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Star F1 racer Max Verstappen had an impressive performance during the first qualifier of the Austrian Grand Prix, where he ended up securing his third consecutive pole position for the race. The Dutch-Belgian racer overcame deleted lap times in Q1 and Q2, and set a time of 1:04.391, where he edged out Ferrari racer Charles Leclerc to claim the top spot-on grid by a narrow margin. However, despite showcasing blistering performance at the qualifiers, the Red Bull driver’s happiness was short lived as he was summoned to the stewards for impeding Kevin Magnussen.
Verstappen was called up to report to the stewards on Friday evening to investigate the accusation of impeding a flying lap by Kevin Magnussen in the first part of qualifying. The Haas driver got eliminated after that phase as his lap got deleted due to a track limit infringement. However, he was still impeded by Verstappen, due to which he ended up losing his time. The FIA issued a statement stating that Verstappen is under investigation for impeding the Danish driver at Turn 1 during qualifiers, and he holds the possibility of getting a grid penalty on Sunday.
As of now, Verstappen will start from the pole position for the Austrian GP, after he beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. into second and third place, respectively. If the 25-year-old racer faces a drop in the starting order, it would promote Charles Leclerc to the opening position. Needless to say, it would be a golden opportunity for the Ferrari driver to secure the title on Sunday.
The decision by the stewards will undoubtedly have a major impact on the race, as it would reshuffle the grid front. Verstappen, who has been an ultimate contender for the championship, is likely to miss out on his victory in the Austrian GP.
Charles Leclerc to serve three-place grid penalty in Sprint
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has been handed three-place grid penalty for the Sprint race, scheduled to take place later on Saturday, July 1. The Monacan driver was found for impeding Oscar Piastri during the Sprint Shootout on Saturday afternoon.
