F1 Austrian GP live: Max Verstappen crashes out of race as Norris battles with Piastri

F1 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES

• TOP-3: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc (Lap 42/70)
• OUT! Verstappen and Antonelli collide on opening lap
• ABORTED START! Carlos Sainz catches fire
• Oscar Piastri has a 22-point lead in the world championship
• COMMENT: Russell and Verstappen F1 swap would be unthinkable – but Mercedes man deserves clarity

Norris in control (Lap 40/70)

The race has just settled up now.

Norris is in control out in front, with a 3.8 second lead, while Piastri has a 14 second lead to Leclerc in third.

But those frontrunners are having to negotiate backmarkers now, which makes racing between the pair tougher.

When will Piastri’s fresher tyres make the difference?

TOP-10 AFTER 35/70 LAPS

1. Norris - leader

2. Piastri (+6 seconds)

3. Leclerc (+13)

4. Hamilton (+3.5)

5. Russell (+14)

6. Bortoleto (+3)

7. Hulkenberg (+3.7)

8. Ocon (+2.9)

9. Bearman (+3.7)

10. Gasly (+0.8)

Tsunoda-Colapinto collide

Tsunoda and Colapinto battle at turn 4, with the Red Bull diving down the inside and touching the wheel of the Alpine.

Colapinto spins! He continues on...

Tsunoda at fault, for me.

Austrian Grand Prix

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton pits (Lap 26/70)

The seven-time world champion pits - a rapid 2.2 second stop - on hard tyres.

Hamilton will come out behind Leclerc.

Norris back into the lead! The gap to Piastri is 6.6 seconds...

Charles Leclerc pits (Lap 26/70)

Ferrari respond straight away.

A 2.3 second stop and Leclerc comes out in sixth, behind a battle between Lawson and Alonso.

And so now Lewis Hamilton leads! But he hasn’t pitted yet...

Oscar Piastri pits (Lap 25/70)

Oh OK!

Piastri does pit - 3.4 seconds - and comes out in fourth. He switches to hards too.

The gap between Norris and Piastri: 6 seconds.

So Charles Leclerc now leads, in a Ferrari one-two. How long will the Scuderia wait?

Piastri now leads (Lap 22/70)

Piastri told to push in free air, so they don’t pit him straight away.

Piastri complains of a flat spot on his tyre, but will continue...

Norris switched to the hard tyres in fourth - so a long stint coming up for the Brit.

Piastri almost collides with Norris (Lap 20/70)

Piastri with a massive lock-up at turn 4 but just misses Norris!

Norris now pits - 3.1 seconds - and comes out fourth.

Will Piastri pit straight away now?

George Russell pits (Lap 19/70)

A 2.4-second stop for Russell - the first frontrunner to pit.

Russell comes out on a fresh pair of tyres in 11th.

At the front, Norris’ lead is now 0.7 seconds. He’s still facing pressure.

Norris keeping his composure (Lap 17/70)

So far, Norris is holding his own under immense pressure from Piastri.

And McLaren are letting their two men race, which is great to see!

Top-10: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton, Russell, Bortoleto, Lawson, Alonso, Ocon, Tsunoda

Leclerc told to lift and coast

Leclerc told to lift and coast at every corner, presumably to control temperatures.

Leclerc: “That’s what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Alex Albon’s car has been retired - a double DNF for Williams in Austria.

Piastri backs off a bit (Lap 14/70)

Piastri a little further back now after that bit of drama, but he still has DRS with a gap of 0.6 seconds.

Piastri has to keep in mind keeping his car and brakes cool, while trying to take first place.

Norris and Piastri swap first place (Lap 12/70)

Incredible racing from the McLarens!

Piastri takes first place with superior speed and DRS into turn 3, but Norris gets his teammate back with DRS down the inside at turn 4!

What about the next lap?! They’re clearly free to race here...

(Getty Images)

Norris thwarting challenge of Piastri

The McLarens are flying out in front, with Piastri four seconds clear of Leclerc.

Yet Norris is doing well to hold first place, with the Australian right on his gearbox.

3-10: Leclerc, Hamilton, Russell, Albon, Gasly, Bortoleto, Lawson, Alonso

VIDEO: Verstappen and Antonelli crash

Oscar Piastri duelling with Lando Norris (Lap 6/70)

Piastri has a look down the inside at turn 4 but decides against the move!

The Australian has DRS, just 0.6 seconds behind.

Further back, Hamilton and Russell are battling for fourth.

Top-10: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton, Russell, Gasly, Albon, Bortoleto, Lawson, Alonso

Safety car heads in

Both cars have been removed speedily and now we’re down to 17 cars in Austria!

Norris gets away cleanly...

Antonelli at fault

Oh... Kimi!

It’s the teenager’s fault. Antonelli comes flying up the inside at turn 3 and clatters into Verstappen.

Verstappen: “I’m out. I got hit like crazy... idiots!”

Antonelli: “Sorry about that, locked the rear, sorry.”

That’s a 31-race points streak over for Verstappen!

Max Verstappen is out!

Huge shock here!

Verstappen and Antonelli collided at turn 3 - they’re both out of the grand prix!

At the front: Norris 1st, Piastri 2nd, Leclerc 3rd, Hamilton 4th, Russell 5th.

Lights out!

Lando Norris gets off to a good start - and Oscar Piastri pulls a move around the outside of Charles Leclerc to take second!

And Max Verstappen spins at turn 3 after clashing with Antonelli!

I think they’re both out!

SAFETY CAR!

Formation lap No 2

Fingers crossed for a smooth lap here and we can get going with a usual start.

Here we go!

George Russell on team radio:

“Make sure there’s water for the mechanics, everyone’s dripping.”

The mechanics on the grid must be roasting!

Three minutes until formation lap...

FIA UPDATE

The formation lap will start at 2:15pm (BST).

And we are down to 19 cars on the grid!

Carlos Sainz's car catches fire!

Crazy scenes here!

Sainz heads to the end of the pit-lane, before the rear of his car catches fire!

It’s a brake issue! And he’s out of the race before its even started!

Thankfully, the fire is quickly put out and the Spaniard is out of the car.

Carlos Sainz's car caught fire at the start of the Austrian GP (Sky Sports F1)

FIA: Aborted start!

Carnage here!

Sainz has got going with the stewards pushing him, but Norris and the pack are back to the start-finish straight... with dozens of mechanics on the side of the track!

I think every car will go back to their starting spots - and we will restart in 10 minutes!

Carlos Sainz is stuck on the start line!

Norris leads the pack around for the formation lap, but Sainz is stuck in first gear!

“Something is stopping the car from moving forward, we’re stuck.”

Will this be a delayed start?!

A reminder of the starting grid for the Austrian GP:

1. Lando Norris

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. George Russell

6. Liam Lawson

7. Max Verstappen

8. Gabriel Bortoleto

9. Kimi Antonelli

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Fernando Alonso

12. Alex Albon

13. Isack Hadjar

14. Franco Colapinto

15. Ollie Bearman

16. Lance Stroll

17. Esteban Ocon

18. Yuki Tsunoda

19. Carlos Sainz

20. Nico Hulkenberg

Austrian Grand Prix:

We’re five minutes away from the 11th grand prix of the season!

Lando Norris is the favourite - he starts on pole! Charles Leclerc is in second, with Oscar Piastri in third.

And what about Lewis Hamilton, starting in fourth?!

Should be a cracker this!

(Getty Images)

Liam Lawson, who starts P6

“It’s hard to know with strategy, we’ll react as quickly as we can.”

Gabriel Bortoleto, who starts an impressive P8:

“First lap, keep it clean. Let’s see what we can achieve.

“Hopefully some points.”

Oscar Piastri, who starts P3:

“Today can be good for us, it’s a lot hotter than we’ve had all weekend.”

Time for the Austrian national anthem!

Track temperatures around 50C in Spielberg as we hear the Austrian national anthem, with 15 minutes to go until lights out!

Karun Chandhok on Max Verstappen's P7 start:

“The key for Max will be opening lap. Red Bull don’t have a car as fast as last year but he’ll be in the fight for the final spot on the podium.

“The overtaking opportunities are good here, three DRS zones. Max can come through and you can never discount him in wheel to wheel battles.

“The key will be the first two or three laps.”

(Getty)

Lando Norris, speaking this morning ahead of the race:

“We’ve got a good car, great start and try and control things from there.

“The car has been proven from the timesheets that we’ve taken a step forward, it doesn’t feel different. It’s delivering what it’s should.

“I expect a good battle from them both, I expect them to be punchy. I have to put up a good defence and go from there.”

(Getty Images)

Driver standings heading into this weekend:

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 198 points

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 176 points

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 155 points

4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 136 points

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 104 points

6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 79 points

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points

8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 42 points

9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 22 points

10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points

11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 20 points

12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 points

13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points

14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 11 points

15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points

16. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 8 points

17. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points

18. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 4 points

19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 0 points

20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points

21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points

Austrian GP winner - race odds:

Lando Norris - 4/11

Oscar Piastri - 7/2

Charles Leclerc - 9/1

Max Verstappen - 14/1

Lewis Hamilton - 30/1

George Russell - 30/1

Kimi Antonelli - 150/1

Liam Lawson - 150/1

Austrian GP preview: George Russell and Max Verstappen F1 swap would be unthinkable – but Mercedes man deserves clarity

As the Formula One enterprise returns to real racing this weekend in Austria – away from the sprinkle and stardust of movie premieres in New York and London – one of the season’s standout drivers so far is in an unusual predicament. A scenario, you might say, worthy of a drama. No doubt Box to Box, the producers of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive, are rubbing their hands together.

George Russell, at this present stage, can do little more. The 27-year-old, in his fourth season at Mercedes and first without Lewis Hamilton by his side, has taken to the role of “team leader” with poise and serenity. As the Brit acknowledged to The Independent last month, he’s been “getting better and better”.

Full piece below:

Bernie Ecclestone on Max Verstappen:

“He should be where he’s happy, wherever it’s going to be,” said the ex-F1 supremo.

“He’s not a guy who messes around, very straightforward in what he says and what he does. I’d like to see him stay where he is.”

(Getty Images)

Lando Norris on his 'best lap of the year'

“It was easily my best lap of the year,” Norris said. “I did what I planned to do, and when I do that and it goes right, it normally goes very, very well.

“Some of my tough moments have been in qualifying, so to have a performance like that is exciting.

“I am very happy, but I want to prove it to myself over and over again and I hope this is just the beginning.”

McLaren driver Lando Norris claimed pole position (Darko Bandic/AP) (AP)

Starting grid for the Austrian GP:

1. Lando Norris

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. George Russell

6. Liam Lawson

7. Max Verstappen

8. Gabriel Bortoleto

9. Kimi Antonelli

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Fernando Alonso

12. Alex Albon

13. Isack Hadjar

14. Franco Colapinto

15. Ollie Bearman

16. Lance Stroll

17. Esteban Ocon

18. Yuki Tsunoda

19. Carlos Sainz

20. Nico Hulkenberg

Lewis Hamilton reacts to ‘significant’ social media abuse F1 drivers face

“The times have changed,” Hamilton, who co-produced the new F1 Movie, said. “I would say the racing space has probably got a lot busier with the fame of the sport, so it’s probably more intense.

“The media is more reactive, maybe. You’ve got social media presence and online abuse that we didn’t have when I got into the sport.

“It’s been pretty amazing to see how mature the young drivers that have come in – young men that have come in – have adapted and how they’ve carried that weight, because it’s no easy situation to be thrown into.”

Lewis Hamilton finished 10th in his Ferrari in second practice (Denes Erdos/AP) (AP)

F1 constructor standings after 10 races:

1. McLaren - 374 points

2. Mercedes - 199 points

2. Ferrari - 183 points

4. Red Bull - 162 points

5. Williams - 55 points

6. Haas - 28 points

7. Racing Bulls - 28 points

8. Aston Martin - 22 points

9. Sauber - 20 points

10. Alpine - 11 points

List of team upgrades in Austria:

McLaren - new front and rear suspension aerodynamics and rear geometry;

Ferrari - entire new floor;

Red Bull - floor edge;

Mercedes - circuit specific brake and engine cover cooling;

Racing Bulls - front and rear wings;

Sauber - floor and rear wing.

What time is the Austrian GP?

Time BST

Sunday 29 June

• Race: 2pm

(Getty Images)

Toto Wolff on a potential Russell-Verstappen line-up

“I can imagine every lineup,” he said.

“I had Rosberg and Hamilton fighting for a World Championship, so everything else afterwards is easy.

“There are pros and cons of having two drivers fighting each other hard and we’ve seen examples where that functions and other examples where it didn’t.”

(Getty)

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur to miss Austrian GP

Ferrari statement: “Fred will not be at the track today, because he has had to return home for personal reasons.

“Deputy Team Principal, Jerome d'Ambrosio will stand in for him.”

(PA Wire)

F1 extends Austrian GP deal to 2041

The joint-longest contract on the calendar!

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali: "Austria has long been an incredibly special race for Formula 1 so it’s fantastic we have secured the long-term future of a Grand Prix so deeply rooted in the sport’s history.

“The vision and passion of Dietrich Mateschitz gave the race the investment and attention that allowed it to return as an incredible event on the Formula 1 calendar.

“Each year, returning to the stunning Styrian mountains is a highlight - an experience that evokes incredible emotion among our drivers, teams, and fans alike, creating an atmosphere unlike any other.

“I want to extend my sincere thanks to Mark Mateschitz and Thomas Überall and his team for their unwavering dedication to excellence, and to our incredible Austrian fanbase, whose enthusiasm and loyalty continue to elevate this iconic race."

Toto Wolff on a potential Russell-Verstappen line-up

“I can imagine every lineup,” he said.

“I had Rosberg and Hamilton fighting for a World Championship, so everything else afterwards is easy.

“There are pros and cons of having two drivers fighting each other hard and we’ve seen examples where that functions and other examples where it didn’t.”

Toto Wolff is confident Russell and Verstappen could work as a pairing (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

Lando Norris after qualifying P1 on Saturday:

“It was a good lap. I knew there were a few places where I could get more time, I did what I planned to do. When it goes right, it usually goes very well, very happy.

“It’s a long season. It’s been some of my tougher moments in quali, it was pleasing for myself. It’s a long race tomorrow, I’m very happy with today, I want to prove it to myself...”

Austrian GP preview: George Russell and Max Verstappen F1 swap would be unthinkable – but Mercedes man deserves clarity

As the Formula One enterprise returns to real racing this weekend in Austria – away from the sprinkle and stardust of movie premieres in New York and London – one of the season’s standout drivers so far is in an unusual predicament. A scenario, you might say, worthy of a drama. No doubt Box to Box, the producers of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive, are rubbing their hands together.

George Russell, at this present stage, can do little more. The 27-year-old, in his fourth season at Mercedes and first without Lewis Hamilton by his side, has taken to the role of “team leader” with poise and serenity. As the Brit acknowledged to The Independent last month, he’s been “getting better and better”.

Full piece below:

RED BULL RING - FACTS:

• Shortest circuit on calendar
• Length: 4.318km
• Fastest lap: 1:05:619 (Carlos Sainz, 2020)
• Corners: 10 (fewest on the calendar)
• DRS zones: 3

(Getty Images)

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur ahead of the Austrian GP weekend:

“It only takes a little over a minute for a Formula 1 car to lap the Spielberg circuit, which means the field is closely bunched in terms of laptime, and thousandths of a second can make a big difference.

“Managing to put everything together will be crucial. The fact that seven of the ten corners are right handers combined with significant changes in elevation only adds to the challenge.

“We have been working hard in Maranello with the aim of ensuring that all the necessary elements come together in such a way as to deliver the best possible performance.

“Charles, Lewis and the whole team are determined to give their best at a track that often delivers one of the most spectacular races of the season.”

Allocated tyre compounds in Austria:

• Hard: C3
• Medium: C4
• Soft: C5

Lewis Hamilton on Ferrari upgrades:

"A huge amount of work went on to bring the floor but as you can see, it's not necessarily changed our competitiveness.," said Hamilton.

"The car actually doesn't feel bad, it's just we're a huge chunk off pace-wise. We need to look into that."

“We won't be at the front."

Lando Norris on backlash from Oscar Piastri crash: ‘Not the most joyful conversations’

Addressing the post-Montreal summit in Spielberg, the British driver said: “Of course, they were not the most joyful conversations, but they were conversations that clearly needed to be had because it is not about just me, but it is about how we perform as a team, too, and we all know what the number one rule (not crashing into a team-mate) was, and continues to be.

“So, there were very constructive things that were said, in an unfortunate way but in a good way, too, because many things have come out stronger which you might not have expected.”

(AP)

Verstappen teams up with different race engineer in Austria

This weekend, Simon Rennie will take over Lambiase’s duties and act as Verstappen’s race engineer, meaning he will also be heard over the team radio.

Lambiase misses this weekend due to personal reasons.

(Getty Images)

Irish teen Alex Dunne after finishing P4 in FP1 for McLaren yesterday:

"I want to say a massive thank you, you made a little boy's dream come true. This is definitely the best day of my life," Dunne said over the radio as he made his way back to the garage at the end of the session.

"Thank you everyone for letting me do this and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car. It means a lot."

(Getty Images)

Driver standings heading into this weekend:

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 198 points

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 176 points

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 155 points

4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 136 points

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 104 points

6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 79 points

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points

8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 42 points

9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 22 points

10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points

11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 20 points

12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 points

13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points

14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 11 points

15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points

16. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 8 points

17. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points

18. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 4 points

19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 0 points

20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points

21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points

Carlos Sainz, after qualifying just P19:

“The car was pulling to one side, had a lot of damage in the floor... in the end, obviously not happy. Too many issues and problems.

“We’ll see tomorrow, today was not our day. We need to find out why we’ve got so many problems.”

FIA on grass fires which caused Q2 red flag:

“For clarification, the grass fire was caused by a car going off track, rather than by sparks flying off from cars on track, as in previous cases.

“Additional dampening of the grass will take place during the break between Q2 and Q3.”

Oscar Piastri, who qualified P3:

“I didn’t get to start [my lap], Gasly spun. Lando’s been very quick all weekend but I think we easily had enough pace to be on the front row. Sometimes just not your day.”

Confirmation of the final qualifying results from the FIA:

(FIA)

What time is the Austrian GP?

Time BST

Sunday 29 June

• Race: 2pm

Lando Norris after qualifying P1:

“It was a good lap. I knew there were a few places where I could get more time, I did what I planned to do. When it goes right, it usually goes very well, very happy.

“It’s a long season. It’s been some of my tougher moments in quali, it was pleasing for myself. It’s a long race tomorrow, I’m very happy with today, I want to prove it to myself...”

TOP-10 IN QUALIFYING

1. Lando Norris

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. George Russell

6. Liam Lawson

7. Max Verstappen

8. Gabriel Bortoleto

9. Kimi Antonelli

10. Pierre Gasly

Charles Leclerc, in P2:

“I'm very pleased, it's been a difficult season overall, team has kept pushing, we've brought some new parts. It's also thanks to the team, very happy with the lap. We know we have a better car in the race than in qualifying.

“Lando must have done an incredible lap, congrats to him.”

Gasly spun in the final corner!

Gasly spun, resulting in the yellow flag which disabled the DRS and impacted Verstappen and Piastri!

Lando Norris on pole position!

Lando Norris goes even faster and takes pole with a 1:03:971!

An astonishing 0.521 secs quicker than Charles Leclerc in second!

Verstappen only P7!

3-10: Piastri, Hamilton, Russell, Lawson, Verstappen, Bortoleto, Antonelli, Gasly

Verstappen and Piastri were impacted by a yellow flag in the final sector!

Final laps in Q3

Do or die time now for the 10 remaining drivers - can anyone usurp Lando Norris?!

2:00 to go in Q3...

George Russell noted for an unsafe release:

Russell released straight into the path of the Ferraris...

Lando Norris on provisional pole!

Big moment for Lando - he has the first banker lap in and is top of the timesheet after the first laps!

Charles Leclerc is a surprise name in second, 0.224 seconds off Norris.

3-10: Piastri, Hamilton, Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, Bortoleto, Gasly, Lawson (no time)

They’ll all head in and prepare for their second runs... 5:00 to go in Q3.

Q3 underway

Here we go then with the top-10 shootout!

10 drivers involved: Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Russell, Antonelli, Lawson, Gasly, Bortoleto

Who will be on pole?

Alex Albon out in Q2!

A tough day for Williams - Albon is out!

Hadjar and Alonso also out!

Bottom-five and out in Q2 (11-15): Alonso, Albon, Hadjar, Colapinto, Bearman

Gabriel Bortoleto all the way up in fifth for Sauber!

Top-3: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc

Cars heading out on track!

Green flag conditions and we’re back going with Q2.

Most cars taking their time until the three-minute mark to get back out there!

Any shocks for the top-10 shootout?

FIA UPDATE

“Q2 to resume at 3:47pm (BST).”

Just over 5 mins to go.

Bottom-five (11-15): Albon, Bearman, Alonso, Bortoleto, Colapinto

Antonelli is P9 at the moment, with Gasly P10.

RED FLAG

Session stopped with 5:42 to go - due to another trackside fire!

We had this issue in China and Japan previously... ah, dear.

Norris quickest early on!

Lando continues to set the pace, with Piastri in second and Hamilton in third.

Verstappen in P5: “The car is undrivable.”

Current bottom-five (11-15): Albon, Bearman, Alonso, Bortoleto, Colapinto

Leclerc quickest so far

Only 3 cars straight out on track: Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon

With 10 to go, most heading out now...

Q2 underway!

The Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton are the first cars out on track as we get going with Q2.

15 minutes, we’ll lose the slowest five ahead of the final stage of qualifying.

Carlos Sainz:

“There’s damage in the car, when I say undriveable...”

Yuki Tsunoda out in Q1!

A nightmare for Tsunoda - he’s down in P17 and is out of qualifying! Sainz also out in 19th!

Tsunoda: “I didn’t have any front grip!”

Bottom-five (16-20) and out in Q1: Stroll, Ocon, Tsunoda, Sainz, Hulkenberg

George Russell has saved himself, as he was in P16 until the end!

Top-3: Norris, Piastri, Lawson

(Getty Images)

Alex Albon up to P5

Impressive stuff from the Williams.

Most cars have set laps no

Current bottom-five (16-20): Hulkenberg, Ocon, Stroll, Bearman, Alonso

Carlos Sainz will likely need to go quicker in 15th. 4:00 to go in Q2...

Lando Norris lays down a marker

Norris shoots straight up to the top of the timesheet with a 1:04:672, four-tenths quicker than the next in line in Max Verstappen.

3-10: Hamilton, Antonelli, Hadjar, Leclerc, Russell, Tsunoda, Lawson, Hulkenberg

7:00 left in Q1...

Nico Hulkenberg P1

P1 early on? Nico Hulkenberg.

That being said, only around eight cars have set a time so far...

12:00 left in Q1.

Q1 underway!

We’re finally away with Q1 - 18 minutes where we will lose the slowest five drivers from the rest of qualifying.

Williams’ Alex Albon the first driver out on track...

F2 race reason for delay

A long red flag after the F2 sprint race due to this incident means we start qualifying a smidge later.

Qualifying delayed

A hot 48C track temperature out on the Red Bull Ring.

Quick FIA update: Qualifying will start at 3:05pm (BST).

Unsure why the delay...

Qualifying!

We’re just under 10 minutes away from qualifying at the Red Bull Ring!

It’s a big one! Lando Norris is the favourite, having been quickest all weekend in practice, but can he put it all together at the end of Q3?

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has recorded five pole positions in a row - can he cause a shock to the delight of his supporters in the grandstands?

We’ll soon find out!

Driver standings heading into this weekend:

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 198 points

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 176 points

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 155 points

4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 136 points

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 104 points

6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 79 points

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points

8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 42 points

9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 22 points

10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points

11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 20 points

12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 points

13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points

14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 11 points

15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points

16. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 8 points

17. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points

18. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 4 points

19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 0 points

20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points

21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points

Lando Norris optimistic ahead of qualifying:

Norris said on Friday: "We have shown a bit more pace than some of the others but I certainly think they are going to catch up. Max is not far behind and [Red Bull] normally improve a lot into Saturday.

"I expect a good day tomorrow, and I'm sure we'll improve on some things, but it's not as easy as maybe it looked today.

“It's still going to be tight tomorrow. It always is."

(Getty Images)

Toto Wolff on Max Verstappen signing for Mercedes:

“I give it very little probability that it will happen.”

F1 constructor standings after 10 races:

1. McLaren - 374 points

2. Mercedes - 199 points

2. Ferrari - 183 points

4. Red Bull - 162 points

5. Williams - 55 points

6. Haas - 28 points

7. Racing Bulls - 28 points

8. Aston Martin - 22 points

9. Sauber - 20 points

10. Alpine - 11 points

Start times this weekend:

All times BST

Saturday 28 June

• Qualifying: 3pm

Sunday 29 June

• Race: 2pm

Lando Norris quickest in FP3!

Lando Norris is on top once more, with a 1:04:324, one-tenth clear of teammate Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen is third, with Leclerc in fourth and Hamilton in fifth.

Verstappen also has a spin at the final corner! “A little 360!” he says.

6-10: Russell, Antonelli, Stroll, Tsunoda, Bortoleto

(Getty Images)

Full starting grid for the Austrian GP:

1. Lando Norris

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. George Russell

6. Liam Lawson

7. Max Verstappen

8. Gabriel Bortoleto

9. Kimi Antonelli

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Fernando Alonso

12. Alex Albon

13. Isack Hadjar

14. Franco Colapinto

15. Ollie Bearman

16. Lance Stroll

17. Esteban Ocon

18. Yuki Tsunoda

19. Carlos Sainz

20. Nico Hulkenberg

F1 Austrian GP!

Oscar Piastri extended his lead in the world championship last time out in Canada despite a fourth-place finish, with his teammate Lando Norris retiring late on after a collision between the two McLaren drivers. The gap at the top of the standings is 22 points.

George Russell claimed Mercedes’s first victory of 2025 in Montreal, beating arch rival Max Verstappen to first place while Kimi Antonelli picked up his first podium in F1.

It was another troubling weekend for Ferrari, however, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton off the pace. The Scuderia will be eyeing an improvement as F1 returns to Europe this weekend.

(Getty)