2026 Austrian Grand Prix: George Russell beats Ferrari duo Leclerc and Hamilton to pole position, Max Verstappen crashes out in qualifying
George Russell capitalizes on Verstappen’s crash to secure pole (Image: AI) It was a Red Bull ring at the Austrian GP, but who would have thought Red Bull’s Max Verstappen would be eliminated in the qualifying round. The race starts today at 18:30 and Mercedes’ George Russell once again starts from pole position, sharing the front row with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The Red Bull Ring has always rewarded bravery. Its short lap, long straights and brutal high-speed corners leave little room for hesitation. One mistake can cost a rider an entire qualification, while one perfect lap can define an entire weekend.After Lewis Hamilton’s emotional victory in Ferrari in Barcelona, Formula 1 came to Spielberg with the championship fight wide open again. Kimi Antonelli still led the standings by 41 points, but George Russell was keen to remind everyone that Mercedes have two genuine title contenders.
Friday practice: Antonelli sets the morning pace
If Barcelona belonged to George Russell, Friday in Austria belonged to Kimi Antonelli. The championship leader wasted no time in asserting his authority over the weekend, driving the Mercedes comfortably ahead of the chasing pack in the opening practice session. George Russell completed a Mercedes one-two, while Oscar Piastri finished third for McLaren. PositionDriverTeamTime/Gap1Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:07,7962George RussellMercedes+0.040s3Oscar PiastriMcLaren+0.117s4Max VerstappenRed Bull+0.281s5Lewis HamiltonFerrari+0.665s
Second training
Antonelli once again completed the Friday practice double, setting the fastest lap ahead of Oscar Piastre and Lando Norris. Russell dropped to sixth after his afternoon was compromised by traffic and set-up changes, but Mercedes remained the team to beat on Saturday.McLaren looked increasingly competitive over the course of a single lap, while Ferrari’s Hamilton quietly improved throughout the afternoon. Verstappen again finished fourth but continued to struggle with the balance of his Red Bull.PositionDriverTeamTime/Gap1Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:07.0142Oscar PiastriMcLaren+0.237s3Lando NorrisMcLaren+0.325s4Max VerstappenRed Bull+0.550s5Lewis HamiltonFerrari+0.597s
Saturday morning: Russell strikes back
Just when it looked like Antonelli would dominate the entire weekend, George Russell responded. The Brit drove a superb lap in final practice to pip team-mate Antonelli by just 0.038 seconds to take first place in FP3. Lewis Hamilton completed the top three despite struggling with rear wheel lock, while Mercedes reconfirmed they have the fastest pack around Spielberg.Russell admitted the car still wasn’t perfect, complaining about consistent braking during practice, but when it mattered most he got every bit of power out of the W18. Antonelli stayed comfortably in contention and ensured Mercedes entered qualifying as clear favourites.PositionDriverTeamTime/Gap1George RussellMercedes1:07,0962Kimi AntonelliMercedes+0.038s3Lewis HamiltonFerrari+0.115s4Oscar PiastriMcLaren+0.248s5Lando NorrisMcLaren+0.264s
Qualifications: Chaos, Controversy and Russell’s Brilliant Pole
The Red Bull Ring may cover one of Formula 1’s shortest laps, but qualifying is rarely straightforward. Q1 and Q2 brought their share of surprises, then came the dramatic Q3.Max Verstappen appeared on track to challenge for pole before losing control at Turn 9 and crashing into the barriers on the final flying lap. Yellow flags immediately waved around the circuit, forcing several drivers to react immediately. Approaching the incident, Russell picked up just enough to accommodate the individual yellow flags before completing an excellent lap that ultimately secured pole. The Mercedes driver was briefly investigated after Ferrari questioned whether he had respected the yellow flags, but Antonelli and Russell confirmed his lap was legal and the pole stood. Charles Leclerc took advantage of Ferrari’s improved pace to secure second place on the grid. Lewis Hamilton completed an impressive front-row Ferrari challenge in third.Antonelli, who had looked capable of challenging for pole throughout the weekend, mistakenly believed that double yellow flags had been displayed and aborted his last flying lap to settle for fourth place.Verstappen’s earlier lap was good enough for fifth despite finishing qualifying in the barriers.PositionDriverTeamQ3/Q2/Q1 Time1 (pole)George Russell Mercedes1:06,1132Charles LeclercFerrari1:06.3493Lewis HamiltonFerrari1:06.4084Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:06.4145Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing1:06.4756Lando NorrisMcLaren1:06.5027OscarBulck1:06.88R. Racing1:06.6329Liam LawsonRacing Bulls1:06.95510Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls1:07.00711Pierre GaslyAlpine1:07.223 (GQabriel222) BortoletoAudi1:07.293 (Q2) F7 Bearman51as Team1:07.293 (Q2) BearmanOli (Q2) 14Nico HülkenbergAudi1:07.611 (Q2)15Esteban OconHaas F1 Team1:07.817 (Q2)16Franco Colapinto Audi. (Q2)17Carlos Sainz Jr.Williams1:08.252 (Q1)18Alex AlbonWilliams1:08.509 (Q1)19Sergio PérezCadillac1:08.945 (Q1)20Valtteri BottasCadillac942Q1:08.08. BottasCadillac1:09.09 (Q1) Martin1:09.942 (Q1)22Lance StrollAston Martin1:10.363 (Q1)
Verstappen’s frustrating afternoon
Austria is Red Bull’s home race, but Saturday quickly turned into a disappointment. After showing promising pace in Q3, Verstappen’s late crash ended any hopes of a fight for pole position. Even though the Dutchman is uninjured, he will now start fifth, so he will have a lot of work to do on Sunday.
Race forward
Everything is shaping up to be another fascinating Mercedes versus Ferrari battle.George Russell starts from pole position and tries to reduce Antonelli’s lead in the championship. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have Ferrari’s strongest qualifying results in recent weeks.Antonelli still has the race pace to fight for the win. And Verstappen, despite starting from fifth place, remains one of the best Formula 1 drivers at the Red Bull Ring.With overtaking opportunities at Turns 1, 3 and 4, Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix promises to be much more action-packed than Monaco.