P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen equalled his worst qualifying result of the season in seventh place at Red Bull’s home race.
Max Verstappen expressed confusion over his Red Bull’s unexpected drop in performance during Austrian Grand Prix qualifying, resulting in his equal-worst finish of the season. Placing seventh at Red Bull’s home race was a disappointment, worsened by being out-qualified by Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls machine. Verstappen’s final flying lap was halted by Pierre Gasly’s spin, leading to yellow flags that also dashed Oscar Piastri’s pole challenge. Despite ending nearly a second behind pole-sitter Lando Norris, Verstappen cited the car as “undriveable” during Q2, lamenting the sudden loss of balance. While uncertain about the upcoming race due to the qualifying struggle, he remained focused on maximizing performance and hoped to compete with Ferrari or Mercedes.
