F1 Austrian GP Live Commentary and Updates – Sprint Quali & Race
Saturday's action from the ninth round of the 2023 Formula 1 season
F1 pushes on with round nine this weekend and its second sprint race of the season at the Austrian GP.
Saturday has become effectively a standalone event, with sprint qualifying at 11am BST followed by the sprint race at 3:30pm BST.
Max Verstappen, who took pole position for the grand prix on Friday, leads the drivers’ standings by 69 points from Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
Live Text
Sort by
Pit stop
Bottas backs out of his slick tyre gamble and pits at the end of the formation lap. Ah well.
Perez locks up under braking at Turn 3 and takes to the run-off. He gets away with it, but that'll cause him a fright for the race start.
Green flag
The formation lap is under way and all the drivers have got away safely. Strap in, everyone.
I, for one, wish Bottas well. It is a risk but it could be glorious.
Bottas, starting 19th, has rolled the dice! He's the only dry to go for dry tyres, a set of mediums, and everyone else has played safe with intermediate tyres.
Photo
Spot the dry patch. That was left by the safety car... it'll dry up quick, but quick enough over 24 laps?
Photo by: Alex Kalinuackas
Twitter
All F1 teams will keep their starting tyre selection a secret until the grid gets cleared, so we've got a few minutes until we find out who sticks and who twists.
Will any of the drivers be brave and gamble starting on dry tyres? It is wet but it isn't soaking and will dry as the F1 cars hoover the wet stuff off the track. If it dries up enough, it could mean no need to pit to slicks during the sprint.
The official risk of rain is set at 30%, but anyone at the track would put that at 100%. This'll be the first wet sprint race, so that's something.
Photo
The latest from the grid is Mercedes was late putting its gazebo up for Russell's grid box, but all is well now.
Photo by: Alex Kalinauckas
Breaking news
A couple news flashes to update you with before the sprint: Leclerc was given a five-place grid drop for impeding Piastri in this morning's quali, while Haas has been given a suspended €5000 fine for an unsafe release with Hulkenberg: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/leclerc-gets-three-place-grid-drop-for-austria-f1-sprint-race/10490048/
The wet stuff is coming down on the grid ahead of the Austrian GP sprint race, and the gazebos have gone up. Could this open up to be anyone's race, or will the Red Bull front row lockout pull clear?
Rain
Hello one and all! Who fancies a sprint race in the wet? Well, you are in luck...
And before I depart, here is the full report from an enthralling sprint qualifying session. The Sprint itself will get underway at 15:30 BST, and we'll be back in advance to bring you all of the build-up from the Red Bull Ring.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-austrian-gp-verstappen-beats-perez-to-sprint-shootout-pole/10489949/
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-austrian-gp-verstappen-beats-perez-to-sprint-shootout-pole/10489949/
With rain still forecast for this afternoon's sprint, Norris will likely be eyeing the opportunity to top the F1 podium for the first time, even if he will publicly suggest a top three finishing position will be the goal.
Twitter
Twitter
Haas is getting used to using its celebration graphics, with this performance coming quickly on the tail of Hulkenberg's stunning qualifying in Canada.
Twitter
Ferrari lockout the third row with Sainz ahead of Leclerc with Aston Martin also line astern on the fourth row - Alonso P7 and Stroll P8.
Norris is third for McLaren but take a bow Hulkenberg and Haas - he will start on the second row in P4!
Perez improves at the last to join him on the front row.
Checkered flag
The clock hits zero and Verstappen improves again! A 1m05.371 scores him pole for the sprint!
He goes P5, one place behind team-mate Sainz and six-tenths off provisional pole man, Verstappen.
Remember, Leclerc will start from the front row on Sunday.
Remember, Leclerc will start from the front row on Sunday.
Leclerc is electing to run in the gap between the traditional two runs that the others are all completing.
There appears to be little to separate the used softs and fresh medium compounds, with Sainz and Hulkenberg P4 and 5 on the harder rubber.
Stopwatch
That advantage immediately tells for Verstappen, who fires in a 1m04.613s! Norris is currently P2, four-tenths back.
Hulkenberg and Sainz have fitted new soft tyres for the start of the session. Verstappen is on new softs, but the rest are on used softs.
The stewards have confirmed Hulkenberg's pit exit will be investigated for an "unsafe release".
Green flag
Here we go! SQ3 is go!
Rain
But here comes the rain! A few spots at Turn 1 are being reported to the drivers.
We have just one minute to go until the final part of sprint qualifying starts.
Replays have shown Hulkenberg bouncing his Haas into the air after clipping a tyre that had just come off his car when leaving his pit box.
Team principal Steiner has confirmed no one was injured in the incident.
Team principal Steiner has confirmed no one was injured in the incident.
Twitter
Twitter
For Haas, it's double-delight as Magnussen (P6) and Hulkenberg (P10) both make it through!
But none of the bottom five improve by enough, and Albon, Gasly, Tsunoda, De Vries and Russell are the drivers to fall out in SQ2.
Stopwatch
Verstappen returns to the top with a 1m05.371s.
Checkered flag
Leclerc takes the chequered flag and goes fourth.
By: Autosport Staff
Published:
Page:
