Max Verstappen suffered a huge crash at the end of Q3 in Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix as the four-time world champion lost control of his Red Bull, crushing his hopes of claiming pole
Max Verstappen suffered a huge crash at the end of Q3 in Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion was right in the hunt for pole position when he crashed at the penultimate corner at the Red Bull ring. Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull and went sideways before crashing into the barriers. He exited the car unharmed.
Verstappen appeared to get onto the curb too much before his car slid. Yellow flags were flown with half of the field still yet to come through the corner.
Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had already set the two fastest laps respectively and had provisionally blocked out the front row. But George Russell then set a monstrous time to claim pole despite having to drive through the section after Verstappen had crashed.
Russell appeared to drive through just one single yellow flag and lifted before continuing on course to set a lap good enough to leapfrog the two Ferraris.
However, controversy and chaos has subsequently followed with Russell’s lap under investigation regarding whether he sufficiently lifted coming up to the incident.
Just further down the road, Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli lifted and aborted his lap, meaning he qualified in P4.
No further action was the decision by the stewards for Russell’s potential yellow flag infringement, meaning the Brit keeps his pole position. However, there is still a circus of chaos and confusion surrounding whether that time will stand.
Verstappen’s previous lap time was still good enough to see him qualify in P5. The two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri follow in P6 and P7, respectively.
Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull and both Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad round out of the top 10.
Russell, who is set to start Sunday’s race on pole, said: “I feel incredible, it was such an amazing lap. I saw the yellow flag, I had a big lift into the corner, I was five tenths up and I came up the last corner, two and a half tenths up so.”
“It was a single yellow as well, not a double so should be OK. It was a tough day but it was so special to get that lap and everything felt so sweet so proud of the job we all did.”