Styrian GP qualifying as it happened

By: Haydn Cobb, Megan White, Jake Boxall-Legge

Summary


	Summary Verstappen takes pole position for the Styrian GP Bottas qualifies second but will start fifth due to three-place grid penalty Hamilton third in qualifying but will start the race on the front row alongside Verstappen Norris and Perez also move up a spot each due to the penalty for Bottas Q3 incident involving Tsunoda and Bottas to be reviewed after qualifying
	Leaderboard Verstappen, Red Bull Bottas, Mercedes Hamilton, Mercedes Norris, McLaren Perez, Red Bull Gasly, AlphaTauri Leclerc, Ferrari Tsunoda, AlphaTauri Alonso, Alpine Stroll, Aston Martin

Status: Stopped

17:19

Here's the report from qualifying - we'll see you tomorrow for the race! Take care.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/styrian-gp-verstappen-takes-pole-ahead-of-bottas-and-hamilton/6611106/

17:08

17:05

17:04 But that's Verstappen's pole - his lap in the 1m03s remains untouched! Bottas will shuffle to fifth in tomorrow's race - giving us a Norris-Perez row two!

17:03 Hamilton had a very iffy lap and went wide at Turn 9! Bottas then leaps ahead of Hamilton, with Gasly grabbing fourth until Norris usurps him!

17:02 Speaking of Tsunoda, he moves up to P8 once more - as Leclerc cements P7 for the time being.

17:01 Bottas didn't particularly like encountering Tsunoda into Turn 4 - "F***ing Tsunoda - f***ing idiot".

16:59 Round 2 of Q3 coming up. All except Stroll now hit the circuit.

16:58 Stroll, yet to set a time, now goes up to eighth place - beating Tsunoda and Alonso there.

16:57 Hamilton gets closer with a 1m04.067s, halving his deficit to Verstappen.

16:56 Norris went P3, so far quicker than Bottas and Perez.

16:55 Big statement from Verstappen, 0.4s faster than Hamilton's opener.

16:55 Gasly posts a 1m04.453s - but Verstappen now posts a 1m03.841s to go top!!

16:54 Tsunoda's up to P2, a 1m04.980s. Not his fastest lap.

16:53 So, that's a solid benchmark up on the wall - what do the others have?

16:52 Hamilton's opening gambit is a 1m04.205s, his fastest lap of the session thus far.

16:51 Hamilton has the circuit to himself at the moment, or at least, until Tsunoda decides he wants in.

16:50 Here we are - Q3 hath begun.

16:47 Into Q3: Perez, Norris, Gasly, Verstappen, Bottas, Hamilton, Alonso, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Stroll.

16:45 Just 0.008s between Stroll and Russell on those laps - one has a Q3 spot, the other has free tyre choice for tomorrow.

16:44 Eliminated in Q2: Russell, Sainz, Ricciardo, Vettel, Giovinazzi.

16:44 Leclerc and Stroll just hang onto ninth and 10th - so they make it through.

16:43 Ricciardo and Vettel can't get out of the drop zone either, and occupy 13th and 14th!

16:42 Perez now goes fastest - as Sainz falls out in Q2!

16:42 Norris goes fastest!

16:41 Russell gets up to 10th, but immediately gets bundled out by Alonso going sixth!

16:40 Hamilton went fifth on his lap, 0.083s off Gasly's best - but the margins are tighter than a Matt Hancock embrace.

16:40 Verstappen and Bottas also bolt on softs and go out, covering all options it seems.

16:39 Everyone from fourth downwards has joined the circuit, so this definitely isn't over. Softs for all except Hamilton.

16:38 Hamilton comes out to have another go at locking in a time good enough for Q3.

16:36 Bottas has another crack and goes third fastest, which should be enough to keep him safe.

16:35 Ricciardo currently floundering a little in P14, 0.4s off Sainz's 'on the bubble' P10 time.

16:35 Tsunoda gets up to sixth, going above Stroll into the top 10. Alonso also shuffles Bottas further towards danger.

16:34 Verstappen trimmed a little off his best time - but Gasly now goes P1 with a 1m04.429s! Norris now goes P3 too.

16:32 Perez went P2 with a 1m04.583s on the softs - nestling ahead of Bottas.

16:32 Ah, Hamilton went too deep into Turn 3 and sustained a little lock-up.

16:31 Hamilton only did a 1m05.386s on his first lap, slower than Russell. Cue the rumour mill.

16:31 Bottas is told his time is not safe, and will have to have another crack. Verstappen now does a 1m04.540s to go top.

16:30 Perez is on softs, interestingly enough. Verstappen begins on the medium, however, so maybe a divergence in strategy.

16:29 Bottas, on the mediums, posts a 1m04.724s to get us back underway. Russell, Hamilton, Perez and Verstappen are also on the road.

Minute-by-minute updates for Formula 1's FP3 and qualifying sessions for the Styrian GP

Summary

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