George Russell will start from pole position for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix after setting the fastest time in Qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, beating Charles Leclerc in a dramatic final Q3 shootout.
The Mercedes driver produced a lap of 1:06.113 to secure pole, finishing two tenths clear of Leclerc after a tense finale that included a late crash for Max Verstappen.
Russell’s pole was briefly subject to a potential yellow flag review after Verstappen slid into the barriers late in the session, but the FIA stewards reviewed the incident and confirmed no further investigation was required.
Leclerc will start second for Ferrari, with teammate Lewis Hamilton third. Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth for Mercedes, ahead of Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
Who is on pole for the Austrian GP 2026?
George Russell is on pole for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix after beating Charles Leclerc in Qualifying at the Red Bull Ring.
Russell set a 1:06.113 to take pole, with Leclerc second and Hamilton third as Ferrari secured both cars inside the top three.
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Speaking after Qualifying, Russell said: “I saw the yellow, I had a big lift and I was five tenths up and I came out two and a half tenths up. So should be okay. It was so special to get that lap.”
The stewards later confirmed that the yellow flag incident involving Russell required no further investigation.
How pole position was decided in Austrian GP Qualifying
The fight for pole came alive in the final minutes of Q3 after Antonelli had set the early benchmark for Mercedes with a 1:06.414, narrowly ahead of Russell.
Verstappen then delivered a huge lap for Red Bull Racing, briefly putting himself firmly in the fight before the final runs began.
Hamilton had no banker lap after running wide on his first attempt, leaving the Ferrari driver needing one clean lap at the end of the session. He delivered under pressure, briefly going fastest by 0.006 seconds from Antonelli.
Leclerc then improved again to take provisional pole, but Russell was still on a flying lap behind the drama. Despite the yellow flags caused by Verstappen’s crash, Russell improved enough to move to the top of the times and secure pole position.
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Ferrari lock out second and third
Ferrari will start second and third after one of the team’s strongest Qualifying sessions of the season.
Leclerc admitted he had not expected to start on the front row before the session began, but said he was pleased to put together a clean performance after a difficult run of weekends.
“I’m relatively happy about today,” Leclerc said. “Last few weekends have been tough so I just wanted a clean session. If I am completely honest I did not think we would be starting on the front row until Qualifying, so it is a complete surprise.”
Hamilton also praised Ferrari’s progress after qualifying third.
“To have the two Ferraris in second and third is fantastic and is a reflection of the amazing work everyone is doing back in the factory,” Hamilton said.
What pole means for the Austrian Grand Prix
Pole position at the Red Bull Ring gives Russell a major advantage, but the Austrian GP is rarely straightforward from the front.
The lap is short, the margins are tight and the long run up the hill towards Turn 3 often creates overtaking opportunities, especially if the cars behind can stay within DRS range.
With Leclerc and Hamilton starting directly behind him, Russell will need a clean launch and strong early race pace to keep Ferrari from applying pressure.
Antonelli starts fourth, giving Mercedes a second car near the front, while Verstappen will be looking to recover from fifth after a frustrating end to Qualifying at Red Bull Racing’s home race.
Top 10 grid for the Austrian GP 2026
1 | George Russell | Mercedes
2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari
3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari
4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes
5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing
6 | Lando Norris | McLaren
7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren
8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing
9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls
10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls
Austrian GP pole position FAQs
George Russell secured pole position for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix with a lap of 1:06.113 in Qualifying at the Red Bull Ring.
George Russell and Charles Leclerc will start on the front row for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.
