SPIELBERG BEI KNITTELFELD.- The British George Russell, of Mercedes, He will start on Sunday from the pole position of the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prixahead of the two pilots of Ferrarithe Monegasque Charles Leclerc and also English Lewis Hamilton.
Russell was the fastest on Saturday in the qualifying session, but the race management indicated for a few minutes that it was “investigating” to find out if the Briton’s timing was correct, which cast doubt on the outcome of the session.
The Dutch Max Verstappenon the weekend in which his team Red Bull races at home, suffered an accident and finished fifth in this session, behind the general leader of the World Cup 2026the young Italian from mercedes, Kimi Antonelliwhich obtained the fourth best time.
The decision by those responsible for the race to archive their investigation without penalties or changes came when the three drivers were already speaking to journalists after the session.
It was finally considered that Russell had taken his foot off the accelerator at the moment he saw a yellow slowdown flag, which signaled Verstappen’s accident.
Antonelli error
“I have an incredible feeling, I did a fantastic lap,” celebrated Russell, third overall in the World Championship, 50 points behind leader Antonelli.
Russell, 28, won only one Grand Prix this year and Antonelli, 19, won five.
Antonelli was destabilized this Saturday by the matter of Verstappen’s accident.
“I don’t know why I thought it was a double yellow flag (which would have almost forced me to stop) and I let off (the accelerator) completely, so I lost being on the first line. I shouldn’t have done it, it’s my fault. I was very close to George, who was slightly ahead. We both should have been on that first line,” he lamented.
Hamilton, 41, deprived mercedes two weeks ago in Catalonia of a new victory. The veteran seven-time world champion is second in the standings, 41 points behind Antonelli.
Feeling “proud” of his third place this Saturday, Hamilton dreams of repeating success on Sunday in the Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring at the foot of the mountains Styriawhere the strong heat introduces a distorting element to take into account for the development of the race.
Leclerc, with his second place, said he was “relatively satisfied” after “some quite difficult last weekends.”
Bortoleto, the best Latin American
The boss of Mercedes F1, the Austrian Toto Wolffwho tries to maintain the balance between Russell and Antonelli, assured that the Briton did “an incredible pole lap” and stated that he was “very happy for him.”
Among the Latin American representatives, the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) will be the best placed at the start on Sunday, after being twelfth on Saturday, while the Argentine Franco Colapinto (Alpine) was sixteenth and the Mexican Sergio Perez (cadillac) nineteenth.
The two Spanish drivers were knocked out in the first round of the qualifying session, Q1, and their options seem very limited on Sunday: Carlos Sainz Jr (Williams) is seventeenth and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) twenty-first.
