Hamilton knocked out in Sprint ‘Q1’ after incident with poleman Verstappen

Max Verstappen dominated ‘Sprint Shootout’ qualifying session for this afternoon’s 2023 Austrian GP sprint race on a drying track, with a morning of pure misery for Mercedes with Hamilton knocked out in the first phase of the and Russell eliminated by a hydraulic issue in the second round. They’ll started 15th and 18th respectively.

Sergio Perez got over his Friday issues by qualifying second, albeit over 0.4sec slower than his world champion team-mate, with a hugely impressive Lando Norris going third in his updated McLaren.

Nico Hülkenberg, who has never finished in the top three of any sprint or grand prix race, put himself a brilliant fourth in his Haas, while the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc qualified fifth and sixth.

“I think it was good,” said Verstappen. “I mean of course the track was drying up, so lap after lap you were improving [and] had to be on the track at the right time.”

Hamilton meanwhile cut a hugely frustrated figure, emphasising the same point as Verstappen, after the two had diced for track position, baulking each others’ fast laps: “Timing just wasn’t right,” he lamented.

“The sprint race doesn’t really matter, anyway. So today we’ll just have some fun from the back and it is what it is. I wish I was still out there, but not today.”

“Top five would have been definitely on the cards, so it’s just not our weekend,” said Russell. “It’s one of those things, when it when it rains it pours.”

Here’s how the Sprint Shootout played out.

Shootout 1

Williams bagged the front two spots at the end of the pitlane, but were the only team to plump for intermediate tyres – save for McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – with everyone else opting for slicks as the track dried out from an earlier rain storm.

Sainz reported a brake by wire failure, and met with radio silence then said “I’m waiting guys, say something,” before being instructed to pit.

1min 10.201sec put Verstappen at the top of the timing screens but soon had his time deleted for track limits – with under-pressure Nyck De Vries claiming fastest on an ever-improving track.

With the Red Bull Ring constantly getting quicker, the order-change was fast and furious with times tumbling.

Norris, Alonso and Tsunoda variously occupied top spot, before Albon fitted on a set of softs to go quickest on a 1min 07.506sec.

Perez made up for his poor Friday showing by going fastest, before Hamilton clocked a 1min 06.624sec to remove the Mexican from first, but his time was then deleted, leaving Norris now at the top.

Sainz managed to get out with minutes to go, but both Ferraris were in the bottom five – until the Spaniard went fastest in the first sector and quickest overall with a brilliant lap.

The big shock exit though was Hamilton – the Mercedes driver ended up fighting with Verstappen for track position.

With the seven-time champion slow in the final corner as he looked for space, the Dutchman approached on a fast lap.

The Mercedes driver began his quick lap, but Verstappen overtook him into the first turn anyway, with both their laps ruined.

Hamilton was out of time, leaving him in 18th, and it was more Mercedes frustration as George Russell then reported hydraulic failure.

Zhou (16th), Piastri (17th), Bottas (19th) and Sargeant (20th) were the other drivers to lose out.

Shootout 2

Verstappen immediately clocked a 1min 05.624sec to head the timesheets, with Alonso just over 0.36sec off.

Sainz snuck in between the Red Bull and Aston drivers, with all the field fighting for track position.

The AlphaTauris, Haas cars and Williams drivers were constantly trading places around the 10th-place cut-off, with confirmation coming that Russell would not take part in the second shootout.

Magnussen then elevated himself to second, 0.126sec off Verstappen, before Ocon pipped the Dutchman by 0.02sec.

Yet again the track was getting quicker and quicker, as Sainz went first on 1 min 05.434sec.

Leclerc, who was in the dropout zone, then posted fourth fastest, as Verstappen displaced Sainz.

When time ran out the eliminated drivers were Albon (11th), Gasly (12th), Tsunoda (13th), De Vries (14th) and Russell (15th).

Shootout 3

The tension rose before the eight minutes of the final shootout, with the most drivers opting for soft tyres, apart from Sainz who went for new mediums.

Verstappen laid down the gauntlet with a 1min 04.6sec, before Norris joined him on the provisional front row – albeit almost 0.4sec slower.

With Perez third, the Ferraris initially laboured to get close to the Red Bulls, with Sainz and Leclerc fourth and fifth respectively.

When the clocked turned down, it was Verstappen who imperious by flying to an even faster time of 1min 04.440sec.

Perez managed to just get past Norris who will start third, half a second off, with Hülkenberg impressive by being just a tenth further off.

Behind the Ferraris in the same order as above, Alonso and Stroll will line-up seventh and eighth, with Ocon and Magnussen rounding out the top ten.

#F1SPRINT SHOOTOUT CLASSIFICATION

Mighty Max 💪#AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/QKN90jZUnJ

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 1, 2023