Max Verstappen unhappy despite clinching Austrian GP pole position

Drivers had lap times deleted for failing to stay within track limits

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, left, Red Bull's Max Verstappen, centre, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc after qualifying for the Austrian GP. AP

Formula One champion Max Verstappen took his fourth pole position in a row at Red Bull's home Austrian Grand Prix on Friday but was still frustrated.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will line up alongside Verstappen on the front row on Sunday with team mate Carlos Sainz and McLaren's Lando Norris, in a newly upgraded car, right behind.

The session proved a nightmare for Sergio Perez, already 69 points behind Verstappen after eight races all won by Red Bull, who had three laps deleted for exceeding track limits and failed to make the top 10 for the fourth race in succession.

The Mexican had been second fastest in phase two of qualifying, held on Friday because of the sprint weekend format, but repeatedly went over the white lines with all four wheels between turns nine and 10.

Verstappen later lashed out at the race stewards for being too strict during qualifying.

Verstappen and other drivers were annoyed at having lap times deleted for failing to stay within track limits, on a circuit where visibility is poor in some places. His Red Bull teammate Perez suffered the most.

Verstappen also had earlier lap times deleted, as did other drivers.

“It’s clearly not that easy and I don’t think we’re all idiots out there,” said Vestappen.

“Today, it was very silly. It made us look like amateurs with the amount of laps that were being deleted and some of them were so marginal. ... It was not a good look today. People will say, ‘you should have kept the car in the white lines’. If it was that easy, you can take my car and try it, but you probably wouldn’t get up to speed in time.”

Verstappen was later summoned by race stewards for allegedly impeding Haas driver Kevin Magnussen on Turn 1 during the first part of qualifying, but was cleared without a penalty.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth for Mercedes but team mate George Russell will start 11th after also having a lap deleted in the second phase.