- Hamilton and Russell mistakes see them go into barriers
- Red Bull driver on superb form at team’s home grand prix
Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix with an immense lap. However his mastery of the circuit stood in stark contrast to a woeful showing from the two Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who ended the day with their cars in the barriers.
For Mercedes a long weekend lies ahead after they suffered a disastrous afternoon in Spielberg. Hamilton crashed out in Q3, taking a major impact and shortly afterwards Russell did likewise. Fortunately neither was hurt after uncharacteristic errors. Hamilton finished 10th and Russell fifth, a setback for the team who had been hoping to build on the improvement shown at the British GP.