Russell claims controversial pole after Verstappen crash
George Russell controversially took pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix, beating Leclerc and Hamilton despite yellow flags for Max Verstappen's crash on the final lap.
Late drama in qualifying
Mercedes driver George Russell secured a controversial pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix, setting the fastest lap on his final attempt despite yellow flags being displayed after Red Bull's Max Verstappen crashed at the penultimate corner. Russell's lap beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and his own teammate Lewis Hamilton to claim the top spot.
Russell defended his actions, stating he slowed sufficiently for the incident and that only a single yellow flag was shown, rather than the double-waved yellows typically expected for such a crash. "I had a big lift," Russell said. "I went into the corner 0.5 seconds up and I came out 0.25 seconds up. It was great to get that lap."
Other drivers affected
Verstappen kept fifth place despite his crash, while McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri qualified sixth and seventh. Russell's teammate Kimi Antonelli, who was ahead of him on track, also passed the crash site but did not improve his time, ending up fourth.
Russell added that he checked with team principal Toto Wolff, who confirmed the yellow flag situation was fine. "Big 100-meter lift before the corner," Russell noted. "So that's good to hear."
