Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying Drama Grass Fire Halts Session McLaren Locks Out Front Row .
A grass fire on the Red Bull Ring interrupts Austrian GP qualifying prompting a red flag. McLaren’s Norris and Piastri secure a front row lockout while Verstappen struggles. Full report .
Drama on the Red Bull Ring
Qualifying for the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg was thrown into disarray when a trackside grass fire forced the session to be halted . Flames erupted near Turn 6 believed to be ignited by hot exhaust gases or sparks from cars passing over the dry grass prompting a red flag with only minutes remaining in Q3 .
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This unexpected delay evoked memories of a similar incident at this year’s Japanese Grand Prix once again raising concerns about the impact of modern F1 machinery on dry trackside conditions .
Session Halted Then Resumed
The fire and resulting smoke on the circuit led marshals and safety crews to act immediately . The session was paused while fire crews swiftly extinguished the blaze and cleared the area . After safety checks were completed qualifying resumed although the red flag caused disruption for drivers preparing for their final flying laps .
McLaren’s Mighty Pace Norris & Piastri Shine
Despite the interruption McLaren emerged as the standout team . Lando Norris secured pole position with a stellar lap narrowly beating his teammate Oscar Piastri . The two locked out the front row for McLaren reinforcing their recent surge in performance .
Norris finished just a tenth of a second ahead of Piastri while Max Verstappen though still on the front two rows struggled to extract performance from his Red Bull and settled for third .
Verstappen & Sainz Struggle
Post session Max Verstappen described his car as completely undriveable citing major balance and setup issues that affected his performance . It marked an unusually difficult outing for the reigning world champion on home soil for Red Bull .
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz endured an even more disappointing session . The Spaniard exited in Q1 battling severe handling problems that left him outside the top 15 . Joining him on the sidelines were Lance Stroll Esteban Ocon Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenberg—drivers who all failed to advance past Q1 .
Q1 & Q2 Highlights
Q1 McLaren set the pace early with Norris and Piastri at the top . The session saw high profile eliminations including Sainz and Stroll .
Q2 The McLaren duo continued to dominate while Verstappen hovered mid pack and Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson showed strong pace behind the leaders .
McLaren Buzz & Boardroom Moves
Away from the track McLaren made headlines by appointing Luca di Montezemolo former Ferrari chairman to their board . The move is seen as a strategic coup for the Woking based team as they aim to return to championship contention .
Team morale also appears to be on the rise with Norris revealing that internal team discussions after his on track collision with Piastri in Canada had been very constructive and helped reset the working relationship between the two drivers .
Final Grid Snapshot
Here’s how the top of the grid currently stands after qualifying .
Position Driver Team
- 1 Lando Norris McLaren
- 2 Oscar Piastri McLaren
- 3 Max Verstappen Red Bull
Positions for Mercedes Ferrari and others will be finalized based on race control verification and any potential penalties .
What It Means for Sunday
McLaren’s front row lockout is a major blow to Red Bull’s home Grand Prix hopes . Verstappen will need a significant overnight turnaround if he wants to challenge for victory . With Ferrari on the back foot and Mercedes still not in top form McLaren may be poised to seize control of the weekend .
The race promises high tension and strategy as teams respond to qualifying surprises the threat of more heat related issues and the battle for supremacy at one of F1’s fastest circuits .