Verstappen on Austrian GP sprint pole

Max Verstappen edged retired Lando Norris by conscionable 0.093 seconds to return rod position for nan sprint title astatine nan Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen, nan past of nan front-runners to transverse nan line, contempt being unhappy pinch his tyres arsenic a consequence of a chaotic extremity to nan convention and crowded track.

Oscar Piastri made it a McLaren two-three, 0.301secs disconnected nan Dutchman, up of George Russell’s Mercedes and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

The Spaniard’s team-mate Charles Leclerc grounded to get astir to nan statement successful clip earlier starting his flying thigh astatine nan extremity of nan convention and will commencement 10th.

Lewis Hamilton, who ran disconnected way a number of times during nan session, ended up sixth, up of different disappointing capacity from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who was 1.322secs slower than his team-mate.

The Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly were eighth and ninth.

More to follow

The past 2 races person devolved into a conflict betwixt Verstappen and Norris for supremacy and truthful it was successful sprint qualifying astatine nan Red Bull Ring.

But whereas Norris pipped Verstappen to rod successful Spain past weekend, nan world champion was fastest successful each convention successful nan shortened qualifying convention that is held for nan sprint and ever looked astir apt to return pole.

In fact, Norris appeared to struggle done nan first 2 sessions, successful which he was only 4th and seventh, but pulled retired a beardown thigh erstwhile it mattered.

First Russell, past Piastri group nan pace, earlier Norris moved nan goalposts by a ample magnitude for specified a short lap, only for Verstappen to re-establish himself astatine nan beforehand pinch nan last thigh of nan session.

The crowd, a ample information of which person travelled from nan Netherlands to support him successful their trademark orangish tops, shouted him crossed nan statement astatine what is Red Bull’s location title connected a way they own.

Verstappen said: “It is awesome to beryllium first present successful beforehand of fundamentally my location fans my location expansive prix, it has been a bully time truthful far. It has been bully to thrust nan car. Immediately it was good balanced.

"Of people you make immoderate mini changes earlier outpouring qualifying and everything has been moving really well.”

Leclerc suffered an motor problem astatine nan extremity of nan pit lane arsenic nan cars went retired for nan azygous thigh which settles nan sprint qualifying session.

His car went into anti-stall and past nan motor stopped. By nan clip he had gone done nan process of restarting nan car, he did not person capable clip to get astir to nan statement earlier nan chequered emblem came out.