Charles Leclerc finally gave Ferrari something to smile about by landing pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton was involved in a heated exchange with Kimi Raikkonen.
Leclerc delivered a stunning lap to secure top spot for Sunday’s Spielberg showdown, finishing ahead of Mercedes rival Hamilton in second while Max Verstappen came home in a respectable third place for Red Bull.
The sister Silver Arrow of Valtteri Bottas endured an underwhelming session and had to settle for fourth, a disappointing showing for a driver who landed pole here in 2017 and 2018.
While Leclerc was buoyant, it was yet another miserable afternoon for Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who was unable to compete for pole due to a mechanical issue.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Hamilton’s qualifying session was overshadowed by an opening-session clash with Kimi Raikkonen, an incident that is being investigated by stewards.
The world champion, who is bidding for his fifth successive victory after dominating in France last weekend, appeared to get in the Finn’s way in Q1 and could be hit with a five-place grid penaty.
“Hamilton completely blocked me” said Raikkonen before showing his rival the finger.
Also in the first phase of qualifying, Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat was fortunate to avoid a high-speed collision with Williams rival George Russell.
Kvyat came flying around a blind corner and had to show sharp reactions to avoid a shunt, but the move forced him off the circuit and ultimately ruined his hopes of reaching Q2.
