Verstappen becomes the fifth driver to record 40 pole positions, Norris records consecutive front row qualifications for the first time and Magnussen records his best qualifying result of the season to date. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix.
VERSTAPPEN SEALS 40th POLE AT 2024 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
After winning the Sprint race on Saturday morning, Max Vertappen secured pole position for the 40th time in his Formula 1 career. He became the fifth driver to take as many as 40 pole positions, after Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.
The Red Bull Ring is the first circuit at which Verstappen has taken as many as five pole positions. He is the first driver to secure five consecutive poles at the track, extending his record for the most overall pole positions at the venue.
Verstappen’s pole saw Red Bull become the first team to take five successive poles at the Red Bull Ring, surpassing Mercedes’ former record.
IN THE TOP 10
Having taken pole at the Spanish Grand Prix, Lando Norris qualified in second place for the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. It’s the first time in Norris’ career that he has recorded consecutive front row qualifications.
Norris equalled his best qualifying result at the Red Bull Ring, having also qualified on the front row at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix.
George Russell qualified in third place for the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix – his best qualifying result to date at the Red Bull Ring.
Qualifying fifth at the Austrian Grand Prix for the second successive year, Lewis Hamilton maintained his 100% Q3 appearance record at the Red Bull Ring. He and Max Verstappen are the only current drivers to hold 100% Q3 appearance records at the track.
For the first time since the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz out-qualified team-mate Charles Leclerc.
After setting the third fastest lap time in Q3, Oscar Piastri was demoted to seventh on the final grid for exceeding track limits. This was his first Q3 appearance at the Austrian Grand Prix.
With both Norris and Piastri in Q3, this was the first time since the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix that both McLaren drivers progressed to the final part of qualifying at the Red Bull Ring.
Nico Hulkenberg qualified ninth for the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, equalling his best qualifying result of the year. He also qualified ninth at the Chinese and Miami Grands Prix.
This was the fourth time in the last seven races that Hulkenberg has appeared in Q3, having last done so at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon qualified 10th for the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. Having also reached Q3 at the Spanish Grand Prix, this is the first time Ocon has qualified in the top ten at consecutive races since the 2023 Qatar and United States Grands Prix.
This was Ocon’s fourth Q3 appearance from his nine outings at the Red Bull Ring.
OUT IN Q2
Daniel Ricciardo missed out on a place in Q3 at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix by just 0.015 seconds. He out-qualified Yuki Tsunoda for the second race in a row – the first time he has out-qualified his team-mate at consecutive races since the 2021 United States and Mexico City Grands Prix.
With 12th place in qualifying for the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, Kevin Magnussen recorded his best qualifying result of the season to date.
Fernando Alonso became the first driver to record five Q2 eliminations at the Red Bull Ring.
OUT IN Q1
For the first time since the 2023 Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix, Williams recorded consecutive double Q1 exits.
This marked Williams’ first double Q1 exit at the Red Bull Ring since the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix.
Qualifying 16th for the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, Alex Albon recorded a Q1 exit at the Red Bull Ring for the first time in his career. He also qualified 16th for the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix – though that was as the result of a Sprint event.
Lance Stroll recorded his second Q1 exit of the 2024 season, his first since the Japanese Grand Prix. 17th is Stroll’s worst qualifying result since qualifying 18th at the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix.
With both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu out in Q1 at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, Sauber recorded their fifth double Q1 elimination in the last six races.
This was Sauber’ first double Q1 exit in Austria since the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix.
For the first time in his 13 visits to the Red Bull Ring, Valtteri Bottas failed to progress to Q2. Bottas had never previously qualified outside of the top 14 at the track.
Qualifying 20th, Zhou Guanyu set the slowest qualifying lap time in Q1 for the seventh time this season. Zhou is the first driver to qualify as low as 20th for Sauber at the Austrian Grand Prix since Marcus Ericsson, who qualified 20th in 2018.
Zhou has been eliminated in Q1 on all three of his appearances at the Austrian Grand Prix.