Max Verstappen will start the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix from pole position, while Charles Leclerc makes his second front row start of the year. Here’s how the grid lines up for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix!
POLE: MAX VERSTAPPEN | 1:04.391
Max Verstappen starts from pole position for the fourth successive race. He’s looking to take a fifth consecutive win and continue his dominant form – which includes having led all of the last three races from start to finish. He’s won four of the last seven Red Bull Ring races.
2nd: CHARLES LECLERC | 1:04.439
Last year’s Austrian Grand Prix winner will start the 2023 race from the front row. It’s his first front row start since his pole in Azerbaijan.
3rd: CARLOS SAINZ | 1:04.581
Carlos Sainz suffered a fiery exit from last year’s Austrian Grand Prix. Can he convert his top three start into a first Red Bull Ring podium in 2023?
4th: LANDO NORRIS | 1:04.658
An impressive qualifying showing in an upgraded McLaren car at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix for Lando Norris. He’s never finished outside of the top seven at the Red Bull Ring. With only one top seven finish so far this year (6th in Australia), will Norris maintain his record this year?
5th: LEWIS HAMILTON | 1:04.819
Lewis Hamilton starts the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix from fifth place as he looks to secure a third consecutive podium result. He’s finished in the top five on every Red Bull Ring appearance aside from 2018, when he retired.
6th: LANCE STROLL | 1:04.893
Lance Stroll out-qualified his team-mate for the second time this year with his best Red Bull Ring qualifying result to date. Can he stay ahead of Fernando Alonso in the race?
7th: FERNANDO ALONSO | 1:04.911
Fernando Alonso starts outside of the top six for only the second time this year. He’ll be looking to move up the order, given the fact that he’s taken podium finishes in six of this year’s first eight races. In his career, Alonso has never finished above fifth at the Red Bull Ring.
8th: NICO HULKENBERG | 1:05.090
Reaching Q3 for a third consecutive race, Nico Hulkenberg starts the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix eighth. Hulkenberg last scored points in Austria with a sixth place finish in 2015. He’s picked up points once so far this year, with seventh place in Australia. The good news for Hulkenberg is that the driver starting eighth at the Red Bull Ring has not retired since 2001.
9th: PIERRE GASLY | 1:05.170
A return to the top ten in qualifying for Pierre Gasly, who’ll be hoping to bring home more points for Alpine in the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix. Can he stay in the top ten in the race? He’s lost at least one position from where he started in all of the last four Red Bull Ring races.
10th: ALEX ALBON | 1:05.823
Alex Albon starts in the top ten for the second time this year. Having picked up points last time out in Canada, Abon is looking to score at consecutive races for the first time since his Red Bull days. He’s scored at the Red Bull Ring once before, with a 4th place finish in the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix.
11th: GEORGE RUSSELL | 1:05.428
After becoming the first Mercedes driver to ever miss out on a spot in Q3 at the Red Bull Ring, George Russell is searching for a return to the points after his disappointing retirement in Montreal.
12th: ESTEBAN OCON | 1:05.453
Esteban Ocon equalled his worst qualifying result of the season and starts 12th for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix. He’s on a four race points-scoring streak. Will that continue at the Red Bull Ring?
13th: OSCAR PIASTRI | 1:05.605
No upgrades on Oscar Piastri’s McLaren this weekend. The Australian is looking to pick up points for the third time this season. Last time he raced here, in Formula 3, Piastri won on his maiden appearance in the championship.
14th: VALTTERI BOTTAS | 1:05.680
In Canada, Valtteri Bottas scored a point for the first time since the season-opener. He’ll need to gain four positions if he is to score in the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix – which is exactly what he did in Montreal.
15th: SERGIO PEREZ | 2:05.688*
Amid one of Red Bull’s most dominant periods in Formula 1, Sergio Perez missed out on a place in Q3 for the fourth consecutive race. In the last three races, he’s finished 16th, 4th and 6th. A return to the podium would be a welcome return to form for the Mexican.
*Perez did not set a competitive lap time in Q2. His fastest lap times were deleted due to him exceeding track limits
16th: YUKI TSUNODA | 1:05.784
Two points on the board so far in 2023 for Yuki Tsunoda, who’ll start the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix from 16th. He’s finished in the top ten only once previously in Austria, at the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix.
17th: ZHOU GUANYU | 1:05.818
Zhou Guanyu finished 14th on his first F1 appearance at the Red Bull Ring last year. He’s made up at least four positions from where he started in the last three Grands Prix.
18th: LOGAN SARGEANT | 1:05.948
A fifth consecutive Q1 exit for Logan Sargeant, who starts 18th for a second consecutive race. Williams are looking to score their first Austrian Grand Prix points since 2017.
PIT LANE: KEVIN MAGNUSSEN | 1:05.971
Qualifying on the back row for his 150th Grand Prix start, Kevin Magnussen became only the third driver to reach 60 Q1 exits in Formula 1. Magnussen will start from the pit lane following setup changes.
PIT LANE: NYCK DE VRIES | 1:05.974
Nyck de Vries is in desperate need of a good result as his place on the grid comes under increasing pressure. Qualifying 20th and starting from the pit lane certainly won’t make it easy for the Dutchman. A driver starting 20th has not scored in Austria since 1974, while only one of the previous eight pit lane starts here has resulted in a points-scoring result.
