SQ2 – Double elimination for Aston Martin as Verstappen remains in the lead
Verstappen and Perez were the first to take to the Red Bull Ring as the second 10-minute qualifying phase got underway, and the Dutchman was quick to set an early record, posting a fastest time of 1m5.186s. That put him a tenth of a second ahead of second-placed Russell.
After just eight drivers had put a first time on the board – again all using the new medium tyre that is mandatory in this sector – the remaining seven joined the fray in the closing minutes, with Sargent, Alonso, Gasly, Magnussen and Tsunoda the ones at risk.
While Gasly moved up to tenth – behind Alpine team-mate Ocon in ninth – Stroll was pushed into the danger zone in a crazy moment at Turn 10, having earlier looked set to easily break into the top ten.
Magnussen failed to qualify for the third stage of qualifying in eleventh place, as he was less than a tenth of a second away from Gasly, while Stroll also finished in twelfth place, which represents a difficult day for Aston Martin as Alonso did not succeed in qualifying either in Thirteenth place.
The other two drivers to retire were Tsunoda in 14th and Sargent in 15th, although the American could at least take heart from Williams team-mate Albon’s outclassing of his rivals in qualifying.
Out: Magnussen, Stroll, Alonso, Tsunoda, Sargent
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