George Russell Takes Pole for 2026 Austrian Grand Prix
George Russell claimed his 11th career pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix, with teammate Kimi Antonelli qualifying fourth.
- 1:06.113
- over 50°C
- 11
What Happened
In a fiercely competitive qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring, George Russell set the fastest time of 1:06.113 to secure pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix. The session was disrupted by a late crash for Max Verstappen, which brought out yellow flags but did not prevent Russell from topping the timing screens. Kimi Antonelli will start from fourth place after a strong showing throughout the weekend.
“P1 feels really good today. That last lap in Q3 felt unbelievable. I could see I was gaining a few tenths corner after corner, and it just felt incredible.”
“George did an outstanding job today. He has been competitive throughout the weekend and, when it mattered most, produced an outstanding lap using all of his experience.”
Track temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius, making tyre management crucial. Both drivers focused on single-lap performance in FP3, with Russell topping the session and Antonelli just 0.085 seconds behind. The team now looks ahead to the race, expecting close competition from Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull.
Why this matters
Pole position gives Russell the best starting spot for Sunday's race, where tire degradation and hot conditions will challenge all drivers.
Terms in This Story
- Pole position
- The first starting position on the grid, awarded to the driver with the fastest qualifying time.
- Qualifying
- A session to determine the starting order for the race, usually split into three rounds (Q1, Q2, Q3).
- Yellow flag
- A signal warning drivers of a hazard on track, requiring them to slow down and not overtake.
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