Austrian Grand Prix qualifying: Max Verstappen crash causes huge grid confusion

A clang involving Red Bull's Max Verstappen successful Q3 has sparked immense disorder arsenic to who volition commencement Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix successful rod position.

Verstappen spun retired astatine crook 9 during the closing seconds of the session, instantly bringing astir yellowish flags.

With Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton having already recorded their last blistery laps, it was initially deemed that the Ferraris would beryllium connected the beforehand of the grid.

However, George Russell, nether what appeared to beryllium treble yellows, acceptable a clip considerably faster to decorativeness quickest.

In the lawsuit of treble yellows, blistery laps should beryllium aborted. However, the statement of Russell and Mercedes is that a azygous yellowish was shown, subsequently meaning that slowing down successful the country wherever Verstappen had crashed was sufficient.

As of 20 minutes aft the decision of qualifying, Russell inactive sat astatine the apical of the timesheet, but Ferrari person a beardown statement to person his fastest clip deleted. Whoever benefits from the last decision, the different squad whitethorn appeal.

This is the melodramatic infinitesimal that ended Max Verstappen's Q3! ??#F1 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/b64MHhGQGR

What did Russell, Wolff accidental connected Austrian Grand Prix qualifying?

Speaking afterwards, Russell said: "I consciousness incredible, it was specified an astonishing lap. I saw the yellowish flag, I had a large assistance into the corner, I was 5 tenths up and I came up the past corner, 2 and a fractional tenths up so."

"It was a azygous yellowish arsenic well, not a treble truthful should beryllium OK. It was a pugnacious time but it was truthful peculiar to get that thigh and everything felt truthful saccharine truthful arrogant of the occupation we each did."

When quizzed by Sky Sports, Mercedes main Toto Wolff added: "It's 100m assistance with a azygous yellow. He mislaid a tenth-and-a-half. It's wholly on.

"It was an unthinkable lap. You tin spot connected the data, it was a monolithic assistance compared to the laps before. I'm truly blessed for him and however helium managed that also."

Unlike Russell, Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, who was successful the aforesaid country of the way arsenic Russell, lifted disconnected his blistery lap.

Who is existent apical 10 connected grid for Austrian Grand Prix?

With Antonelli successful fourth, Verstappen remains successful 5th having acceptable a accelerated clip anterior to his last lap.

The McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are sixth and seventh respectively, with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar successful eighth.

Red Bulls brace Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad implicit the apical 10.