What the teams said – Qualifying in Austria

George Russell secured a brilliant pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix, narrowly beating Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 0.059 seconds. Russell's decisive lap came after a dramatic Q3 session featuring a yellow flag caused by a Max Verstappen spin, which compromised Kimi Antonelli's final attempt. Despite the incident, Mercedes showed impressive pace throughout, with Antonelli starting fourth and Lewis Hamilton third, providing a strong front-end presence for the team. Ferrari and McLaren showed strong pace but ultimately fell behind Mercedes in the final qualifying showdown. Charles Leclerc will lead the Scuderia's charge from the front row, while Lewis Hamilton lines up third. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the third row in P6 and P7 respectively, noting that tyre degradation and high track temperatures will be the defining factors in tomorrow's race strategy. Further down the grid, the Racing Bulls pair of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad impressed by making it into the top 10, outperforming the Alpine, Audi, and Haas entries. As the field prepares for a hot race at the Red Bull Ring, teams are evaluating two and three-stop strategies to manage high tyre wear. With overtaking opportunities available, the race remains wide open for those who can best manage their equipment in the demanding Austrian heat.