F1 Austrian GP live: Qualifying start time as Lando Norris eyes key pole position

28 Jun 2025 • 7:44 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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F1 next heads to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix and round 11 of the 2025 season.

Oscar Piastri extended his lead in the world championship last time out in Canada despite a fourth-place finish, with his teammate Lando Norris retiring late on after a collision between the two McLaren drivers. The gap at the top of the standings is 22 points.

George Russell claimed Mercedes’s first victory of 2025 in Montreal, beating arch rival Max Verstappen to first place while Kimi Antonelli picked up his first podium in F1.

It was another troubling weekend for Ferrari, however, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton off the pace. The Scuderia will be eyeing an improvement as F1 returns to Europe this weekend.

Follow live updates of the Austrian Grand Prix with The Independent

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F1 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES

  • Round 11 of the 2025 F1 season takes place in Austria
  • Qualifying starts at 3pm (BST); FP3 started at 11:30am
  • Lando Norris quickest in final practice; Piastri 2nd; Verstappen 3rd
  • Oscar Piastri has a 22-point lead in the world championship
  • COMMENT: Russell and Verstappen F1 swap would be unthinkable – but Mercedes man deserves clarity

What are the start times this weekend in Austria?

10:30

All times BST

Saturday 28 June

  • Free practice 3: 11:30am
  • Qualifying: 3pm

Sunday 29 June

  • Race: 2pm

Start times this weekend:

12:40

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Kieran Jackson

All times BST

Saturday 28 June

  • Qualifying: 3pm

Sunday 29 June

  • Race: 2pm

Lando Norris quickest in FP3!

12:34

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Kieran Jackson

Lando Norris is on top once more, with a 1:04:324, one-tenth clear of teammate Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen is third, with Leclerc in fourth and Hamilton in fifth.

Verstappen also has a spin at the final corner! “A little 360!” he says.

6-10: Russell, Antonelli, Stroll, Tsunoda, Bortoleto

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Max Verstappen goes P3!

12:25

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Kieran Jackson

It’s quick from Verstappen... but not quick enough to usurp the McLarens.

He goes third, 0.210 secs off Norris in first.

Five mins to go.

Oscar Piastri up to P2

12:21

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Kieran Jackson

Norris has had the upper hand so far this weekend and that continues in FP3, with Piastri a tenth down on his teammate in P1.

3-10: Russell, Antonelli, Stroll, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Bortoleto, Lawson, Hamilton

Verstappen, down in P16, is coming out though on a new set of soft tyres!

10 minutes left in FP3...

Isack Hadjar spins at the final corner

12:16

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Kieran Jackson

The RB driver avoids the barrier as he has a moment at the final turn, clipping the gravel and spinning back onto the track!

“Well... sorry.”

Hadjar currently P19...

George Russell goes P2!

12:11

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Kieran Jackson

Russell looked set for top spot but comes home in second, 0.130 seconds off Lando Norris up top.

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri has hada brush with the gravel and his car is back in the garage.

3-10: Antonelli, Leclerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Albon, Tsunoda, Verstappen, Bortoleto

20 mins left in FP3!

Lando Norris quickest so far!

11:54

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Kieran Jackson

Twenty minutes in to FP3... Norris is in top spot, four-tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton in second.

3-10: Tsunoda, Verstapen, Hulkenberg, Piastri, Bearman, Gasly, Stroll, Sainz

FP3 underway!

11:30

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Kieran Jackson

Here we go with third practice at the Red Bull Ring.

Big final hour for all 20 drivers to dial in ahead of qualifying later

FP3 coming up!

11:25

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Kieran Jackson

We’re just five minutes away from the third and final practice session in Austria!

McLaren and Mercedes led the way yesterday - could we have a third team at the top come the end of this one-hour session?

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Tight moment between Norris and Verstappen again in Austria!

11:22

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Kieran Jackson

Irish teen Alex Dunne after finishing P4 in FP1 for McLaren yesterday:

11:16

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Kieran Jackson

"I want to say a massive thank you, you made a little boy's dream come true. This is definitely the best day of my life," Dunne said over the radio as he made his way back to the garage at the end of the session.

"Thank you everyone for letting me do this and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car. It means a lot."

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F1 constructor standings after 10 races:

11:10

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Kieran Jackson

1. McLaren - 374 points

2. Mercedes - 199 points

2. Ferrari - 183 points

4. Red Bull - 162 points

5. Williams - 55 points

6. Haas - 28 points

7. Racing Bulls - 28 points

8. Aston Martin - 22 points

9. Sauber - 20 points

10. Alpine - 11 points

Lewis Hamilton reacts to ‘significant’ social media abuse F1 drivers face

10:52

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Kieran Jackson

“The times have changed,” Hamilton, who co-produced the new F1 Movie, said. “I would say the racing space has probably got a lot busier with the fame of the sport, so it’s probably more intense.

“The media is more reactive, maybe. You’ve got social media presence and online abuse that we didn’t have when I got into the sport.

“It’s been pretty amazing to see how mature the young drivers that have come in – young men that have come in – have adapted and how they’ve carried that weight, because it’s no easy situation to be thrown into.”

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Austrian GP preview: George Russell and Max Verstappen F1 swap would be unthinkable – but Mercedes man deserves clarity

10:45

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Kieran Jackson

As the Formula One enterprise returns to real racing this weekend in Austria – away from the sprinkle and stardust of movie premieres in New York and London – one of the season’s standout drivers so far is in an unusual predicament. A scenario, you might say, worthy of a drama. No doubt Box to Box, the producers of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive, are rubbing their hands together.

George Russell, at this present stage, can do little more. The 27-year-old, in his fourth season at Mercedes and first without Lewis Hamilton by his side, has taken to the role of “team leader” with poise and serenity. As the Brit acknowledged to The Independent last month, he’s been “getting better and better”.

Full piece below:

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Driver standings heading into this weekend:

10:35

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Kieran Jackson

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 198 points

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 176 points

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 155 points

4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 136 points

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 104 points

6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 79 points

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points

8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 42 points

9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 22 points

10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points

11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 20 points

12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 points

13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points

14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 11 points

15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points

16. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 8 points

17. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points

18. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 4 points

19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 0 points

20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points

21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points

F1 Austrian GP!

10:27

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Kieran Jackson

F1 next heads to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix and round 11 of the 2025 season.

Oscar Piastri extended his lead in the world championship last time out in Canada despite a fourth-place finish, with his teammate Lando Norris retiring late on after a collision between the two McLaren drivers. The gap at the top of the standings is 22 points.

George Russell claimed Mercedes’s first victory of 2025 in Montreal, beating arch rival Max Verstappen to first place while Kimi Antonelli picked up his first podium in F1.

It was another troubling weekend for Ferrari, however, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton off the pace. The Scuderia will be eyeing an improvement as F1 returns to Europe this weekend.

image is not available