Max Verstappen returned to the Formula One pole position with a dominant performance at the Austrian Grand Prix, some three hours after winning the sprint race at the home race of team owners Red Bull. Verstappen clocked 1 minute 4.314 seconds on the 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring for a 40th career pole to hold off McLaren’s Lando Norris and George Russell of Mercedes who was ranked third after Oscar Piastri’s lap was scrapped due to a track limit violation. The triple world champion has eight poles for the season as he ended a three-race drought of not being first on the grid. Verstappen had e…