Austrian GP Sprint Shootout: Max Verstappen tops team-mate Sergio Perez as Red Bull lock out Sprint front row

Max Verstappen dominated the Sprint Shootout to lead team-mate Sergio Perez in a Red Bull one-two ahead of Lando Norris; Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both make early exits; watch the Austrian GP Sprint live on Sky Sports F1 at 3:30pm on Saturday

Max Verstappen completed an Austrian Grand Prix pole double by leading team-mate Sergio Perez in a Red Bull one-two in the Sprint Shootout.

Having topped Friday’s qualifying session to claim pole for Sunday’s race, Verstappen produced another supreme performance – this time in damp conditions – to secure pole for Saturday’s Sprint, live on Sky Sports at 3:30pm.

The Dutchman, who holds a 69-point lead over Perez at the top of the world championship as he seeks a third successive drivers’ title, finished almost half a second clear of his team-mate to underline his excellence in all conditions.

Perez put aside a disappointing Friday, in which his failure to stay within track limits led to a needless Q2 elimination, to edge out McLaren’s Lando Norris for third, who impressively backed up the P4 he secured on Friday.

Nico Hulkenberg continued his strong form over one lap to take fourth ahead of Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll occupying the fourth row of the grid.

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Lewis Hamilton is out of the sprint shootout after a disappointing SQ1 in the Austrian Grand Prix

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and the other Haas of Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top 10, with the big losers Mercedes, who failed to get either Lewis Hamilton or George Russell through to Q3.

Hamilton qualified 18th after being guilty of the same error Perez made on Friday, having a lap that would have comfortably seen him through to SQ2 deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 9.

The seven-time world champion then had his final attempt at a flying lap ruined in its opening stages, as he got caught up with Verstappen, who was finishing a flying lap.

Russell advanced to SQ2, but reported a hydraulic failure at the end of the opening part of the session that prevented him from returning to the track, leaving him to start from P15.

Austrian GP Sprint Shootout Result
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
3) Lando Norris, McLaren
4) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
6) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
7) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
8) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
9) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
10) Kevin Magnussen, Haas

More to follow…