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Max Verstappen
Photo: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP
World Championship leader Max Verstappen starts from first place in the Austrian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver secured pole position for the ninth race of the season in qualifying in Spielberg (Sunday, 3 p.m. / TV: Sky).
On his fourth pole of the season, the Dutchman was only two thousandths faster than McLaren driver Lando Norris (England), who is on the front row for the first time.
For Verstappen it is already the third pole position in a row.
In the previous week he had won the race in the same place.
Verstappen's Mexican team-mate Sergio Perez came in third, ahead of Formula 1 record world champion Lewis Hamilton and his Finnish Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Hamilton is already 18 points behind Verstappen in the World Cup.
Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel reached eighth place on his 34th birthday, Mick Schumacher came 19th in the Haas.
On Saturday it was dry and warm in Styria.
The drivers found different conditions compared to the significantly cooler training Friday when Mercedes was slightly ahead.
More clouds and falling temperatures are expected again for the race on Sunday.
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