Austrian GP: George Russell takes confusing pole position as Max Verstappen crashes in dramatic qualifying | F1 News

George Russell claimed pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix when Max Verstappen crashed.

Verstappen spun into the barriers at high speed on the final run in Q3 and produced a yellow flag, which usually means other drivers cannot improve their lap times as they have to slow down through the crash zone.

However, Russell lifted off the throttle and still accelerated to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to pole, then was cleared by the FIA ​​for a yellow flag infringement.

Footage showed only one yellow flag flying as he passed Russell Verstappen’s crashed Red Bull, which changed to a double yellow flag just before reaching the finish line to set his pole-setting time.

“I saw the yellow, I had a big lift in the corner, went up five-tenths and came out two-and-a-half tenths up,” Russell said.

“It was a single yellow and should be fine.”

The Ferraris of Russell Leclerc would finish second and Lewis Hamilton third, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli fourth.

Antonelli, who was fastest after the first run in Q3, elected to pit and abandon his lap after seeing the yellow flag and now faced the prospect of his two closest championship rivals starting ahead of him.

The Italian teenager is 41 points ahead of Hamilton and 50 ahead of Russell, who now takes pole position at the back.

Antonelli said Sky Sports F1: “I don’t know why, but I thought it was a double yellow, so I completely canceled and missed the front row. I shouldn’t have done it. It was my mistake.”

Verstappen will start fifth in Q3 after his strong opening lap, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will disappoint in sixth and seventh respectively.

Red Bull’s Isaac Hajjar qualified eighth as Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad both reached Q3.

What happened in Q3 is confusing

It was already a dramatic qualifying session as Verstappen narrowly escaped by 0.040s in Q2 after Red Bull gambled not to use new tires in that session.

With fresh rubber in Q3, Verstappen briefly took provisional pole position before Mercedes duo Antonelli and Russell beat him by less than a tenth, with the Italian taking the top spot.

As temperatures cool, it’s always going to be the last run in Q3. Ferrari went early and surprisingly locked up the front row with Leclerc ahead of Hamilton, who had been off the pace in practice.

Verstappen was charging behind but lost control of his car at Turn 9, spun into the barriers and produced a yellow flag.

Both Mercedes drivers had yet to reach the crash zone but Antonelli aborted his lap, thinking he had seen a double-wave yellow flag instead of a single-wave yellow flag.

But Russell simply lifted the throttle, losing a little time, but still enough to take his fourth pole of 2026 by 0.236s from Leclerc.

The FIA ​​deleted Russell’s in-lap due to a double yellow flag after passing Verstappen, but his pole lap stood.

Sky Sports F1 live Austrian GP schedule

Sunday 28 June
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: F2 feature race
10.50am: Porsche Supercup
12.30pm: Austrian GP Build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
2pm: Austrian Grand Prix*
4pm: Austrian GP Reaction: Checkered flag
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*Also on Sky Sports main events

Formula 1’s European season continues on Sunday with the Austrian Grand Prix lights out at 2pm, the build-up from 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports F1 and the main event. Stream Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime