Ferrari and Mercedes Dominate Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying, Hamilton Takes Pole
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc claimed pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix, edging out Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and teammate Carlos Sainz.
Leclerc set a blistering lap time of 1:03.003, just 0.055 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Sainz was a further 0.082 seconds behind in third. It was Leclerc's seventh pole position of the season, extending his lead in the qualifying standings.
Hamilton's second place finish was a boost for Mercedes, who have struggled for pace in recent races. The seven-time world champion will be hoping to challenge for victory on Sunday and close the gap to Leclerc in the drivers' championship standings.
Sainz's third place was a solid result for Ferrari, who will be looking to build on their strong qualifying performance in the race. The Spaniard will be hoping to challenge for a podium finish, while Leclerc will be aiming for his third win of the season.
The Austrian Grand Prix is set to be an exciting race, with Ferrari and Mercedes set to battle it out for victory. Leclerc will be the favorite, but Hamilton and Sainz will be hoping to upset the odds and claim the win.
Other key takeaways from qualifying:
- Sergio Perez qualified fourth for Red Bull, ahead of teammate Max Verstappen in fifth.
- George Russell qualified sixth for Mercedes, ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren in seventh.
- Fernando Alonso qualified eighth for Alpine, ahead of Esteban Ocon in ninth.
- Sebastian Vettel qualified 10th for Aston Martin, ahead of teammate Lance Stroll in 11th.
The Austrian Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, July 10th at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. The race will start at 2:00pm local time (1:00pm BST).
