Verstappen hits the wall and chaos ensues: Antonelli slows down, Russell mocks everyone and takes away pole from the Ferraris

Verstappen’s mistake unleashes chaos The finale of qualifying for the Austrian GP is destined to spark huge controversy and ignite even more the race for the title and the political challenge – as well as the one on the track – between Mercedes and Ferrari. And the ‘fault’, paradoxically, lies precisely with those who do not drive for either one team or the other, that is, Max Verstappen. In fact, the Dutchman from Red Bull, in an attempt to improve his time during his last attempt in Q3, lost control of the car and ended up first in the gravel and then against the protective barriers, inevitably causing a yellow flag (single, not double, and this is a crucial point) in the last sector. At this point several drivers who had yet to pass through that point – including Andrea Kimi Antonelli and the two Ferrari drivers – aborted their last fastest lap and the impression was that qualifying had ended there. At that moment the first two positions were in the hands of the two Ferraris, with Charles Leclerc preceding his teammate Lewis Hamilton by a handful of thousandths. To the general amazement, however, George Russell arrived and completed the lap by setting the best time and edging out more than two tenths of a second from Leclerc. Investigation and green light Russell’s lap was immediately put under investigation, because his improvement had occurred after Verstappen’s accident and therefore with the yellow flag waved in the last sector of the track. The telemetry of our Federico Albano, however, shows how there was actually a slowdown on the Englishman’s part in the offending section, in that specific microsector, which however does not prevent him from significantly improving the time recorded in the first attempt by Leclerc. A few minutes after the investigation opened, the stewards closed the case, confirming Russell’s pole position and therefore deeming his lap correct and regular. The on-board camera shows how Russell passes two light panels in the offending sector: the first shows the yellow flag – single, not double – the second shows the green flag and therefore the end of the ‘danger zone’. Clearly, however, there are those who dispute the fact that by confirming this pole for Russell, who improved his overall lap time despite the yellow flag, a dangerous precedent was created. In the meantime, however, #63 will be able to enjoy the ‘at the pole’ start tomorrow.

Automobile Magazine – Formula1 English, News

2026-06-28 01:25:00