Russell Takes Pole in Austria: Full 2026 F1 Qualifying Results
George Russell took pole for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix ahead of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli. Full qualifying order and times from Spielberg.
George Russell put Mercedes on pole for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, beating Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in a tight Formula 1 qualifying session.
Russell's best lap was 1:06.113, enough to lead Ferrari's Leclerc by 0.236s and Hamilton by 0.295s. Kimi Antonelli completed a Mercedes-Ferrari top four, while Max Verstappen ended fifth after a late Turn 9 incident interrupted the final Q3 runs.
The top 10 for Sunday's grid: P1 George Russell, P2 Charles Leclerc, P3 Lewis Hamilton, P4 Kimi Antonelli, P5 Max Verstappen, P6 Lando Norris, P7 Oscar Piastri, P8 Isack Hadjar, P9 Liam Lawson, P10 Arvid Lindblad.
Full 2026 Austrian GP qualifying results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Best lap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:06.113 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:06.349 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:06.408 |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:06.414 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:06.475 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:06.502 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:06.511 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:06.632 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:06.955 |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:07.007 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:07.223 |
| 12 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:07.293 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:07.523 |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:07.611 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:07.817 |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:07.894 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:08.252 |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:08.509 |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:08.945 |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:09.030 |
| 21 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:09.942 |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:10.363 |
Why this matters
Austria's short lap rewards traction, kerb confidence and braking precision. For teams, the qualifying order points to a Mercedes-Ferrari fight at the front, McLaren starting from the third row, and Red Bull needing to recover race rhythm on home-team territory.
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Source: Formula 1 official qualifying report. Operator resources: visit Truck Savers and learn about idle-time and fuel-saving solutions at Go Green APU.