F1: Lando Norris achieved a pole on another planet in the Austria GP

The English flew and took Charles Leclerc 521 thousandths, the best of the earthly, in a return of just under 65 seconds! Max Verstappen will start seventh and Oscar Piastri, third.

The Lando Norris in the classification of the Austrian GP was from another planet. So much so that if it were not Lando Norris, the 11th Formula 1 date should be completed and they would all fight for second place. The abysmal difference that he took with respect to the rest of the category is almost inhabitual: 521 thousandths to Charles Leclerc, the second, in a return of 1m03s971. He was the only one who managed to lower the 64 seconds throughout the weekend. Bestial. But it is precisely Lando and if there is a quality that persecutes the British, it is his propensity to make mistakes.

Already with what was done in Friday and Saturday’s rehearsals, the safe bet for Pole was English. But … in the last classifications (taking Monaco) he had been making mistakes that mortgaged his chances in the races. But when Norris is right, his natural speed transforms him into unattainable. The perfect weekend he had on Monegasca streets are the sample button. After such a slaughter, everyone imagined that the error period would be forgotten and that it would finally see that pilot that shows conditions to be champion, but that always shows that spinning. However, the mistakes returned in Barcelona and Canada arrived at Sumun when his teammate in an illogical attempt of overcoming.

With the still burned ears of the pulls that hit McLaren’s inside, beyond that his recognition of the error and the apology request the panorama, Norris arrived in Spielberg in the center of the storm. He had to take a large exam, especially if he wants to raise his internal actions in Woking in the battle for the crown with the stone Oscar Piastri.

The Australian was fallible in Austria, as he did not happen for a long time. Bringing that error of the first date, right in the career of his house where he lost his MCL39 in the rain and ended up skating in El Paso, the World Cup leader did not fail anymore. And in Spielberg he did not be firm, he noticed it uncomfortable, with several little mistakes. Clearly, for Piastri the best business was to finish second in classification, but did not have the appearance of Leclerc. But the 583 thousandths he lost with his partner invite him to think about signing a podium or, waiting for Lando to lose his perfection shown so far in Austria and make one of his mistakes again.

If the Norris planet is set aside, the fight for the podium promises a closed battle, with the resurgence of Ferrari with the new soil that they premiere on this date. Lewis Hamilton was fourth and from Leclerc to English (with Pastri in the middle), were locked in 90 thousandths. Everything can happen. And if Lando suddenly becomes earthly …

And Max Verstappen? Pierre Gasly’s spin at the entrance to the line complicated the yellow flags at the close of the Q3. Beyond that, the Dutch battled throughout the weekend with his Red Bull, who arrived at the team’s career with some improvements, but did not reach to make RB21 more manageable. The sample was given, again, Yuki Tsunoda, who was 18º and stayed outside in Q1. Beyond the explicit support of Helmut Marko and El Financiero de Honda, The Japanese passage through Team is becoming unsustainable. The tetracampeon, pure talent, was seventh and from there he will try to minimize the damage to continue dreaming of the chance of reaching the penta in 2025.

In Q3 there were also surprises. And one day a Liam Lawson returned. The New Zealander, who was damaged after the gut of Red Bull when he climbed it to the main team and degrade it in two races, began to show signs of that pilot who caught the attention in his first step by Racing Bulls. With Faneza’s car, Lawson was sixth and will start ahead of his former partner Verstappen. And if it is about surprises, Gabriel Bortoleto first arrived at the third classification segment with Sauber. The Brazilian, who in 2024 won in Austria in F2, showed that the curves of the Red Bull Ring like them and will chop eighth, ahead of Kimi Antonelli, ninth, and Pierre Gasly, tenth. Mercedes, who came from winning with George Russel in Canada (the Italian completed the 1-3 of the arrows in Montreal) was lost when he met the high temperatures of Austria. Heat, his Achilles heel.

Can Norris close its weekend of aliens or will it be the earthly again? The English will have 71 laps this Sunday to take the exam.

Classification result