F1 Austrian GP live commentary and updates - qualifying
Follow along for Formula 1 qualifying updates at the Austrian Grand Prix
Live Standings
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Our top 9 are all in the pits - Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton, Antonelli, Hadjar, Leclerc, Russell, Tsunoda, and Lawson. Piastri then moves up to the top 10, getting second - but 0.332s shy of Norris.
Gasly then moves up to sixth, between Antonelli and Hadjar.
Hamilton runs up to third, as Antonelli now grabs fourth - 0.611s shy of Norris. Russell can only find seventh, albeit only 0.07s shy of Antonelli.
The Williams duo do their second laps - but they're really struggling for outright pace as they're currently on the cusp of the bottom five - Albon brushes the gravel through Turn 9.
Alonso has a moment at Turn 4, as Stroll moves up to 12th fastest.
Verstappen gets a nice tow from Antonelli up the hill to Turn 3, but there was a wobble through Turn 4.
Still, it's a 1m05.106s to go quicker than Hulkenberg - but Norris smashes home a 1m04.672s to go 0.434s quicker. Piastri aborts after running brushing the gravel at Turn 4.
Hulkenberg vaults to the top with a 1m05.681s. Bortoleto pops up into third, a tenth behind his team-mate.
We've got a few of the big hitters out now; Verstappen, the McLarens, et al have hit the road.
Albon kicks us off with a 1m06.015s, 0.046s up on Stroll. Sainz is just behind them both.
Ocon then raises the bar immediately with a 1m05.745s. There should be a lot more time to find.
The Haases and Alpines are also out - I think they'll throw a few sets of tyres at getting out of Q1; some held onto soft tyre sets during FP3 and minimised their qualifying simulations.
Qualifying begins in Austria
And Q1 is open for business! No takers from the get-go, but Albon eventually gets us running from Stroll, Alonso, and Sainz.
Austria Q1 - who's at risk?
Of those who struggled on one-lap pace in practice, the Alpines and Haases will be on the cusp here. Racing Bulls should have the pace, although Hadjar didn't show his hand in FP3; Sauber is also knocking on the door of Q2, on the evidence of FP3.
Williams didn't look particularly special in FP3 either, so the British squad needs to find something.
Delayed start to Q1
We'll have a slightly delayed start to qualifying, as the F2 race finished late. The session will start at five minutes past the hour, so just a small disruption.
Rising temperatures don't favour Mercedes
George Russell led the way in Friday's FP1 session, but the climbing temperatures over the afternoon will start to hurt him and team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The difficulty that the W16 chassis faces in hotter weather is primarily due to the heat retention in the tyres; although it fires them up well, the car struggles to keep the rear tyre temperatures in the working range. Track temperatures are up to 47C.
It'll be unlikely that the silver cars challenge for pole, and Ferrari might even sense a chance to beat the Mercs.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
McLarens on form - but can Verstappen challenge?
FP3 suggested that the qualifying battle for pole will run mainly between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as the orange cars have found form around the Red Bull Ring.
But can Max Verstappen put the cat among the pigeons? He was 0.2s off the outright pace in FP3, but if he can find that extra something he cannot be discounted.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Andy Hone / LAT Images via Getty Images
20 minutes until Q1
We're not too far away from getting going - Q1's up first, where we'll lose the slowest five drivers. Q2 cuts another five, before the final denouement in Q3 to decide the top 10.
Weather watch
It's quite warm in Austria, as the mercury pushes 27C out there. The track temperatures will continue to escalate, which will make the end of the lap difficult on the C5s - at least, if the drivers take too much out of them in the first sector.
And, as the F2 race has just proven, a few might lose their heads in the heat...
FP3 recap
Earlier on, Lando Norris set a 1m04.324s to lead the way in FP3, 0.118s clear of team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Max Verstappen was third-fastest, although ended the session with "a little 360" spin at Turn 10.
Mercedes fell foul of the escalating track temperatures and were 'only' sixth and seventh, behind the Ferraris.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
F1 qualifying at Austria, T-minus one hour
Hello everyone - it's almost time to set the grid for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. These will be some of the shortest laps of the season, and we expect our polesitter to nudge up against the 64-second mark in the final stages of Q3.
Will they reach the realms of the 1m03s lap? We'll find out soon.
Alexander Albon, Williams
Photo by: Andy Hone / LAT Images via Getty Images
By: Autosport Staff
