Austrian GP 2023 | Verstappen sees off Leclerc for fourth pole in a row

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the sprint shootout event, at the Red Bull Ring racetrack, in Spielberg, Austria, Saturday, July 1, 2023. The Formula One Austrian Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, July 2, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Formula One’s dominant leader Max Verstappen took his fourth pole position in a row at Red Bull’s home Austrian Grand Prix on Friday while team mate and closest title rival Sergio Perez qualified only 15th.

The double world champion’s pole remained provisional, however, after stewards summoned him for allegedly impeding Haas’s Kevin Magnussen.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will line up alongside Verstappen on the front row on Sunday with teammate Carlos Sainz and McLaren’s Lando Norris, in a newly upgraded car, immediately behind.

The session proved a nightmare for Perez, already 69 points behind Verstappen after eight races all won by Red Bull, who had three laps deleted for exceeding track limits and failed to make the top 10 for the fourth race in succession.

The Mexican had been second fastest in phase two of qualifying, held on Friday because of the sprint weekend format, but repeatedly went over the white lines with all four wheels between turns nine and 10.

Drivers have a separate qualifying on Saturday for the same day’s standalone 100 km sprint that no longer determines Sunday’s grid under a new format introduced this season and first used in Azerbaijan in April.

Verstappen, winner of six races so far this season and chasing his fifth victory in a row, said it had been hard to stay within the lines at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring, which has the shortest lap on the calendar in terms of time.

“We don’t do it on purpose but with these speeds and the high-speed corners it’s so hard to judge the white line,” said the Dutch driver.

“It was about surviving … it takes out the joy a little bit.”

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Fastest time

Verstappen’s fastest time was one minute 04.391 seconds, the double world champion going top with his first effort in the final phase and then lapping even faster to make absolutely sure of pole.

Leclerc, winner in Austria last year for Ferrari’s most recent victory, was a mere 0.048 slower in a big boost for the Italian team.

“It feels good to finally have a clean qualifying again and be back on the front row. The feeling has been a bit better in the last few races,” said the Monegasque.

“I managed to put everything that I wanted in that last lap of Q3, very close to Max. Not enough today but overall I don’t think we expected to be so close to the Red Bulls so it’s a good step forward.”

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth for Mercedes but teammate George Russell will start 11th after also having a lap deleted in the second phase.

Perez said he accepted the blame for the first two lap deletions but had been impeded in the third. “I think the system is wrong,” he said.

Canadian Lance Stroll qualified ahead of double world champion teammate Fernando Alonso, for only the second time this season, with the Aston Martin pair sixth and seventh.

Nico Hulkenberg will line up eighth for Haas, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Williams’ Alex Albon again impressively quick.

Dutch rookie Nyck de Vries added to his woes, with speculation about his future at Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri growing louder, after qualifying in last place.

The session was red-flagged in the first phase when Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas spun onto the grass but the Finn managed to get the car back on track and to the pits.