Russell takes – George Russell snatched pole for the Austrian Grand Prix with a last-gasp Qualifying effort that flipped the outcome after Max Verstappen crashed out of Q3 at Turn 9. Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli ended Qualifying as the provision
When the pole shootout got its second chance, it didn’t just get louder—it got dangerous.
In Q3. Max Verstappen pushed his Red Bull into Turn 9 and suddenly lost control. the rear-end giving way as he flew across the gravel and slammed into the barriers at high speed. Race Control brought out yellow flags to cover the incident. turning the closing moments into a high-stakes gamble over whether drivers could still nail their lap times.
George Russell had entered the final stage with momentum from earlier improvements. and when Verstappen’s crash threatened to unravel the whole session. Russell chose to press on through the chaos. He navigated the yellows—insisting afterwards that he had lifted—then timed a last-gasp run good enough to usurp Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and secure pole position.
“I feel incredible,” said polesitter Russell. “It was such an amazing lap. I saw the yellow. I had a big lift into the corner – I was five tenths up. and I came out the last corner two and a half tenths up. It was a single yellow as well, not a double, so it should be okay. It was a tough day. but it was so special to get that lap and everything felt so sweet. so really proud of the job we all did.”.
Russell’s victory in Q3 leaves him alongside Leclerc and Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli as the provisional top four on the grid for Sunday’s race. ahead of Verstappen—who still ended up P5 despite his Q3 crash. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri follow in the top six places. with Isack Hadjar second Red Bull and Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.
Verstappen’s crash also changed what the final Q3 order could have been for others. Antonelli backed out completely from his lap in the closing stage, leaving him demoted to fourth. Verstappen’s own lap ended in the barriers. but the result still stood. and Norris and Piastri took the next two spots after Russell’s pole-winning time.
The session’s earlier phases had already set up the tension. In Q1, Antonelli set the early pace. After a pit-lane green light at 1600 local time at the Red Bull Ring. Ocon was first onto the board with a 1m 09.083s. then Hulkenberg dipped under that. and Russell responded with a 1m 07.811s—still far from his FP3 rhythm. Antonelli then moved to the top on a 1m 07.083s.
Russell’s first Q1 improvement wasn’t enough to move him forward; he ended up down in eighth after a cool-down lap and a second attempt on the same set of soft tyres, improving to 1m 07.591s but staying eighth and reporting “four wheels sliding”.
Elsewhere. Gasly and Bearman filled the final top 10 places. just behind the Racing Bulls of Lawson and Lindblad in an ultra-close midfield fight. At the other end. Ocon made a significant improvement to get out of danger and joined team mate Bearman. the Alpines and the Audis. while Sainz dropped into the slide zone late. missing the Q2 spot after a wild run through the final corner. That left Williams facing a double elimination: Carlos Sainz in P17 and Alex Albon in P18. with Sergio Perez in P19 and Valtteri Bottas in P20 for Cadillac. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll ended up 21st and 22nd after the Aston Martin drop to the back. continuing the struggles of the team’s early 2026 form.
Q2 began with Antonelli carrying his momentum forward. After the 16 remaining cars took to track again. he posted the quickest time at 1m 06.763s. marginally faster than Piastri. Leclerc and Hamilton. Verstappen and Hadjar came next on used tyres. followed by Norris and Gasly. with Gasly running wide at the final corner.
Russell’s path through Q2 was messier. After running too deep at Turn 3 and backing out. he found the improvement later. and the message from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff—“George. just drive”—came after that moment. Russell responded with a 1m 06.979s on his next lap to move up to fourth behind Antonelli, Piastri and Norris.
Hamilton and Leclerc progressed safely in the Ferraris, along with the Red Bulls and Racing Bulls. Verstappen came close to a shock Q2 exit in the closing laps—saved by just a few hundredths of a second—while Gasly was closest to overruling him. missing out on Q3 in 11th. Bortoleto and Hulkenberg were eliminated among the Audis. along with Haas duo Bearman and Ocon. plus Colapinto. who was eliminated after a moment at Turn 1.
By the time Q3 arrived. the pole shootout was set: six cars removed from contention. and the rest battling for the single lap that would matter most. Antonelli made his intentions clear first with a 1m 06.414s. edging out Russell’s 1m 06.457s and Verstappen’s 1m 06.475s during the first runs. Hamilton went off at Turn 3 and abandoned his first lap, but he still staged a comeback in the second runs.
That second run became a race in itself. Ferrari sent the crowd wild with provisional pole laps from Hamilton and then Leclerc. Verstappen looked set to topple them as well—until Turn 9.
With Antonelli backing out and Verstappen crashing into the barriers. Russell pressed on through the yellows. lifting into the corner that had caught out Verstappen. He then came out of the last corner with the kind of advantage that doesn’t look real until you see the timing board: he was a couple of tenths quicker than Leclerc and Hamilton. and Antonelli dropped back to fourth.
For a moment, it had looked like Verstappen’s pace might settle the pole. Instead, the day shifted on a single loss of control at high speed, and Russell took the prize.
Sunday’s 2026 Austrian Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at 1500 local time.
George Russell Charles Leclerc Lewis Hamilton Max Verstappen Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying pole position Turn 9 crash Kimi Antonelli