Lando Norris’ opening lap in Q3 at the Austrian Grand Prix secured him pole position without him realizing it, as his initial 1m04.268s time was enough to secure the top spot.
Charles Leclerc could not better his time on his subsequent runs, and Oscar Piastri’s lap was interrupted by a yellow flag, preventing him from improving.
On the short Red Bull Ring circuit, pole positions are usually won by slim margins in hundredths, making Norris’ additional improvement of 0.3s on his second run notably impressive.
The specific details of where Norris gained time over his own previous lap are intriguing, particularly in Sector 1 where he gained 0.061s by braking slightly later for Turn 1 and adjusting his line for optimal traction.
In Sector 2, Norris capitalized on a better exit from Turn 3 by maintaining throttle control and making decisive inputs, ultimately gaining an additional 0.25s on his previous time.
Despite a slight loss of speed on the downhill stretch to Turn 4, Norris’ adjustments and optimizations throughout the lap ultimately secured him the coveted pole position for the race.
