Max Verstappen starts again from pole position at the Grand Prix in Spielberg. Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton was only fourth in qualifying. A Brit surprises with second place.
With a deafening noise and orange smoke pots, the Dutch fans celebrated the next pole position of their hero Max Verstappen. The Formula 1 front runner also took first place on the grid for the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday (3 p.m. / Sky) and can extend his World Championship lead at the Red Bull team’s home game. The 23-year-old Dutchman ousted the strong Brit Lando Norris in the McLaren in Spielberg on Saturday with a lead of just 0.048 seconds on second place. Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez from Mexico came in third.
On the day of his contract extension, however, world champion Lewis Hamilton experienced a disappointment and only drove his Mercedes to fourth place. Only a few hours before the start chase had the Silver Arrows announced that the 36-year-old will stay with the racing team for two more years until the end of 2023. “We just lack a bit of speed. We have to find more performance for the next races,” said the seven-time champion and added: “That could be an easy win for Max.”
Sebastian Vettel lands in eighth place
For ex-world champion Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin it was enough to finish eighth on his 34th birthday. However, the Hessian may still face a penalty because he obstructed the Spaniard Fernando Alonso on a fast lap. “I can not do so much in the situation. I can not vanish into thin air,” said Vettel, making it clear that he would have little understanding for a punishment. Other drivers would have behaved similarly.
Alonso saw it a little differently. “I’m very frustrated,” said the Alpine driver, who could have been among the top six. However, Vettel stood in the way through no fault of his own in the second section of qualification. His team had not informed him in time about the approaching old master Alonso. Vettel then apologized. “A penalty is not enough. It was just badly regulated,” said Alonso.
Mick Schumacher left early again. For the Formula 1 newcomer, the Haas racing car was no more than 19th place in it, just as in the previous week. Only his Russian team-mate Nikita Masepin could clearly defeat the 22-year-old. “We couldn’t do much more today, unfortunately that was our pace. Hopefully things will go a little better for us in the race,” said Schumacher on Sky TV.
For the third time in a row on pole
Meanwhile, Verstappen raced to pole position for the third time in a row in front of thousands of compatriots. For the first time in the corona pandemic, there are no more spectator restrictions in Formula 1 in Austria this weekend. Around 60,000 fans are expected on Sunday (3 p.m. / Sky). In the previous week, Verstappen had won in the same place in front of significantly fewer spectators.
“I’m happy to be in first place, but not about how it went,” said Verstappen. In the end, he couldn’t deliver a very fast lap, but was still the fastest: “Hopefully we can turn it into a victory tomorrow.” Verstappen won three of the last four Grand Prix and is ahead of the ninth round of the season in the overall standings with 18 points ahead of Hamilton.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
