"I think we have a great car," says Max Verstappen after securing pole position in qualifying for 2022 F1 Austrian GP Sprint race

Max Verstappen takes pole position at the 2022 Austrian GP qualifying. The Dutchman will start Saturday's Sprint Qualifying in P1, ahead of Charles Leclerc in P2 and Carlos Sainz in P3.

The reigning world champion pipped both Ferrari drivers at Red Bull's home track in Austria, taking his third pole position of the year. Verstappen set a solid time of 1:04.984, showcasing his prowess around the track despite two red flags in Q3.

Meanwhile, both Mercedes drivers crashed in Q3, reducing their chances of scoring good points in Saturday's Sprint race. Russell and Hamilton were both caught out by sudden gusts of wind, ending their respective sessions abruptly.

Max Verstappen snatched pole position from his championship rival Charles Leclerc by a narrow margin in the final moments of the qualifying session, sending Dutch fans into a frenzy. The Red Bull driver told Billy Monger in Parc Ferme:

“It was a very long wait of course between the two runs. That is never great, once you are in the rhythm you want to keep going. Also the track temperature dropping, the wind changing a little bit, but in the end it was a very tight Qualifying and it is a really challenging track to get everything right. There aren’t many corners but the ones you have are quite tricky and easy to make a mistake. I am quite happy with pole but also tomorrow and Sunday you can get the points.”

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Max Verstappen feels Red Bull's rivalry with Ferrari has a bit more than respect than that with Mercedes in 2021

Max Verstappen believes the level of mutual respect between Red Bull and Ferrari in the ongoing 2022 F1 season is at a higher level than what he experienced last year while taking on Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. The duo battled hard all year long in 2021, with both drivers often making snarky comments about each other.

Charles Leclerc has replaced Lewis Hamilton as Verstappen's primary on-track foe but the pair still seem to share a relaxed relationship off track. In an interview with Channel 4 in the build-up to the 2022 F1 Austrian GP, Max Verstappen said the intensity of the rivalry with Hamilton in 2021 was boosted by the rivalry between Red Bull and Mercedes. The 24-year-old said:

“I don’t think necessarily it was between the drivers, it was mainly because it’s a completely different approach between the teams last year and this year, and probably there was a bit more respect between the two teams as well this year. I think that helps a lot for sure, and I’ve known Charles [Leclerc] for a longer time because we basically grew up together throughout racing and go-karting, and all the way to Formula 1.”

While Mercedes could not join the championship battle in the first half of the year, with the Mercedes W13 now seemingly able to perform almost at par with Red Bull and Ferrari, the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton may reappear as a championship protagonist. Further, with the 2022 season of F1 having 22 races, the Briton has enough time to become a serious threat to Max Verstappen and Red Bull, reigniting old flames.