Verstappen starts first in the sprint

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen also secured pole position in the second qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix.

July 01, 2023

From: dpa

The 25-year-old won first place on the grid for the sprint on Saturday just a few hours later in 1:04,440 minutes. Behind the Red Bull driver from the Netherlands, his teammate Sergio Perez came in second, while Lando Norris in the McLaren came third. Nico Hülkenberg took a strong fourth place in the Haas racing car in Spielberg.

Record world champion Lewis Hamilton surprisingly only finished 18th in the Mercedes and has little chance of making any progress in the short race of just 16.30 kilometers on Saturday afternoon (100:15 p.m.). Teammate George Russell finished XNUMXth in the second Silver Arrow as he was no longer able to drive in the second qualifying section due to a hydraulic problem.

Surprised everyone: Lando Norris © APA/afp / VLADIMIR SIMICEK

During the time hunt it was significantly cooler than on summer Friday. After hours of rain, the piste became increasingly dry as the session progressed. The use of rain tires was not necessary. The main race in Styria takes place on Sunday. In first place on the grid, Verstappen has the chance of his seventh win of the season in the ninth round of the World Cup. He leads the overall World Cup standings by 69 points over the Mexican Perez.

The result: