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Verstappen takes pole again

Published:Sunday | July 4, 2021 | 12:11 AM
First place for pole position, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands holds his prize after the qualifying session ahead of the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, yesterday. The Austrian Grand
AP
First place for pole position, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands holds his prize after the qualifying session ahead of the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, yesterday. The Austrian Grand Prix will be held today.

SPIELBERG, Austria (AP):

As a relentless Max Verstappen clinched his third straight pole position with a commanding drive for Red Bull at the Austrian Grand Prix yesterday, his title rival Lewis Hamilton could only manage fourth place on the day flagging Mercedes announced his two-year contract extension.

Verstappen’s latest pole was on his team’s home track at the Red Bull ring, where he won from pole last weekend. The Formula One championship leader is aiming for a third straight victory and a fifth in a row for Red Bull. But it’s a measure of his form that he thinks he could have done better.

“I am happy to be on pole, but not the way we like it,” Verstappen said. “I didn’t expect to lose so much time on the straights, but that’s what we’ll know for next time.”

Hamilton was under pressure in his final lap and went too wide on the last two turns.

The seven-time defending F1 champion was even upstaged by 21-year-old countryman Lando Norris, who qualified second for McLaren ahead of Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez – who has also won a race this season.

“We definitely can’t take it to the Red Bulls. They are just too fast,” a despondent Hamilton said. “My race is with the two guys ahead of me, trying to get past them.”

It was Norris, and not Hamilton, who almost caught Verstappen, placing just .05 seconds behind him.

“I feel epic,” the jubilant Norris shouted on team radio after his best qualifying result. “Probably one of the best laps I’ve done.”

Verstappen leads Hamilton 5-2 in poles this season and the pressure is on Hamilton, who trails Verstappen by 18 points and 4-3 for wins.

A bad day for Mercedes saw Valtteri Bottas qualifying in fifth.

WARM WEATHER

Cool and overcast conditions had been forecast for the final practice and qualifying, which would have favoured Mercedes, but warm weather and sporadic bursts of sunshine splashed the Red Bull ring.

In the first section of qualifying, known as Q1, Verstappen showed his intent.

He topped the charts with Hamilton .26 seconds adrift and only fourth fastest behind two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and Norris.

Hamilton moved to the top in Q2, only for the Dutch contingent to roar as Verstappen replaced him. He topped Q2 by .331 seconds from Hamilton and .449 from Bottas.

There were celebrations in the Williams garage as George Russell scraped it into Q3 with 10th place – quite an achievement in a car lacking genuine pace.

Williams pushed both Ferraris out of Q2, with Carlos Sainz Jr placing 11th and Charles Leclerc 12th.