Just when qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix was heating up—literally—a surprising incident involving Lewis Hamilton threw the session into chaos.
With just over five minutes left in Q2, Hamilton’s Ferrari ran wide at the final corner of the Red Bull Ring, and that small misstep sparked a brief grass fire right off the edge of the track.
Hamilton’s Skid Triggers Unexpected Blaze
As Hamilton’s car slid off track, the titanium skid block underneath dragged along the grass, causing enough friction to ignite a flame.
Within seconds, flames were licking the edge of the circuit, but thankfully, marshals were lightning-fast with extinguishers and had the blaze under control in no time.
Despite the quick response, the session had to be temporarily halted, adding another layer of drama to what’s already been a turbulent qualifying season.
FIA Still Hesitant on Skid Block Changes
This isn’t the first time the sport has seen a fiery hiccup.
Back in April at Suzuka, a similar issue during FP2 caused multiple grass fires and led to two red flags.
After that, the FIA trialed steel skid blocks in Spain—but ultimately stuck with titanium, despite ongoing concerns about safety and fire risks.
Clearly, Austria has reignited the debate.
Norris Delivers a Blistering Lap After Delay
Once the fire was extinguished and drivers were given the green light, Lando Norris came flying out of the gates.
The McLaren driver laid down a near-perfect lap in Q3 to claim pole position, outpacing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by an impressive 0.521 seconds.
Norris’ teammate and current championship leader, Oscar Piastri, will start in third.
Hamilton, despite the earlier incident, pulled together a solid lap to qualify fourth, while George Russell rounded out the top five for Mercedes.
Norris Finds Redemption After Canada Crash
For Norris, this pole couldn’t have come at a better time.
After a frustrating crash last time out in Canada, where he collided with Piastri, the Brit was hungry to bounce back—and he did it in style.
“It was a good lap, that’s for sure,” Norris said post-qualifying.
“I knew there were places to improve and I hit every one.”
He acknowledged that qualifying has been a rough area for him this season, so landing pole in Austria offers a much-needed confidence boost—especially as he looks to close the 22-point gap to Piastri in the title race.
One Lap Won’t Win the Season—But It’s a Start
Norris kept things humble in his post-session comments, reminding fans and himself that this is just one moment in a very long season.
“I want to prove it to myself over and over again,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”
With race day still ahead and the championship battle tightening, Austria’s weekend is shaping up to be one to watch—especially with fire already making headlines before lights out.