Max Verstappen completed a clean sweep of pole positions and race wins at the Austrian Grand Prix with another dominant display in Sunday’s main event, leading home Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez.
Despite an action-packed encounter at the Red Bull Ring that saw several drivers penalised over track limits and strategies differ – Verstappen one of few drivers to stay out during an early Virtual Safety Car period – the Red Bull driver could not be stopped en route to his fifth win on the bounce, and seventh of the season.
Leclerc briefly led the way after taking advantage of the VSC, but he fell back behind Verstappen as the pair worked through their opposing tyre plans and the Red Bull showed its raw pace – underlined by a late and successful bid for the fastest lap bonus point.
Perez delivered a fine recovery from 15th on the grid to end a difficult run and take his first podium since the Miami Grand Prix four races ago, overhauling Carlos Sainz in the closing stages and making the most of the Ferrari driver’s time penalty for track limits.
FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2023
Race results
| POSITION | TIME | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing | 1:25:33.607 | 26 |
| 2 Charles LECLERC Ferrari | +5.155s | 18 |
| 3 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing | +17.188s | 15 |
| 4 Lando NORRIS McLaren | +26.327s | 12 |
| 5 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin | +30.317s | 10 |
Sainz was far from the only driver to find themselves penalised following a post-race protest lodged by Aston Martin, however. Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda would all receive additional five-second penalties, while De Vries again, plus Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly were all handed 10-second time penalties post-race. Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, was retrospectively handed a pair of five-second penalties and a pair of 10-second penalties.
That left the order behind Norris in P4 as Fernando Alonso in fifth, with Sainz sixth, followed by the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in seventh and eighth.
Lance Stroll was promoted a place from the provisional classification to claim ninth, ahead of Gasly in 10th and Albon in 11th. The penalties promoted Zhou Guanyu to 12th (up from 14th at the flag), ahead of Sargeant, Ocon, and Valtteri Bottas in P15.
Oscar Piastri, De Vries, Kevin Magnussen and Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the order.
Haas’s strong start to the event ended with the disappointment of a retirement for Nico Hulkenberg, whose loss of power forced him to park at the side of the track, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
Categories: Formula 1, Race Recap


