Latest news with #qualifying
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Didn't get a chance': Major blow after Oscar Piastri dudded by rival driver
Lando Norris soared to a stunning pole for the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday after Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen were robbed of their final qualifying lap by a mishap from Pierre Gasly. Norris delivered the perfect response to his Montreal horror show, which saw him collide with McLaren teammate Piastri and cost himself vital points in the championship race. The Brit's world championship bid was dealt a major setback a fortnight ago when he ran into the back of Piastri and failed to finish. But he produced a sublime drive on Saturday at the Red Bull Ring, landing his 12th career pole after topping all of the practice sessions. Norris' margin over second-fastest qualifier Charles Leclerc was a huge 0.521 seconds - the biggest of the year so far at the shortest track on the calendar. Piastri, who leads Norris by 22 points in the championship heading into Sunday's main race, qualified third - 0.583 seconds behind his teammate. Piastri and Verstappen (seventh fastest) were denied one final chance to improve their times when Alpine driver Gasly spun ahead of them, resulting in a yellow flag that meant drivers behind had to slow down. Piastri was furious at having his final lap runed, saying 'f*** me, man, Jesus Christ' on team radio. He later said: 'I had (Pierre) Gasly spin at the first corner so I didn't even open my second lap. Lando's been very quick all weekend so it would have been a tough challenge, but we had the pace to be on the front row. 'We can still have a good race from there and we are not here to come home third. I'm not planning on finishing third, that's for sure. Always a shame when you don't even get the chance. Sometimes it's just not your day." Gasly said of his mishap, which saw him spin into the gravel before ending up back on the track: 'I think I was pushing a lot, and I did a mistake. I felt like I had a bit of time to get in that last corner after my lap in Q2 and, yeah, I went for it. 'Unfortunately, when I turned in, I didn't manage to rotate the car the way I wanted. So I didn't get the apex the way I wanted and went on power, tried to turn the car, and eventually it didn't go the way I wanted. Not happy about it.' RELATED: F1 legend accuses Oscar Piastri 'nasty' act in teammate collision Daniel Ricciardo floated for shock F1 return as race ban looms Norris' first lap in Q3 put him two tenths faster than anyone else in the field, and he then pulled out more than half-a-second with his next lap. "It was a good lap, that's for sure," he said. "I feel like my first lap in Q3 was good but I knew I could get more time and I did exactly that. I did what I planned to do and when I do that and it goes right it is usually very good." Verstappen (43 points behind Piastri) complained that his Red Bull was "undriveable", and faces the prospect of losing further ground in the championship. "The car is completely undriveable," he said over the radio after finishing nearly a second behind Norris. "It is even worse than before. I don't even know what to say." He later added: 'The whole of qualifying didn't go well at all. There was no corner where the car felt good, so that is a huge problem in qualifying. It wasn't nice to drive at all. I don't think we're strong enough to challenge the McLarens... They're at another level, but hopefully tomorrow we can at least be competitive with Ferrari or Mercedes.' with agencies
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Oscar Piastri left frustrated after dramatic end to qualifying at Austrian Grand Prix: 'F**k me'
Australian Oscar Piastri was left ruing a missed opportunity at the Austrian Grand Prix after a late yellow flag disrupted his final qualifying lap. Piastri's McLaren teammate Lando Norris was in blistering form, putting his crash of a fortnight ago behind him with a monster pole position for Sunday night's race. Practically faultless, he was streets ahead of second-placed Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, with Piastri finishing third. It's likely the Aussie would have improved his time, but his chances were thwarted when Pierre Gasly spun out on the final corner in the closing moments of Q3, causing a yellow flag to be waved. 'It was the fact I didn't get to start it [his final lap], that was the problem I had,' Piastri told Sky Sports. 'Gasly spun at the last corner so I didn't even open my second lap. 'Lando has been very quick all weekend and it would have been a tough challenge, but I think we easily had enough pace in the car this weekend to be on the front row. 'So always a shame when you don't even get the chance but we can still have a good race from there. 'It's sometimes just not your day.' Piastri's frustration was evident when speaking on team radio directly after Gasly's incident. 'Oh mate, I don't have time for another lap, do I? F**k me, man. Jesus Christ,' he said. Norris blew the field away with an inch-perfect lap and seems more focused than ever to close the gap on his teammate. 'It was a good lap, that's for sure,' Norris said. 'Very happy, a good day, a good weekend for me, so hopefully I can keep it up. 'It is a long season. I savour this moment. 'It is pleasing for myself, but it is a long race tomorrow.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamilton Hails ‘World Class' Ferrari Performance
Lewis Hamilton hailed a "world class" performance by Ferrari in Austrian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday after Charles Leclerc took second place on the starting grid and he followed up in fourth. The session equaled Ferrari's best of the season in Monaco, even if Leclerc was still more than half a second slower than McLaren's pole-sitter Lando Norris. McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri will start third. "It's a fantastic result. The team have worked really hard back at the factory to bring us a new floor this weekend," seven-times world champion Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this season from Mercedes, told Sky Sports television. "My last lap wasn't perfect. I think if I'd finished it, I would have been second, so there are lots of positives to take out from that session. "Also, I think it's been the best day operationally, particularly through qualifying. How the team operated. Just timings, the information we're getting in terms of traffic and positioning on track, I think was really the best. It was proper world class." Ferrari have yet to win a grand prix this season, although Hamilton won a sprint race in China in March, and the pressure has been mounting on team boss Fred Vasseur as their hopes of a first title since 2008 recede. Hamilton has yet to finish higher than fourth in a regular grand prix for Ferrari and has now gone 12 races without a podium. The team, runners-up last year, are now third overall and behind McLaren and Mercedes. "Ultimately we continue to pull together and protect each other and block out all the noise, and just keep our heads down," said Hamilton. "It's an incredible team. I'm working with Fred, we're working to put all the pieces of the puzzle in the right place, but step by step. It can't be done in one go. "We've just got to keep working on it but I'm really happy with the progress we are making."
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
‘F*** me': Piastri fumes after Austrian Grand Prix nightmare
Oscar Piastri has been left fuming and was not afraid to show it after his final opportunity in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix was wiped away. His McLaren teammate Lando Norris blew the rest of the field away in stunning fashion on Sunday morning to take pole position by more than 0.5 seconds. Norris' flying lap was enough to end Max Verstappen's reign of five consecutive pole positions at the Red Bull Ring. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. The 25-year-old Briton clocked an outstanding lap in one minute and 3.971 seconds to outpace nearest rival Charles Leclerc of Ferrari by 0.521 seconds, with Oscar Piastri third. However, it is very likely Piastri would have at least improved his qualifying time had his final lap not been sabotaged when Pierre Gasly spun out on the track, causing a yellow flag to be waved. 'It was the fact I didn't get to start it [his final lap], that was the problem I had,' Piastri told Sky Sports. 'Gasly spun at the last corner so I didn't even open my second lap. 'Lando has been very quick all weekend and it would have been a tough challenge, but I think we easily had enough pace in the car this weekend to be on the front row. So always a shame when you don't even get the chance but we can still have a good race from there. 'It's sometimes just not your day.' He was not afraid to show how he really felt when speaking over team radio after Gasly's incident. 'Oh mate, I don't have time for another lap, do I? F*** me, man. Jesus Christ,' he said. You can hear the radio exchange in the video player above. Piastri hinted that he believes his car has superior pace to Leclerc's Ferrari when asked about his prospects for Sunday night's race. 'I'm not planning on finishing third, that's for sure.' Norris, who is 22 points behind Piastri in the drivers' title race, erased any hangover from his collision with Piastri in Canada two weeks ago with a thrilling demonstration of his speed and talent. 'It was a good lap, that's for sure,' said Norris. 'I guess that just little bit by little bit, I was able to get more time. Q1 was good, but I knew there were a few places I could get more time and I did what I planned to do.' Verstappen. meanwhile, was also robbed of his final lap when Gasly spun in his Alpine. 'The whole of qualifying didn't go well at all,' said Verstappen. 'There was no corner where the car felt good, so that is a huge problem in qualifying. It wasn't nice to drive at all. 'I don't think we're strong enough to challenge the McLarens... They're at another level, but hopefully tomorrow we can at least be competitive with Ferrari or Mercedes.' Ferrari's Leclerc said: 'I'm very pleased. It's been a long time since we started on the front row and it's been a difficult season overall, but the team has kept pushing. 'We brought some new parts this weekend which for sure made a difference. We know we have a better car in the race than in qualifying so I hope we can put more pressure on the McLarens.' Leclerc's teammate and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was an encouraging fourth ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls, four-time champion Verstappen of Red Bull and Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber. Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli was ninth in the second Mercedes and Gasly 10th. Qualifying result and starting grid for Austrian Grand Prix Front row: Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren), Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 2nd row: Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari) 3rd row: George Russell (GBR/Mercedes), Liam Lawson (NZL/RB) 4th row: Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull), Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Sauber) 5th row: Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes), Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine) 6th row: Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin), Alex Albon (THA/Williams) 7th row: Isack Hadjar (FRA/RB), Franco Colapinto (ARG/Alpine) 8th row: Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas), Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin)
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
F1 2025 Austrian GP qualifying: Oscar Piastri to start third on grid
Deeply frustrated after his final qualifying lap was completely ruined by a yellow flag for another rival's mistake, Australia's Oscar Piastri faces a huge challenge winning Sunday night's Austrian Grand Prix after qualifying third. Prevented from showing what he could really do, Piastri was helpless to prevent his McLaren teammate and main championship rival Lando Norris from taking pole position by more than half a second from Charles Leclerc. Norris claimed his third pole of 2025 after stopping the clock at 1:03.971 but was lucky that Piastri was denied his shot at potentially bettering his time after he put on a fresh set of soft tyres for his final flying lap only to abort when Pierre Gasly spun out of control in his Alpine. 'A frustrating end to what was otherwise a positive session,' Piastri said. 'Gasly spun in front of me at the last corner and brought out the yellow flags, which meant I didn't get to open my second lap in Q3. 'I think we easily had the pace to be on the front row, especially as Lando was so quick, but we can have a good race from P3. 'I think there will be opportunities tomorrow and I'm not planning on finishing third.' Piastri currently leads the championship standings by 22 points, with Norris in second spot, after he crashed out of the last race in Canada attempting a crazy overtake. The winner of each race earns 25 points with 18 for second and 15 for third. In the 10 races held so far this season, the driver on pole has gone on to win six times. The only man to win in 2025 from outside the front row was Piastri at Miami. 'It is always a shame when you don't even get the chance. But we can still have a good race from there. Sometimes it's just not your day,' Piastri said. 'Lando was pretty quick all weekend, so it would have been difficult, definitely, but not impossible (to get pole). 'Obviously I'm disappointed to not have that opportunity, but I think there are opportunities tomorrow to try and go forward a bit more, so try and take them. 'I'd definitely rather be starting where Lando is, but I think there's still opportunities. It's a long race. It's going to be hot. It's tyre degradation here, so there's plenty of ways I can work myself back into the race.' Despite being in the fastest car, Norris has struggled to consistently produce his best in qualifying this season but was right on song at the high-speed Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. 'Nice to see the old me back every now and again,' the Englishman told his engineers over the team radio. 'That was pretty damn beautiful.' After climbing out of the cockpit for his trackside interview, he added: 'Qualifying has been some of my tough moments so to put in a lap like this is pleasing for myself. 'It's a long race tomorrow and a long season. I want to prove it myself over and over again and this is just the beginning of it. ' Leclerc split the McLarens to stick his Ferrari on the front row for only the second time this season, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth, his best qualifying result of 2025, to join Piastri on the second row. 'I am very pleased. Monaco was the last time we started on the front row and it has been a difficult season,' Leclerc said. 'We brought some new parts this weekend, which for sure have made a difference. I am very happy with the lap. 'We know we have a better car in the normal race than in qualifying so I hope we can put a bit more pressure on the McLarens in the race.' The four-time defending world champion Max Verstappen qualified seventh in his Red Bull after his final flying lap was also compromised by Gasly's untimely spin. Currently third in the drivers' standings, 43 points behind Piastri, the Dutchman said he didn't have the pace to match the McLarens but could still have been much higher. 'It depends how those last two corners would have gone. We would have been closer,' Verstappen said. 'It just didn't work in qualifying for whatever reason, there was not one single corner where I felt we had a nice balance. We were not McLaren level but we were still OK but in qualifying it just disappeared.' There was one big win for Australia already at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday when Aussie teenager James Wharton claimed victory in the F3 sprint. Benefiting from a reverse grid, the 18-year-old led the 21-lap race from pole to chequered flag to become the first Australian to win any F3 race since Jack Doohan in 2021. 'We finally got the result we've been working for all season. It's been a tough start, but we've worked hard with the team and behind the scenes to get here,' Wharton said. 'Yes, it's a Sprint Race, but we take it one step at a time. Now we've ticked this box, and we'll focus on winning a feature race too.'
