SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – JUNE 28: Max Verstappen, from the Netherlands, driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on the track during practice before the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on June 28, 2024, in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
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The weather conditions in Spielberg were sunny at the start of the Sprint Qualifying. The track temperature rose compared to FP1 and reached 43 degrees Celsius, while the air temperature was at 28 degrees.
Just like in SQ1, the drivers will start the race with medium tires and continue to drive lap after lap until time runs out. This creates a challenge for the drivers as the track evolves and lap times decrease. Additionally, the short track at the Red Bull Ring increases the impact of traffic on the race.
The grandstands are completely filled with spectators!
We are all ready for the F1 Sprint Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.
SQ1 received the green light, but the drivers remained in their boxes as the clock counted down the 12 minutes of the session. After two and a half minutes, the action finally began.
Hamilton was the first driver to set a lap time, completing it in 1 minute and 6.416 seconds. However, his time was soon invalidated as he exceeded track limits by going wide at turn 6.
Hamilton ended up in the gravel.
He is running out of time to set a lap time in SQ1.
Verstappen quickly took the lead and remained at the top of the leaderboard until the end of SQ1. He completed a lap in 1 minute and 5.690 seconds, staying 0.074 seconds ahead of Russell in second place and 0.091 seconds ahead of Sainz in third place. Norris finished fourth.
Hamilton managed to qualify for Q2 after his first lap was invalidated. He ended up securing the 13th position.
Tsunoda caused a brief yellow flag by going wide and spinning in the last corner. Fortunately, there was no damage to his car.
Ricciardo was the first driver to be eliminated, losing to his teammate Tsunoda by 0.024 seconds. He will start the Sprint from the 16th position on the grid.
Hulkenberg was the 17th fastest driver in the Haas, trailing Ricciardo by 0.002 seconds and leading Bottas, who finished 18th in the Sauber, by 0.142 seconds.
Albon finished 19th in the Williams, while Sargeant advanced to SQ2. Zhou, on the other hand, finished 20th.
When SQ2 began, all drivers wasted no time and immediately went out to participate in the ten-minute stage. The use of medium tires was still mandatory.
Verstappen was the first driver to start a fast lap and took the lead. While other drivers followed his example, his time remained unbeatable with less than five minutes remaining.
Leclerc tested one of the new gravel traps.
The top five drivers with three minutes remaining were Verstappen, Russell, Piastri, Sainz, and Leclerc.
The drivers returned to the pits to make some quick adjustments to their setups, and with three and a half minutes remaining, the action resumed for the final laps.
At the end of SQ2, Verstappen remained in the lead, recording a time of 1:05.186, the fastest among all drivers. He was 0.139 seconds ahead of Russell in second place, with Piastri in third, 0.193 seconds behind the leader.
The second group of drivers to be eliminated was led by Magnussen, who finished in 11th place and was beaten by Gasly by 0.049 seconds to advance to SQ3.
Stroll, in an Aston Martin, recorded the 12th fastest time, 0.661 seconds behind the leader. He was only 0.032 seconds ahead of teammate Alonso, who finished 13th. Stroll had a moment of excitement on his last lap at the final corner, but managed to regain control.
Tsunoda took 14th place, with Sargeant in 15th.
The final stage of the eight-minute Sprint Qualifying began, but after three minutes, none of the drivers had entered the track.
Finally, the true performance of the cars would be revealed in SQ3, where teams would use soft tires, according to the Sprint Qualifying rules.
With less than three minutes remaining, the remaining ten drivers took to the track for the last time on Friday afternoon in Spielberg.
While still in the pitlane, Leclerc encountered a minor problem and briefly stopped on the side. However, he quickly got back up and running, but was left with very little time, with less than a minute remaining.
Hamilton set the first lap time and initially took the lead, but was soon surpassed by Russell. Piastri then recorded the fastest time, only to be surpassed by Norris, who claimed the top spot.
In the end, Verstappen set the best lap and secured pole position for the Austrian Sprint Race, beating Norris by less than a tenth of a second.
© 2024
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