SPIELBERG BEI KNITTELFELD: Max Verstappen won the sprint at the Red Bull Ring circuit on Saturday to secure pole for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Starting from the front of the grid the world champion comfortably held off the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to turn the air orange as his army of Dutch fans set off flares in celebration.
“It was great to see, a lot of smoke at the end with all the orange,” Verstappen said, after doing a lap of honor in a Red Bull buggy.
As well as claiming pole in Sunday’s 11th race of the season, Verstappen also added eight points to his world championship standings.
George Russell for Mercedes took fourth ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez who made his way through much of the field after starting in 13th.
There was drama at the start when first Fernando Alonso’s Alpine refused to budge when the formation lap began with the double world champion’s race over before it had begun.
Then as the pack formed for the start Zhou Guanyu had an issue at the back. “The engine switched off guys,” the Alfa Romeo driver reported. the field were sent on a second formation lap.
Verstappen held off the Ferraris at the first corner to enjoy a smooth win, his third on the trot after taking both grand prix staged at the circuit in the Styrian mountains last year.
Max Verstappen wins sprint to claim Austrian Grand Prix pole
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Max Verstappen wins sprint to claim Austrian Grand Prix pole
- As well as claiming pole in Sunday’s 11th race of the season, Verstappen also added eight points to his world championship standings
Irate Carlsen pushes away camera after World Blitz Championships loss
- Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and 2023, had a frustrating second day at the championships in Doha on Saturday
DOHA: Magnus Carlsen pushed away a camera after losing to Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar, the latest example of the former world champion letting his vexation boil over.
Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and 2023, had a frustrating second day at the championships in Doha on Saturday, splitting a point with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before he was beaten by Artemiev.
When a photographer followed as Carlsen stormed out of the venue, the Norwegian pushed away the camera.
Carlsen attracted attention for slamming his fist on the table after losing to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament.
Also last year, he briefly quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when governing body FIDE barred him from a round for wearing jeans.
FIDE does not plan any action against Carlsen for Saturday’s outburst but will review the incident if a complaint is launched, CEO Emil Sutovsky told Reuters.
Despite his defeat, Carlsen is still in contention for the title at the championships and sits in joint second with seven points alongside Alexey Sarana, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Artemiev and Hans Niemann share the lead in the open category on 7.5.
