F1 Austrian Grand Prix LIVE: George Russell claims stunning win after Lando Norris and Max Verstappen crash
Follow live updates from the Red Bull Ring as Verstappen starts on pole position at Red Bull’s home race
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Max Verstappen followed up his sprint victory by securing pole position for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.
On Red Bull’s home turf in Spielberg, and cheered on by 40,000 travelling Dutch fans, Verstappen blew away his rivals to take top spot.
The world champion produced a scintillating lap of the shortest track on the Formula One calendar to finish 0.404 seconds clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris, with George Russell third for Mercedes. Carlos Sainz finished fourth with Lewis Hamilton fifth.
“It is a great feeling and the team has worked hard to make the car competitive,” said Verstappen after landing his fourth straight pole at the Red Bull Ring. “This is a great statement and hopefully we can show that again tomorrow in the race.”
Follow live updates from the Austrian Grand Prix with The Independent
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell swap positions! (Lap 3/71)
No team orders at Mercedes! They’re fighting for position - Hamilton surges up the inside to take third place before Russell gets him back at turn 4!
Leclerc, by the way, has dropped to P19 after a lengthy pit-stop - nightmare for the Ferrari driver!
At the front, Verstappen is out of DRS range to Norris with a margin of two seconds.
1-10: Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Hamilton, Sainz, Perez, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Magnussen
Lights out!
Max Verstappen gets a super start for Red Bull and Lando Norris holds off a threat from George Russell at turn 3!
Lewis Hamilton is up two places to P4, while Charles Leclerc has lost part of his front wing - and has to pit on lap one!
I think that was a collision with Oscar Piastri...
Formation lap!
Like the start of the sprint race, every driver on the grid is on the medium tyres! Set to be a two-stop race for this 71-lap race...
Zhou Guanyu, starting in the pit-lane, is on the hard compound tyres!
Max Verstappen now leads the pack around the circuit for the formation lap, cheered by a crowd which over the weekend has welcomed 302,000 spectators!
A reminder of the starting grid for the Austrian Grand Prix:
1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. George Russell
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Oscar Piastri
8. Sergio Perez
9. Nico Hulkenberg
10. Esteban Ocon
11. Daniel Ricciardo
12. Kevin Magnussen
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Yuki Tsunoda
15. Fernando Alonso
16. Alex Albon
17. Lance Stroll
18. Valtteri Bottas
19. Logan Sargeant
Pit lane. Zhou Guanyu
F1 Austrian Grand Prix LIVE!
We’re just five minutes away from lights out at the Red Bull Ring!
It’s a warm day in the Styrian mountains so tyre degradation will be a key factor in this 71-lap race - can Lando Norris steal a march on Max Verstappen at the start?
Max Verstappen ahead of this race:
“It helps that there is only one McLaren next to me now but they will try to do it again, they know they are quite good on tyres. I still expect them to be there in the race. I hope I can find the same balance of the car because that will help a lot on the tyres as well.
“It will be who can look after the tyres the best because in this heat as well the tyres are going to deg[radation] and you need to really take care of that.”
National anthem time!
To be performed by Germany’s famous composer Hans Zimmer!
Some photos from the Drivers Parade earlier!
And look at the support from the Orange Army for Max Verstappen!
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