The FIA published the final starting grid for the Red Bull Ring one hour before the Österreich-GP. All 22 cars were set to take the start, and no driver had to begin from the Boxengasse. Liam Lawson, though, went into the race under investigation after an apparently incorrect practice start at the pit lane exit.
Liam Lawson faces review
Lawson’s case was the only immediate complication in an otherwise set grid. The investigation centered on the practice start itself, not on the main launch order, so the starting sheet still showed a full field ready to roll away from Spielberg.
That left the race-day picture simple for everyone else. The grid was fixed, the field was complete, and the only pre-start variable on the timing sheet was whether the review around Lawson would lead to anything before the lights went out.
Max Verstappen keeps fifth
Max Verstappen held fifth place after his qualifying accident, despite extensive repairs to his car. He received a new front wing, a new rear wing, and new suspension and gearbox parts, all of which could be changed without penalty.
That mattered because the repair work did not force a grid drop. The car was put back together in time, and the starting order remained intact even after the damage from earlier in qualifying.
Pirelli and Mercedes split the race view
Pirelli said the fastest race plan would be two stops, while a three-stop approach was not ruled out. A three-stop run, like Lewis Hamilton used in Barcelona, could theoretically be quicker in clear air.
Andrew Shovlin said Mercedes expected the race not to be easy despite starting from pole, and he pointed to race pace and tire degradation as the main factors. His view fit the conditions in Spielberg, where the sun still dominated about 90 minutes before race start and rain remained possible in the coming hours.
The drivers’ parade had already begun two hours before the start, so the grid was locked in while the weather and the Lawson review lingered in the background. With 22 cars set and the race only ten minutes away when the update was written, the main question was whether either issue would still shift the picture before the first lap.
