SQ2 – Double elimination for Aston Martin while Verstappen stays on top
Verstappen and Perez were the first to head out onto the Red Bull Ring as the 10-minute SQ2 began, and the Dutchman was quick to set an early benchmark, going fastest on a time of 1m 05.186s. This put him one-tenth clear of Russell in second.
After only eight drivers put an initial time on the board – again all running the new medium tyre that is mandatory in this segment – the remaining seven joining the fray in the final minutes, with those at risk being Sargeant, Alonso, Gasly, Magnussen and Tsunoda.
While Gasly moved forwards to 10th – just behind Alpine team mate Ocon in ninth – Stroll was pushed down into the danger zone with a wild moment at Turn 10, having earlier looked to be comofrtably into the top 10.
Magnussen just missed out on SQ3 in 11th, being less than one tenth away from Gasly, while Stroll also exited in 12th, marking a difficult day for Aston Martin as Alonso did not make it through either in 13th.
The other drivers eliminated were Tsunoda in P14 and Sargeant in P15, though the American could at least take heart from out-qualifying Williams team mate Albon.
Knocked out: Magnussen, Stroll, Alonso, Tsunoda, Sargeant
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
