Leclerc on pole, Verstappen just behind in first front-row battle between F1's young stars; Hamilton fourth after penalty; Will Ferrari's 'risky' strategy pay off? Watch race live on Sky F1 at 2.10pm
Sunday 30 June 2019 14:27, UK
The Austrian GP has all the ingredients to be an F1 epic as the youngest front-row in the sport’s history in Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen go head-to-head, with Mercedes poised just behind while Sebastian Vettel has to fight through the field.
After eight Mercedes victories to start the season, F1 2019 is offering fresh fights throughout a mixed-up grid on Sunday - with 18 drivers changing position from qualifying due to six separate grid penalties, including one for championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who will start fourth.
Few contests generate as much anticipation and excitement as the one right at the front of the grid, with Leclerc and Verstappen, both just 21 years old, ready to lead a train of cars into Turn One in Spielberg in the first instalment of a battle which could dominate F1's future.
It is Leclerc's second pole of his career, and after he was cruelly denied a win in Bahrain, Ferrari's protege will be desperate to make amends and secure his maiden F1 victory and his team's first of the season.
"The start will be very important," Leclerc, who starts on a different tyre to his rivals, told Sky F1's Karun Chandhok in a SkyPad special.
"Obviously we have a straight-line speed advantage, but they'll have the slipstream behind."
Verstappen, meanwhile, excelled in qualifying to finish third, but moves up a place due to Hamilton's three-place penalty - which has only actually cost him two positions - for impeding Kimi Raikkonen during Q1.
The Dutchman, who will be backed by a sea of orange at Red Bull's home race, has started on the front row five times before - and two of those races he has gone on to win.
"If we already have this pace in qualifying, then normally in the race we can be a little bit closer," said Verstappen. "Then it's game on."
Title rivals Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton form the second row of the grid and for the Finn, this is a great chance to haul back some points from his Mercedes team-mate, who is on a four-race winning streak and leads the championship by 36 points.
"It's going to be interesting," Bottas told reporters. "Starting third is not a bad place to start for sure with the run-down to Turns Three and Four, we've seen position changes before.
"Early in the race it will be crucial to get past Max as quickly as possible. It's a good opportunity for me and I need to make the most out of it and close the gap in the championship."
Hamilton was the faster Mercedes in qualifying, but still 0.2s off Leclerc, before being awarded his penalty on Saturday night, one he admitted he deserved. But as the five-time world champion posted on Instagram:
"Tomorrow is another day and an opportunity to rise."
Lando Norris lines up fifth, extraordinarily for the second race in a row, in his McLaren - the famous F1 team who have enjoyed a resurgence in recent months.
But Norris admits he will have a keen eye in his mirrors in the opening laps, especially with the threat of Vettel battling back from ninth for Ferrari.
Vettel didn't get to complete a Q3 lap on Saturday due to an engine issue but, while off the pace compared to Leclerc throughout the opening sessions, was primed for a front-row slot himself.
The German will be on the charge in a powered-up Ferrari.
The race is not one to be missed, and you can watch it live on Sky Sports F1 at 2.10pm, with build-up from 12.30pm.
Added to the intrigue is the fact Ferrari have gone in a different direction to their rivals in terms of tyre strategy, with Leclerc set to start the race on the quicker, but less durable, softs.
Verstappen, as well as Bottas and Hamilton on the second row, all opted for the medium compound and should have less tyre wear than the pole-sitter with temperatures set to soar to 35 degrees at the Red Bull Ring.
"The soft looked pretty good [during practice] so we are pretty happy with our strategy," said Leclerc. "Definitely different than Red Bull and Mercedes but yeah, only [the race] will tell who was right."
Despite Leclerc's confidence, Mercedes are adamant that Ferrari's decision not to fit the mediums has given them an opening in the race.
"I'd rather be on the medium than the soft," claimed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
"In terms of the strategy I think that Charles starting on the soft is a risky strategy because it is either a two-stop if things go bad, or you are being very compromised towards the end of your first stint."
Bottas continued: "We might have a small disadvantage at the race start and the first one or two laps but I think afterwards on the medium I think it opens a bit more opportunities for us compared to Charles in terms of strategy.
"I think in terms of pure race pace it will be a pretty close race between us and Ferrari. But I think it will be a big benefit to be the first car on the medium tyre."
Who made the right call? We'll find out soon after lights out at 2.10pm.
