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2026 Formula 1 Austrian GP
Jun 25, 2026 to Jun 28, 2026
| Red Bull Ring, AT
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Formula 1 Austrian GP
F1 Austrian GP live commentary and updates - qualifying
Follow along for updates from Formula 1 qualifying ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix
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10:33:07 am
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And that's where we'll leave you! Thanks again for joining us, and we'll see you tomorrow for the grand prix.
10:23:28 am
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So, that was all slightly confusing, wasn't it?
Still, if anyone's still scratching their head, here's the quali report.
Formula 1
F1 Austrian GP: Russell avoids investigation to take pole after Verstappen crash
10:15:01 am
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There were some notes in the FIA race control readout about deleted laps under the double yellows, but this is only going to apply to their inlaps.
Either way, Russell was already well past the incident and completing his lap by the time the double-yellows came out - at least, according to F1's driver tracker.
10:11:45 am
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So, Russell won't be investigated, so pole is his indeed - and he judged that lift well.
Russell on pole from Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Hadjar, Lawson, and Lindblad.
10:10:42 am
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Hamilton: "Firstly, thank you everyone for the good energy. To have the two Ferraris in second and third is fantastic and a reflection of the amazing work back at the factory. They've brought small bits here, they've worked hard to upgrade our engine. I'm just really proud of everybody."
10:09:33 am
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Leclerc: "I'm relatively happy about today. The last few weekends have been quite tough so I just wanted a clean weekend and a clean qualifying to start well for tomorrow. To start second is a good place to start on."
As Leclerc talks, it pops up that Russell should keep his pole as the investigation has been waved off.
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10:08:27 am
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Russell tells Giancarlo Fisichella, conducting the top three interviews, that it'll be okay, citing a single yellow and that he'd backed off sufficiently.
"I feel incredible, it was such an amazing lap. I saw the yellow and did a big lift into the corner. I was five tenths up and came out of the corner two and a half tenths up. It was a single yellow, so it should be okay."
10:06:42 am
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Russell did find 0.236s over Leclerc, so at the end of the session it seems that a lot of cars just came alive. Antonelli backed off under the yellows and the driver tracker says he was ahead, so I suspect Ferrari might fight this a little bit...
10:04:56 am
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Russell has been noted for a yellow flag infringement. Leclerc congratulates him, but he'll be thinking that pole should be his...
Checkered flag
10:02:55 am
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And Russell's gone quickest, but has he done that through double-waved yellows?
Verstappen was trying to make up for lost time in Turn 9, lost the car, and sliced across the gravel before going sideways into the wall. That's not something you really ever see from Max Verstappen.
Stopwatch
10:01:29 am
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But Leclerc goes even quicker - it's a 1m06.349s! Again, where did that come from?
Norris only goes sixth, 0.15s off Leclerc's effort...
...and Verstappen loses the car at Turn 9!
Stopwatch
10:00:18 am
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Hadjar gets up to fourth with his second effort...
...but here's Hamilton, who goes fastest! It's a 1m06.408s! Where did that come from?
09:58:13 am
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Hadjar and Hamilton are on the road, followed out by Lawson, Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, and Lindblad.
Last orders, chaps.
09:56:54 am
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Hamilton is denied a second lap on that first set of tyres, after a wide at Turn 3, as he didn't have the fuel on board.
It's Antonelli, Russell, Verstappen, Piastri, Leclerc, Norris, Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad, and Hamilton so far. Hadjar-Lawson-Lindblad all did that run on used softs.
Stopwatch
09:55:44 am
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That's a belter from Verstappen - but Antonelli doesn't want to let him take the plaudits and posts a 1m06.414s. Russell knocks Verstappen off the front row, just 0.043s off Antonelli.
It's all in the final sector.
Stopwatch
09:54:12 am
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Norris opens with a 1m06.900s, which won't be good enough. Verstappen's on a blinder though, and posts a 1m06.475s - wow.
Piastri is 0.2s off Verstappen, and Leclerc is 0.28s off.
09:51:15 am
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Typically, nobody leaves the garage for the first couple of minutes, and now everyone wants to go out at around the same time. Norris, Hadjar, Verstappen, and Piastri are first on the road.
Lights green
09:48:32 am
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Q3 begins!
...and now we wait for the drivers to leave the garage.
09:44:18 am
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Our Q3 contenders
Antonelli
Piastri
Norris
Russell
Hamilton
Leclerc
Hadjar
Lawson
Lindblad
Verstappen
09:43:50 am
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Gasly and Bortoleto did well to get close to Verstappen's lap there - Bortoleto just a tenth off in that Audi.
Verstappen did, however, save an extra set of softs for this session after using used tyres on that lap. This brings him on parity with most of the other front runners.
09:42:09 am
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Eliminated in Q2
11. Gasly
12. Bortoleto
13. Bearman
14. Hulkenberg
15. Ocon
16. Colapinto
Checkered flag
09:41:34 am
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Bearman can't reach the top 10, as there's a three-tenth gulf to overcome. Bortoleto moves up to 11th...
...and Gasly gets within 0.04s of chipping Verstappen out of the top 10, but just falls short in the final sector.
Red Bull, by giving Verstappen one run, cut it a little bit fine there...
09:40:19 am
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Leclerc does not improve, which allows Hamilton to move up to fifth. Hadjar does up to seventh, as Lawson moves up to eighth and Lindblad ninth - which puts Verstappen on the cusp...
09:38:24 am
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Norris posts a 1m06.897s to go third, which should be more than enough.
Russell, on used tyres, gets up to fourth on a 1m06.979s.
09:36:58 am
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The off-sync Norris has headed out once more, now on used tyres, as Russell is told to "just drive" by Toto Wolff. Presumably some degree of disagreement on the radio...
09:35:05 am
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Elimination zone with five minutes remaining
11. Bortoleto
12. Colapinto
13. Bearman
14. Hulkenberg
15. Ocon
16. Russell
Stopwatch
09:34:14 am
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Gasly has a snap out of the final corner but picks up sixth, ahead of the two Racing Bulls.
Antonelli, Piastri, and Russell post laps on new tyres...it's a 1m06.763s for Antonelli, a 1m06.890s for Piastri, and Russell bailed after locking up at Turn 3.
So, Antonelli from Piastri as it stands.
Stopwatch
09:32:03 am
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Verstappen goes just over a tenth faster than Norris, as Hadjar effectively matches the McLaren.
Leclerc then posts a 1m07.030s to go top for now, as Hamilton is just 0.009s behind his team-mate.
09:30:07 am
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Norris wagged the tail of his car out of the final corner, and a 1m07.321s is solid enough for a first effort.
Verstappen and Hadjar are about to start laps, as the circuit becomes a little bit more congested.
09:27:57 am
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Norris suffered a bit of damage to the floor, but he's first onto the track. No other takers, so he's got the track to himself for his opening lap on used softs.
Lights green
09:26:10 am
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Q2 underway
Right, there's the bottom six positions - now, the next six to decide.
Audi, Haas, and some combination of the Alpines and Racing Bulls will be in the fray to get into the top 10 - Lawson and Lindblad look like the current favourites to get into Q3, but you can't discount Gasly...
09:21:08 am
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Eliminated in Q1
17. Sainz
18. Albon
19. Perez
20. Bottas
21. Alonso
22. Stroll
Checkered flag
09:20:16 am
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Lawson goes fourth! Bortoleto moves up to 12th to find some clear space, as Hulkenberg hits P15 and makes sure he's safe.
Neither Cadillac improves on their second runs, and the two Williams drivers join them in a Q1 exit as Hulkenberg drops Sainz into the bottom six.
Russell goes again and moves up to fifth.
09:18:32 am
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Colapinto seemingly books his place in Q2 with ninth, while Ocon gets out of the drop zone and goes 13th.
Sainz scraps out of the drop too as he went a bit sideways at Turn 10. Albon is out, however. Hulkenberg and Bortoleto are now on the cusp.
09:14:28 am
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Russell reports sliding on his lap, which he feels explains his lack of pace versus Antonelli.
Hadjar's going out again, while Verstappen is already out of the car and taking it easy.
Final runs coming up...
09:13:39 am
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Elimination zone with five minutes remaining
17. Sainz
18. Perez
19. Bottas
20. Ocon
21. Alonso
22. Stroll
09:12:14 am
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Perez and Bottas are within two seconds of the pace, so the American team is continuing to close in on the more established runners.
Hulkenberg doesn't improve and stays 15th, as his car went a bit loose out of the final corner.
09:11:08 am
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Russell went for another lap and improves, but he's still half a second off Antonelli.
Bortoleto gets his first lap in and goes 14th, while Albon and Sainz sit either side of the cut-off - Albon 16th, Sainz 17th.
Stopwatch
09:09:17 am
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Antonelli sets a purple middle sector, purple final sector, and posts a 1m07.083s to go top.
After the first runs, it's Antonelli, Norris, Hamilton, Verstappen, Hadjar, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Gasly, and now Bearman in the top 10.
09:07:54 am
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Piastri goes fourth, behind the Red Bulls, while Leclerc hits fifth.
Hamilton then goes second, 0.031s away from Norris' benchmark. Gasly moves up to eighth, with Colapinto ninth.
Pagination
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By: Jake Boxall-Legge
Published: Jun 27, 2026, 3:33 PM
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