Report: Grid spots set for Austrian Grand Prix

Carlos and Alex will be aiming to fight forward from the ninth row of the grid in Spielberg

Published

27 JUN 2026

Est. reading time

2 min

Qualifying is complete for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix, and Atlassian Williams F1 Team will have both cars lining up on the ninth row of the grid in Spielberg.

The afternoon offered little respite after three practice sessions that saw both cars circulating consistently in the P16-P18 bracket, while a heatwave gripping the Styrian hills only added to the challenge at one of Formula 1’s shortest and most unforgiving circuits.

Carlos came closest to making Q2, but ended up on the wrong side of a tight battle for the final place in the opening phase. Esteban Ocon’s Haas snuck through in P16 by just 0.021 seconds, leaving CS55 to rue a slightly wide moment at the final corner on his decisive lap.

For Alex, the picture was similarly tough. The Thai driver was unable to find the time he needed on his final push lap, not helped by a slide at turn 1, and finished P18 after being unable to improve.

Both drivers had gone out early in Q1, setting opening laps that placed them P16 and P17 before returning to the pit lane to regroup on fresh Softs for their decisive final runs - but ultimately it wasn’t enough to move into Q2.

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Carlos Sainz:

"Whilst it’s been a tough weekend, I’m very happy with my last lap in Q1 and nearly made it through to Q2. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have enough pace. We’ve been struggling with grip and the weight of the car all weekend and when you combine it with the heat, it’s just too many issues to move up the field. A lot of teams have also brought upgrades and we’re really noticing it this weekend. Hopefully this is a low point and from Silverstone onwards we return to the improvement path. Looking to the race tomorrow, it’s going to be a struggle, but reliability is always a factor at play, so we’ll do the best we can and keep an eye out for any opportunities."

Alex Albon:

"A frustrating Saturday, but there's not much more we could have done today. We've made positive changes throughout the weekend between sessions, but unfortunately we just don’t have the pace. In turns 1-4 we can fight in the midfield, but through the high-speed corners the gap is exposed, which is an extension of what we saw in Barcelona. We spent FP3 focused on long runs and race pace rather than one-lap pace, but we did expect more from this weekend, however I think with the heat it’s exposed us more. Hopefully we can recover some positions in the race with this track having overtaking opportunities, so we'll try to exploit them."