Verstappen take pole position | Sunday Observer

Verstappen take pole position

2 July, 2023

Max Verstappen fended off a challenge from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to take pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was just 0.048 seconds clear of Leclerc as Carlos Sainz made it a Ferrari two-three with Lando Norris fourth in the upgraded McLaren.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was fifth from the Aston Martins, Lance Stroll unusually ahead of Fernando Alonso.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez failed to make the top 10 for a fourth straight race.

The Mexican repeatedly fell foul of restrictions on track limits and had a series of laps deleted for running too wide at Turns Nine and 10 and will line up 15th.

Perez was not the only driver to struggle with track limits - many drivers had laps deleted through qualifying - but he was certainly the one to suffer most for his transgressions.

Verstappen, who was cleared after a stewards’ investigation into whether he had impeded Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, said: “It was very difficult because of all the track limits. We don’t do this on purpose but with these speeds and high-speed corners it is very difficult to judge the white line.

“A lot of people were being caught out, including me. It takes out the joy a little bit but still a very good lap.”

Verstappen said the amount of times being deleted “looked very silly - we almost looked like amateurs and some of them were very, very marginal”.

Sainz added: “We need to find a way to correct it and we will sit down [with the FIA] and try to do that.”

Arguably the lap of the day was from Leclerc, who was right on the edge through the two high-speed final corners, the car dancing on the limits of adhesion as he caught a couple of twitches at well over 100mph.

Leclerc, who has had a difficult run in recent races, said: “It feels good to finally have a clean qualifying again and to be back on the front row. The feeling has been a bit better in the last few races. (BBC sport)

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