The Englishman sets the best time while the yellow flag is shown for Verstappen’s accident, but the FIA agrees with Mercedes. Ferrari still competitive, Antonelli fourth
The starting grid for the Austrian Grand Prix is decided in a few seconds with a series of twists. The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are flying going to get the first two times while Max Verstappen tries to overtake them, the Dutchman with an excellent time goes astray and the yellow flag immediately goes up: Kimi Antonelli takes his foot off the accelerator and thus remains in fourth place, George Russell does it for a moment but then finishes the lap and mocks the Ferraris convinced of an all-red front row. The Federation immediately confirms the result by giving Russell takes pole position for tomorrow’s grand prix, but the images from Sky Sport show that at the time of the accident Verstappen had a double yellow flag displayed, which by regulation invites the drivers to decelerate until they can stop the car. There remains doubt about the disqualification not imposed on Russell, but the last minutes of the tests confirm this Ferrari is now very close to Mercedes and the fight for the drivers’ world title is more open than ever. In the front row Russell and Leclerc, behind Hamilton and Antonelli, so to speak, the domestiques in front of the drivers who lead the standings. But this could also be an opportunity to bring the Englishman from Mercedes and the Monegasque from Ferrari back to the top. For Mercedes it is the eighth (out of eight) pole position of the season, but it was certainly the most difficult to conquer
