Oscar Piastri’s hope for securing pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix was thwarted by a yellow flag incident when Pierre Gasly’s Alpine spun out at the last corner. Piastri, who was the first driver on track following Gasly, had to navigate the high-speed final corner cautiously, which ultimately hindered his timing on the pit straight.
Expressing his frustration on team radio, Piastri did not mince words: “F–k me, man. Jesus Christ.” Despite this setback, he qualified third on the grid, behind his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who claimed the pole ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Piastri acknowledged the challenge of surpassing Norris, noting that he has exhibited remarkable speed throughout the weekend, although he believed they had the potential for a front-row finish. “It’s always disappointing not to get a chance, but we are still aiming for a strong race,” he remarked, indicating his ambitions for the event.
Historically, it’s worth noting that Alan Jones, the last Australian to win the world championship in 1980, famously took victory at the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix from the 14th starting position.
Lando Norris, reveling in his pole position, remarked that he felt like he was back to his best, as he set a time significantly faster than Leclerc, over half a second ahead. After a troubled outing in Canada, where he collided with Piastri late in the race, Norris appeared rejuvenated, celebrating his third pole of the season and first since the Monaco Grand Prix, where he also won.
“I’m thrilled with today but I want to keep proving myself, and hopefully, this is just the start,” Norris said, reflecting on his performance consistency this season compared to Piastri.
This qualifying session marked the end of Max Verstappen’s streak of five consecutive pole positions at the Red Bull Ring. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton secured fourth place, while Verstappen ended up in seventh after also experiencing the disruption caused by the yellow flag. This situation mirrored difficulties faced by his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who has struggled recently, qualifying in 18th.
Additionally, qualifying faced a brief halt due to a red flag incident caused by grass catching fire at the exit of the final corner, reminiscent of similar disruptions at previous races. Overall, while Piastri’s hopes for pole were dashed, both he and Norris are poised to contend robustly during the race.