Results Sprint Shootout Austria | Verstappen P1, Hamilton slumped

Max Verstappen once again struck a very fat blow in Austria. The Dutchman, as so often this season, was again hugely dominant and managed to drive to P1. Mercedes had a session to forget, with Lewis Hamilton exiting in SQ1 and George Russell finishing in 15th after not running in SQ2.

The Red Bull driver was improbably good again. The reigning world champion recorded three purple sectors twice in SQ3. This was good for a 1:04:440. Teammate Sergio Perez will start from second place on Saturday afternoon. Lando Norris starts from third, and Nico Hulkenberg from fourth.

The Sprint Shootout in Austria seems to be anything but Mercedes' territory. Hamilton finished early, as he finished in eighteenth place in SQ1. Russell did not fare much better, as hydraulic problems with his W14 prevented him from starting in SQ2. He thus finished fifteenth.