the dutch pilot
Max Verstappen
(Red Bull) will start in the lead on Saturday in the sprint race, which will determine the starting grid order for Sunday’s Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, following setting the fastest time in Friday’s qualifying session.
The current world champion and leader of the general classification of the season, surpassed the two Ferraris in the qualifying session on Friday, those of Monegasque Charles Leclerc and Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr, second and third respectively.
“We will have to think regarding the points both on Saturday and Sunday”, said, with ambition, Verstappen, great favorite to victory at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
The two Mercedes, of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, went off the track in the third and final race of the session: Russell he will start the sprint race in fourth place and Hamilton in ninth.
“Everyone works very hard to prepare this car and I don’t like to damage it. I think we were fighting for a place in the top three.” lamented Hamilton, who is just sixth overall this year and is far from aiming for an eighth world title.
The Austrian Grand Prix, whose main race takes place on Sunday, is the second of three events this season to take place in a format introduced last season. This course was already used at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, in April at the Imola circuit.
Saturday’s sprint race will determine the starting grid for Sunday’s race, the great moment of the weekend in this Austrian GP.
The fourth position on the grid for Saturday’s sprint race was initially going to be occupied by Mexican Sergio Pérez, second overall in the World Championship and Verstappen’s teammate. However, the driver from Guadalajara saw his Q3 times annulled for exceeding track limits in Q2 and following the penalty he will start Saturday in thirteenth place.
Veteran Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (Alpine) He was ninth in Friday’s qualifying session and will start eighth on Saturday.
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