Briton George Russell, from Mercedes, will start on Sunday from pole position in the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, ahead of the two Ferrari drivers, Monegasque Charles Leclerc and fellow Englishman Lewis Hamilton.
Russell was the fastest on Saturday in the qualifying session, but the race management indicated for a few minutes that they were “investigating” to see if the Briton’s time was correct, which raised doubts about the outcome of the session.
The Dutchman Max Verstappen, on the weekend that his Red Bull team races at home, suffered an accident and finished fifth in this session, behind the leader of the general classification of the 2026 World Championship, the young Italian from Mercedes Kimi Antonelli, who achieved the fourth best time.
The decision by those responsible for the race to shelve their investigation without penalties or changes came when the three drivers were already talking to journalists after the session.
It was finally considered that Russell had taken his foot off the accelerator when he saw a yellow speed reduction flag, which signaled Verstappen’s accident.
Antonelli’s error
“I have an incredible feeling, I did a fantastic lap”, celebrated Russell, third in the general classification of the World Championship, 50 points behind leader Antonelli.
Russell, 28, has won a single Grand Prix this year and Antonelli, 19, has won five.
Antonelli was destabilized this Saturday by 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 completely let go (of the accelerator), so I lost the chance to be in the front row. I shouldn’t have done that, it’s my fault. I was very close to George, who was slightly ahead. We both should have been in that front row”, he lamented.
Hamilton, 41, deprived Mercedes of another victory two weeks ago in Catalonia. 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 his success on Sunday at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, at the foot of the Styrian mountains, where the strong heat introduces a distorting element to be considered for the development of the race.
Leclerc, with his second place, declared himself “relatively satisfied” after “a very difficult last few weekends”.
Bortoleto, the best Latin American
The head of Mercedes F1, the Austrian Toto Wolff, who is trying to maintain the balance between Russell and Antonelli, assured that the Briton had “an incredible pole lap” and said he was “very happy for him”.
Among the Latin American representatives, Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) will be the best positioned at the start on Sunday, after being twelfth on Saturday, while Argentine Franco Colapinto (Alpine) was sixteenth and Mexican Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) nineteenth.
The two Spanish drivers were eliminated in the first part of the qualifying session, Q1, and their chances look very slim on Sunday: Carlos Sainz Jr (Williams) is seventeenth and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) twenty-first.
Starting order for the 2026 Austrian GP
- George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)
- Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari)
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes)
- Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull)
- Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes)
- Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes)
- Isack Hadjar (FRA/Red Bull)
- Liam Lawson (NZL/Racing Bulls-Red Bull)
- Arvid Lindblad (GBR/Racing Bulls-Red Bull)
- Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Mercedes)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Audi)
- Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas-Ferrari)
- Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Audi)
- Stephen Ocon (FRA/Haas-Ferrari)
- Franco Colapinto (ARG/Alpine-Mercedes)
- Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Williams-Mercedes)
- Alexander Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes)
- Sergio Pérez (MEX/Cadillac-Ferrari)
- Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Cadillac-Ferrari)
- Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin- Honda)
- Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin- Honda)
