Verstappen takes dominant home victory over Hamilton at Styrian Grand Prix.
P1 – VER
P2 – HAM
P3 – BOT
Podium Finishers
In what could be described as a dominant performance from Max Verstappen, the flying Dutchman seemed to have a flawless day at the Red Bull Ring. After securing pole position, Verstappen carried on to lead every lap of the race and further his lead in the championship standings.
There was little his title rival Lewis Hamilton could do to respond in P2, with the exception of securing an additional point for fastest lap of the race.
Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas was able to secure P3, despite starting P5 thanks to his pit stop spin on Friday. Bottas had his work cut out for him from beginning to end, with the charging Red Bull of Sergio Perez on his tail near the end the race.
Best of the Rest
It was another honorable finish for the Mexican Red Bull driver, Sergio Perez, ending P4 at the Red Bull Ring.
Following suit, Lando Norris once again claimed P5, furthering claims of his consistent performance this season.
The Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc bounced back after a horrifying weekend in France. Sainz finished behind his former teammate in P6, while Leclerc had a powerful end to the race overtaking Stroll, Tsunoda, and Alonso for P7. His drive certainly caught the eyes of fans across the globe as he was awarded Driver of the Day.
The Aston Martin of Lance Stroll was having a stellar race in P6 for the most part, but lost out to the Ferraris on pace, ending in P8.
Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the points for the day, with Alfa Romeo sniffing at their heels in P11 and P12.
Disaster for Russell and Gasly, Disappointment for Ricciardo
George Russell was having a brilliant day in his Williams, who was P8 until a power unit issue saw him fall to P18 and ultimately retire before the end of the race.
Another heartbreak for Frenchman Pierre Gasly occurred early on during Lap 1, whose tussle with friend Charles Leclerc led to a puncture – one that affected the likes of Giovinazzi and Latifi in its demise.
The McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo had a rollercoaster of a race, up to P8 from P13, when he suffered a loss in power that undid all of his hard work. It’s certainly a race the honey badger will soon want to forget.
Looking Ahead
Can Mercedes find the answers to Red Bull’s momentum at home? It’s lights out next week as the triple header concludes at the kingdom of the orange army: Red Bull Ring.
