Verstappen to start from pole in sprint race at Spielberg
Photo: KEYSTONE/EPA/SIU WU
Max Verstappen ideally started the home race for his Red Bull team. The Dutchman secured pole position for the sprint race of the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday in Spielberg.
The three-time world champion was 93 thousandths faster than Briton Lando Norris (McLaren) in the decisive qualifying phase for the third sprint race of the season. Norris’ Australian team-mate Oscar Piastri and George Russell (Mercedes) will be on the second starting row.
This is the second time this year that Verstappen has started at the head of a short distance event. In Miami, he took advantage of a perfect starting position to win and in Shanghai, two weeks earlier, he also finished first despite a fourth place on the grid.
Verstappen has also set the pace in the two races that have taken place so far in Spielberg over around 100 kilometres, about a third of the distance of a Grand Prix. Two years ago and last season, he took advantage of the best starting position to take victory.
The Sauber team and its drivers, however, remain in the trough of the wave. The Finn Valtteri Bottas will start the sprint from 18th place on the grid, while the Chinese Zhou Guanyu will start from the back of the grid in 20th position.
/ATS
