This archive report was first published on 26 June 2021.
On June 26, 2021, the Styrian Grand Prix saw a thrilling qualifying session, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull claiming pole position. However, his teammate's performance was overshadowed by a penalty imposed on Valterri Bottas of Mercedes.
Verstappen's pole position was a result of his exceptional driving skills, with a fastest time of 1min 3.841secs. He was followed closely by Bottas, who finished 0.194secs behind but was subsequently penalized for 'dangerous driving'.
Bottas's penalty, which included a three-place grid drop, opened the door for his teammate Lewis Hamilton to start on the front row alongside Verstappen. Hamilton, who topped the third and final practice session, was 0.2sec behind Verstappen but managed to secure a blistering final lap.
Verstappen's dominance was evident throughout the qualifying session, with him being the standout performer in practice on Friday. He expressed his happiness at securing pole position, saying, 'Super happy to be on pole here at home. It's always nice to see a Red Bull car first here.'
McLaren's Lando Norris produced an impressive performance, finishing fourth and securing a third-place start. The top 10 was completed by Sergio Perez of Red Bull, Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda of Alpha Tauri, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Fernando Alonso of Alpine, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, and George Russell of Williams.
