George Russell steals Austrian Grand Prix pole from Charles Leclerc as Max Verstappen wrecks

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George Russell of Mercedes took a shock pole position for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix, just barely sneaking through a yellow-flag finish to the session as Max Verstappen wrecked.

Hot conditions on the narrow and quick Red Bull Ring promised to add more to the usual spectacle afforded by the elevation changes of the Styrian mountains and the ongoing 2026 championship battle.

After a handful of hectic races, qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix went off without issue, and as expected, Mercedes proved a force to be reckoned with.

Austrian GP Q1: Williams, Cadillac, Aston Martin fall

When the session went green, many of the slower cars hit the track straight away: Haas, Cadillac, Alpine, and Aston Martin. It wasn’t long before the likes of George Russell crept through the pit lane to begin their attack.

Russell was the early pacesetter, but the other anticipated frontrunners soon carved out their own place near the top of the timing charts. It was a fairly pedestrian first lap for Russell, but the Mercedes driver had undertaken a set-up change after FP3 and needed an opportunity to get a feel for the car.

“Just a bit similar to FP3 runs,” Russell reported on the radio, sounding quite subdued. “Four-wheel sliding.”

Drivers pushing for quick laps like Carlos Sainz and Gabriel Bortoleto rumbled over the kerbs en route to climbing out of the drop zone, but strong performances by the Audi and Haas teams meant Sainz came up short.

The drop zone was composed of both Williams drivers, both Cadillacs, and both Aston Martins. Fastest was Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, followed by Lando Norris of McLaren.

Knocked out in Q1:

• 17. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
• 18. Alex Albon (Williams)
• 19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
• 20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
• 21. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
• 22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

Which Mercedes driver needs a stronger weekend at the Austrian GP: Kimi Antonelli or George Russell?

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Austrian GP Q2: Alpine, Audi, Haas fall

It was Lando Norris of McLaren hitting the track first as the second segment of qualifying kicked off. A strong lap faced its first wobble in the final turn, though Norris was still the first driver to set a time.

Kimi Antonelli set the quickest lap of the weekend to snag the top slot with just over seven minutes remaining in the session. His teammate George Russell, meanwhile, continued to struggle; he hit the track for an out lap but didn’t set a flying lap.

“George, just drive,” came word from Toto Wolff. Russell hit the track with four minutes to go, ready to follow suit. At the conclusion of the lap, he snuck into fourth on the charts, just behind both McLarens.

As the session wound down, it became a dogfight among the midfield. Those drivers were keen to sneak through to Q3 in order to secure a top-10 start come race day morning. Pierre Gasly very nearly knocked Max Verstappen out of the running, but it wasn’t to be; the Racing Bulls were the best of the rest.

Knocked out in Q2:

• 11. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
• 12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
• 13. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
• 14. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
• 15. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
• 16. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

Austrian GP Q3:

The final 10 drivers crept from the pit lane one at a time to begin setting their flying laps.

Surprisingly, it was Lando Norris with one of the first top-of-the-chart laps, but Max Verstappen set a monster lap to take that lead by two-tenths of a second. Kimi Antonelli didn’t set a purple sector until the last on his flying lap, but it was enough to take pole.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was pulled into the pits and denied a second push lap; his first failed to set a time.

The field returned to the pits shortly after to prepare for a final mad dash for pole position in the final minutes of the session.

Lewis Hamilton put himself in the mix straight away, launching into provisional pole after his first timed lap; it only lasted for a brief moment before Charles Leclerc took the lead.

Max Verstappen lost control and collided with the wall in the final sector chasing pole position, ending his day in the gravel. As Ferrari celebrated its pole victory, though, George Russell’s name popped up at the top of the charts with a claim that he nevertheless did lift.

The finish ended under investigation, but the stewards cleared Russell, and his pole position was allowed to stand. He was determined to have lifted off the throttle early enough.