Austrian GP Sprint Shootout: Max Verstappen tops team-mate Sergio Perez as Red Bull lock out Sprint front row

Max Verstappen completed an Austrian Grand Prix pole double by leading team-mate Sergio Perez in a Red Bull one-two in the Sprint Shootout.

Having topped Friday's qualifying session to claim pole for Sunday's race, Verstappen produced another supreme performance - this time in damp conditions - to secure pole for Saturday's Sprint, live on Sky Sports at 3:30pm.

The Dutchman, who holds a 69-point lead over Perez at the top of the world championship as he seeks a third successive drivers' title, finished almost half a second clear of his team-mate to underline his excellence in all conditions.

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Perez put aside a disappointing Friday, in which his failure to stay within track limits led to a needless Q2 elimination, to edge out McLaren's Lando Norris for third, who impressively backed up the P4 he secured on Friday.

Nico Hulkenberg continued his strong form over one lap to take fourth ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, with Aston Martin duo Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll behind.

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Charles Leclerc, who came close to snatching a shock pole from Verstappen on Friday, initially qualified sixth, but was demoted three places to ninth after being found to have impeded McLaren's Oscar Piastri in SQ1.

Alpine's Esteban Ocon and the other Haas of Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top 10, with the big losers Mercedes, who failed to get either Lewis Hamilton or George Russell through to Q3.

Hamilton qualified 18th after being guilty of the same error Perez made on Friday, having a lap that would have comfortably seen him through to SQ2 deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 9.

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The seven-time world champion then had his final attempt at a flying lap ruined in its opening stages, as he got caught up with Verstappen, who was finishing a flying lap.

Russell advanced to SQ2, but reported a hydraulic failure at the end of the opening part of the session that prevented him from returning to the track, leaving him to start from P15.

Austrian GP Sprint Shootout Result
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
3) Lando Norris, McLaren
4) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
6) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
7) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
9) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari*
10) Kevin Magnussen, Haas

*Leclerc was demoted three places for impeding

Red Bull in position to maintain dominance

Red Bull came into their home Grand Prix this weekend looking to extend a streak of eight wins (and one Sprint victory) to start the 2023 season.

There is added motivation for the reigning constructors' champions as they seek to honour the legacy of team founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who died in October last year.

While they were unable to get the one-two their pace probably merited on Friday, Perez overcame a scare in SQ1 - as he snuck through in 14th - to ensure there will be two RB19s on the front row later on Saturday.

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The thinking before the Sprint Shootout - which features three shortened sessions - was that the damp conditions may give Verstappen's challengers more hope, but he ultimately secured a far bigger margin than was the case on Friday.

Verstappen benefitted from having saved up additional soft tyres throughout the weekend, and never looked under threat during the final eight-minute period.

Dismal session for Mercedes

With rain having fallen overnight and for much of the morning in the Styrian Hills, SQ1 began with the track drying out and a clear line appearing.

The fact that the session had been officially declared a 'wet' one 15 minutes before it began meant that drivers were free to use any dry tyre - along with intermediates or wets - as opposed to just the medium in SQ1 and SQ2 and the soft in SQ3, as the 2023 Sprint rules oblige.

Hamilton appeared to be one of the drivers coping best with the conditions, but left himself exposed to the dangers of a rapidly improving circuit.

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The Brit got out of shape at Turn 9 on a lap that was good enough to put him top of the standings at the time, and would have comfortably secured his passage to SQ2.

Russell, who had endured a disappointing Friday as a lack of pace saw him qualify 11th for Sunday's race, appeared to have made overnight improvements as he showed promise while advancing to SQ2.

However, on his way back to the garage, he reported a hydraulic issue, which the team immediately began working on in order to ensure the car is ready for the Sprint.

It promises to be a major challenge for Mercedes to score points in the 24-lap contest, with potential changing weather conditions during the Sprint their only likely passage to success.