What the teams said – Qualifying for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix

Mercedes

Russell put in a quick lap late in FP3 to grab the top spot, the first time he has beaten his team mate this weekend. But it did not initially look like he carried that momentum into Qualifying, with Antonelli fastest in both Q1 and Q2. The Italian also grabbed provisional pole with the first laps in Q3, looking nigh on unstoppable.

But then came the final laps, with Mercedes sending their drivers out last. Russell was clearly on a scorching lap, Antonelli not quite extracting as much. But Verstappen crashed just ahead of the Italian and he lifted off and aborted, believing it was double yellow flag conditions. It was only single, enabling Russell behind to lift through the incident and then put his foot back down. His advantage was such, he still managed to grab pole by over two tenths of a second.

George Russell, 1st, 1:06.113

“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. Without the yellow flag at the end of the session, I know we could have been even faster.

“It was a tense Q1 and Q2 for us as it was very tight, but once we got into Q3 I just focused on driving instinctively and everything came together. I’ve felt confident in the car all weekend and I’m really pleased we were able to deliver when it mattered most.

“Toto and the team have been hugely supportive. We’re in constant communication and that belief gives you the freedom to go out there and enjoy it, which is exactly what I did today.

“Of course, today is only part of the job. Tomorrow is what counts and it’s going to be a close race. Ferrari and McLaren have looked strong, and Max is always going to be a factor. We’ll need to execute well, stay clean, and make the most of every opportunity.”

Kimi Antonelli, 4th, 1:06.414

“It’s been a positive weekend so far and we’ve been able to show good pace as we’ve progressed through the sessions. The final lap in qualifying was coming together well and looked like it could have been close to George, which is encouraging and a learning experience for me.

“I’ve been feeling comfortable in the car, and we’ve shown particularly strong pace on the long runs, so that gives us a good platform heading into tomorrow.

“It’s going to be a challenging race with the conditions and high tyre degradation, so managing that will be key. There is a lot to play for and with different strategies possible, we’ll aim to move forward and maximise the result.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“It wasn’t the most straightforward qualifying session for us with Q1 and Q2 proving quite complicated, so it was important to stay composed and execute cleanly when it mattered.

“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; he lifted at the right time, managed the necessary amount, and ultimately maximised the lap when it counted. Sometimes you have to simplify things and just drive, and he did exactly that. He’s also handled the tyre quite well throughout the session, which was key in these conditions.

“Kimi has also had another positive weekend. He showed strong pace from the first laps in practice and has been competitive throughout. His final lap in Q3 was compromised by the late yellow flags, but fourth on the grid still gives him every opportunity tomorrow. He continues to gain experience every weekend and has shown once again that he can compete at the very front.

“We know that our competitors will be right on us. They’ve shown that pace already so there’s still plenty to fight for tomorrow.”

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

“A huge congratulations to George and the team on another pole position today. It was a very impressive lap which he managed to pull out when it mattered most.

“The day overall was fairly straightforward. We made some tweaks to the setup overnight and were able to put the car was in a reasonable place in FP3. In qualifying, it felt like Kimi side was having the smoother session. He looked quick in every session and was finding time as the track improved. Kimi was a bit unfortunate with the timing of the yellow at turn 9 on his final run; he’d thought it was a double yellow so backed out of the lap and lost a possible P2.

“George at the same stage was on his best lap by far; despite having to lift through turn 9 he was still able to claim pole by over 0.2s which is a great achievement.

“It’s all going to be about the race pace and degradation tomorrow. We’ve seen enough from Friday to know that it’s going to be a close fight with all the teams at the front and the temperatures will be tough on the car and tyres.”