Verstappen cleared after Austrian GP qualifying crash
Four-time champion exonerated by Red Bull as focus shifts to race weekend in Spielberg
Max Verstappen has been cleared of any responsibility for a major crash during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. Red Bull Racing confirmed the incident was not his fault, removing a cloud over his participation as the race weekend begins in Spielberg. The accident unfolded in the final minutes of Q3 at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday, when Verstappen’s RB20 lost grip under heavy braking into Turn 3, spun into the barriers and triggered a red‑flag.
The session was halted, denying several drivers the chance to improve their lap times. The crash occurred just as the field was pushing for pole position, with already on provisional pole after his first Q3 run. Red Bull Racing issued an immediate statement asserting the crash was not caused by driver error.
