Austrian GP: ‘Resurgent’ Lando Norris takes pole by half-a-second in qualifying

In a stunning turnaround at the Red Bull Ring, Lando Norris claimed a commanding pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old British driver turned heads with a lap of 1 m 03.971 s—a full 0.521 seconds faster than nearest rival Charles Leclerc. 

Norris marked his biggest margin of the season so far with McLaren, and has clearly reignited his challenge following his collision at the Canadian GP.

"The car felt good from the off. Alex gave good feedback this morning after FP1 and he was on the pace straightaway, so it was good to see,” Norris was quoted to have said as per Sky Sports.

"I think they moved the car in the right direction for FP2, and we just need to understand whether we want more of that [on Saturday], or a little bit less, or somewhere in the middle. So good steps in the right direction, but still a little bit more to come hopefully.

"We've shown a bit more pace than some of the others. I certainly think they're going to catch up. Max is not far behind and they usually improve a lot into Saturday."

Leclerc’s second-place effort, even at half a second behind Norris, confirms that Ferrari’s vehicle upgrades are paying dividends, with Lewis Hamilton claiming fourth place.

Oscar Piastri locked in third, though a late yellow flag hindered his final flying lap. 

The McLaren team's impressive one-two form in both practice and qualifying highlights their resurgence.

Home favourite Max Verstappen struggled mightily, qualifying only seventh.

The 27-year-old Dutchman cited persistent grip issues, describing his RB21 as “completely undriveable”.

 His hopes were dashed further when a yellow flag caused by Pierre Gasly’s spin delayed his crucial Q3 run.

Red Bull Team principal Christian Horner later admitted that, without the yellow flag, Verstappen would have likely qualified at least third.

The session was also interrupted by a minor fire on the grass at Turn 10—ignited by sparks from titanium skid blocks—bringing out a fascinating red‑flag stoppage in Q2.

Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto capitalised on the delay, securing a career-best eighth on the grid.

Meanwhile Mercedes chipped in with a solid qualifying haul, with George Russell in fifth.

With Norris half a second clear, McLaren head into the race with serious momentum. 

Ferrari will hope Leclerc and Hamilton can convert their pace into a bold challenge, while Mercedes aim to capitalise on any strategy missteps.

Meanwhile, Red Bull will need to overhaul Verstappen’s car overnight if the reigning world champion is to salvage the race.