Max Verstappen was one of the many who lost at Silverstone. Max Verstappen came home from the first race of the year without finishing on the podium or winning it. He finished the qualifying session for the Austrian GP under the sprint format.
As in all grand prix races, the classification on Fridays is contested. This determines who will be the pole for Saturday’s short race (in this instance, 24 laps). Verstappen was fastest ahead of Charles Leclerc (and Carlos Sainz), who wanted to be vindicated after the events in Great Britain. In 2022, the Mercedes was the most frequented trio in Saturdays. This is after two major defeats.
Everyone had problems when the classification began. Many could not push the limits without being able to see how laps were eliminated due to the controversial track limits. Sergio Perez was actually investigated for violating Q2’s limits. They also took all of Q3’s times. Verstappen grated his teeth to stop Leclerc taking the fastest lap time. Although he only improved by 28 thousandths, it was sufficient. Sainz was third, even though he wasn’t even a tenth.
His laps were disputed at a superpole with 2:45 remaining. This was because the dispute was after a red flag. The second was in Q3. Both cases involved Silver Arrows pilots as the protagonists. First, Lewis Hamilton ran too far and was eventually ensconced against the protections. The seven-time champion was not only physically hurt but also morally by the hubbub created by the local public, many of whom are Dutch and do not forget or forgive 2021. Mercedes’ misfortunes did not stop there. George Russell spun in an area very similar to his teammate’s and crashed. These two red flags were the catalyst for the’sprint’ classification finish, though some drivers knew they would have a tough time. Fernando Alonso’s case.
Red Bull Ring’s difficulty is due to its short route and winding nature. Each mistake is penalized further. A car that exits the track via the high curbs can be left with noticeable damage, including in balance and even breaking parts. Alonso was the victim of this.
After completing Q1 with relative ease, and Q2 with a little less, the Spaniard won the ninth qualifying round (he will start 8th due to Sergio Perez’s suspension). While he was able to pass the first five rounds, his partner did not manage more. He also did not reach the penultimate round. He explained that he had been on the floor for over half an hour.
“The car felt very competitive today, and it was great to be back in Q3. After going wide in my first lap of Q3, I fell on the floor and we suffered some performance loss. We were in a good position before the damage was done to be in the top five or six. That would have been fantastic for the sprint. “Our objective is to gain positions starting at ninth place, which I’m sure we can accomplish,” Alonso stated satisfied.
There will be two sessions today, but only one will include training. The so-called FP2, which is really a warm up’ session, will be held a few minutes before the sprint. This 24-lap race invention will distribute 8, 7, 6, 5, 3, 4, 3, 2, and 1 points in reverse order, from first to eight. This will determine the grid for Sunday’s race, which will be the usual and real one. Are there surprises in store?
