For starters: mini pole. Max Verstappen he takes the best lap in qualifying for the 100 km which takes place on Saturday (at 12) in Austria. On the track owned by his company, the Red Bullthe three-time world champion wants to make it clear who is the master of the house. Despite the renewed nervousness between his dad jos and the boss, Chris Horner. Despite the pressure from Mercedes to take him on board, provoking Horner’s irony: “They want Verstappen, they should take Jos”. Max continues straight and beyond: “It’s great to be here, in front of my fans and for my GP. We found a good balance, which allowed me to arrive in qualifying on the right foot”. A toenail: by just 93 thousandths, he beats the one who has now put himself forward as the challenger, Lando Norris on the McLaren. The other papaya-colored machine of Oscar Plates is third at three tenths.
Hamilton Sesto
Just behind it, there is the Mercedes Of George Russell (4th), while the first red one in the wake is that of Carlos Sainz, 5° to 4 abundant tenths. The Spaniard, who has not yet decided his future between Williams, Audi and Alpine’s last minute offer with Briatore, does better than the man who will replace him in Maranello, Lewis Hamilton6th at almost 6 tenths. Following the Red Bull of Perez, the two Alpines of Ocon e Gasly (just renewed) who continue to demonstrate a positive reaction with the arrival a week ago in the Briatore team. Tenth, without a time, very angry, there is Charles LeclercThe Monegasque didn’t even make it to the final battle: while leaving the pits for the final assault, which no one wanted to start first in a nerve-wracking wait-and-see attitude, Leclerc had a problem with the car, which stalled, he pulled over to let everyone pass, finally he came out but didn’t have enough time to set a time: he was 10th.
Leclerc furious in the Ferrari box
On the radio, Charles gets angry: “What the hell happened? Anti-stall should not shut down the engine. The engine stopped.” He parks, very angry. The boss in Maranello, Vasseurwho had asked for a change of pace after the bad race in Barcelona and the double zero in Canada, is visibly disappointed: “What happened to Charles? The anti-stall came in, he had to go to the right of the pit lane. And nothing, he lost the lap. The performance itself was bad. We need to check the data. We were fighting at least with Mercedes and McLaren, but I am disappointed to have a fifth and a tenth car. Before we were at most 4th and 5th place. A little disappointing”. More than a little.
