10 and lost a time that would have got in through amongst the leading times in the opening segment.
He then found himself in traffic and in a bizarre clash with Verstappen running down the pit straight and the Briton could not get a final effort in, leaving him stranded in 18th.
Also eliminated in Q1 were Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant.
So a fantastic Red Bull effort with this front row from both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. It’s the sprint race so bonus points is available but the main event is still the Austrian Grand Prix. Hopefully Mercedes will do better in Sunday’s race.
Austrian Grand Prix, sprint shootout results:
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:04.440
2 Sergio Perez Red Bull 1:04.933
3 Lando Norris McLaren 1:05.010
4 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:05.084
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:05.136
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:05.245
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:05.258
8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:05.347
9 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:05.366
10 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:05.912
11 Alex Albon Williams 1:06.152
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:06.360
13 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:06.369
14 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 1:06.593
15 George Russell Mercedes No time
16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:07.062
17 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:07.106
18 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:07.282
19 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:07.291
20 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:07.426