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“Good to see FIA focusing on important things”- George Russell may face penalty ahead of Austrian GP for crossing track during Red Flag

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Good to see FIA focusing on important things"- George Russell may face penalty ahead of Austrian GP for crossing track during Red Flag

Qualifying ahead of the Sprint race in Austria turned out to be a disaster for Mercedes as both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton crash. 

Mercedes were looking strong during Qualifying in Spielberg. Hamilton or Russell may have been in contention for pole today, but unfortunately they both crashed out.

First it was Hamilton, who lost control and hit the wall, damaging his front right suspension. After a brief pause to the session due to a red flag, it resumed only for Russell to crash out and damage the rear of his W13.

It turned out to be a nightmare of a session for the Brackley based outfit. Russell will start the race P5, and Hamilton will start P10. The former however, may be facing further penalties for his actions following the crash.

The 24-year old’s crash brought out the red flag as expected, but he got out of his car, checked the damage and then went across the track on foot. This is something FIA announced they’ll investigate and he may be given penalties or reprimands for the same.

Also read: Max Verstappen’s Girlfriend Kelly Piquet once dated another Red Bull driver

Disappointing outing in Austria for Hamilton and George Russell

Russell, Hamilton and the entire Mercedes outfit looked like they are on the right track after a strong display in Silverstone. Hamilton showed that the W13 has the pace to challenge the Ferraris and Red Bull, and team boss Toto Wolff would have hoped for a high grid start for both drivers this weekend.

It wasn’t meant to be, as the crashes mean they will start further back than expected. Russell put up a good enough time that sees him P5 in the lap timing charts. Hamilton meanwhile, could not as good a lap in and will line up P10 in the Sprint race.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen showed by Spielberg is one of his favorite tracks once again, as he clinched pole position. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz took P2 and P3.

Verstappen currently leads the Drivers’ Championship standings with 181 points to his name. His teammate Sergio Perez is behind him, with 147 points. Leclerc, who was runaway leader at one stage this campaign is now nine points behind Perez.

Also read: $160,000 Toto Wolff x Mercedes watch auctioned and sold for Lewis Hamilton’s charity

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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