Max Verstappen led a Red Bull 1-2 in F1 Austrian GP sprint shootout, with Sergio Perez in second from Lando Norris.

SQ1:

It was tricky conditions for first part of F1 Austrian GP sprint shootout but they opted for slick tyres where some went for the medium compound against soft for majority. Since the track was declared wet, the drivers then were free to choose any compound.

Lap deletions continued as Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and Williams’ Logan Sargeant had separate moments to bring out the yellow flag. There was a brake-by-wire failure for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz which hampered his chances early on.

They managed to get it fixed and Sainz ended up on top with a 1m05.187s lap ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg. In fact, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc just made it in after ending up 14th and 15th.

Guanyu was 16th with a 1m07.062s lap after an early spin, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (1m07.106s) 17th ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (1m07.282s) who was the biggest name to be knocked out after a lap deletion for track limits.

The strategy of running the used tyre didn’t work leaving him only 19th, but lap deletion for Williams’ Logan Sargeant (1m07.426s) dropped him to 20th behind Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas (1m07.291s). Leclerc was put under investigation for impeding Piastri.

SQ2:

The second part in the F1 Austrian GP sprint shootout saw the end of the second Mercedes’ George Russell’s running due to a hydraulic problem. It was Red Bull’s Verstappen in the front with a 1m05.371s lap from Sainz and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.

While the Frenchman made it in the Top 3, teammate Pierre Gasly was knocked out where replays showed huge traffic situation in the final corner. He was 12th with a 1m06.360s lap behind Williams’ Alexander Albon (1m06.152s) – just 0.061s behind 10th place.

The AlphaTauri pair of Yuki Tsunoda (1m06.369s) and Nyck de Vries (1m06.593s) were 13th and 14th, with Russell not running in 15th. Replays showed a pit moment for Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg where he ran over his own tyre after he was released.

He went airborne after that moment with the stewards then noting the unsafe release.

SQ3:

The final part in F1 Austrian GP sprint shootout saw an early lap from Red Bull’s Verstappwn with a 1m04.613s from McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. The two Ferrari cars were next with Sainz ahead of Leclerc.

It was Verstappen with the F1 Austrian GP sprint pole with a 1m04.440s lap from Red Bull teammate Perez (1m04.933s) and Norris (1m05.010s), with Hulkenberg (1m05.084s) in fourth on a new medium tyres beating the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin.

Ferrari’s pace went down in SQ3 with Sainz (1m05.136s) only fifth from Leclerc (1m05.245s), with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso (1m05.258s) only seventh from Lance Stroll (1m05.347s). Alpine’s Ocon (1m05.366s) was ninth from Haas’ Kevin Magnussen (1m05.912s) in the Top 10.

UPDATE: Following the investigation into the impeding, Leclerc has been handed a 3-place penalty for impeding Piastri in SQ1. Even though the driver wasn’t fully at fault where the team didn’t communicate it quickly, the Monegasque had to be penalised. But it is only for the sprint event which will be carried for the next sprint race and not the main grand prix.

The penalty to Leclerc means, he will start in ninth with Alonso, Stroll and Ocon up by one place. Here’s the explanation from the FIA: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2023%20Austrian%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20Infringement%20-%20Car%2016%20-%20Impeding%20Car%2081.pdf

The FIA also shared about 13 laps deleted during sprint shootout: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2023%20Austrian%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20Sprint%20Shootout%20Deleted%20Lap%20Times.pdf

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