Norris takes dominant pole with Verstappen only seventh

Lando Norris stormed to pole position for Formula 1’s Austrian Grand Prix as his dominant weekend in Spielberg continued.

The McLaren driver had sat out of FP1 but since then he has led the way in every session and was untouchable in Q3, although it was tempered by a late yellow flag.

Norris’ blistering pace saw him seal pole with the biggest gap of the season to date, his lap of 1m03.971s more than enough to keep Leclerc behind him – though the Ferrari driver will be delighted to have split the McLarens.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri will start third after a spin for the Alpine of Pierre Gasly ruined the final shots of the McLaren, as well as the Red Bull of Max Verstappen – who will start seventh having taken pole position the last five times in Austria.

Lewis Hamilton will start fourth for the second Ferrari with George Russell fifth and Liam Lawson impressing by taking sixth for Racing Bulls.

Verstappen will start alongside Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who followed up his F2 win in Styria last year by putting in his best F1 qualifying performance.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli was ninth with Gasly’s untimely spin leaving him 10th.

A red flag in Q2 due to a trackside fire at the final corner, where Hamilton had run wide, meant that all 15 drivers were pushing for fast laps when the session resumed with a little over five minutes remaining.

Bortoleto put in a stunning effort but Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Isack Hadjar, Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman were unable to progress to Q3 and will start 11th-15th, respectively, with Antonelli squeaking through.

Pressure continues to grow on Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull as he was eliminated in Q1 at the team’s home race.

The Japanese will start 18th with the back row taken by Carlos Sainz, the Williams driver knocked out in the first stage of qualifying for the third race in a row, and the experienced Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg.

Tsunoda could consider himself slightly unlucky, he was only 0.250s off the Q1 pace of team-mate Verstappen – but that proved the difference between sixth and 18th, while Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon were also unable to get into Q2.

F1 Austrian Grand Prix qualifying results