Austria Grand Prix: The Best/Worst of the editorial team

The highlights of the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc continues his forward march.

After five races without a podium, the Ferrari driver found his form again in Austria. With a cautious start, the Monegasque driver patiently waited behind Maximilian Verstappen’s Red Bull. In the eleventh lap, he launched a well-calculated attack at turn 3 that caught the Dutchman by surprise. Bold and audacious, this overtaking move then allowed him to manage his tires effectively at the front of the race. On a different strategy compared to his rival, he had to fight back twice to regain his position before experiencing a minor scare towards the end of the race due to a stubborn accelerator. Behind the wheel of a car with a superior pace in Spielberg, Leclerc showed that he is determined not to let the championship slip away. Without the strategic errors from his team and the retirements due to reliability issues, the Monegasque driver might be leading the championship today. His significant points haul enables him to reclaim the second place in the championship from Sergio Perez.

Esteban Ocon, a fifth place for his hundredth Grand Prix.

The Norman driver couldn’t have dreamed much better for his 100th Grand Prix in F1. In Austria, Ocon was able to seize the opportunities and perfectly execute the two-stop strategy implemented by his team. After a solid Sprint Race on Saturday, the retirements of Perez and Sainz allowed him to lead the race on Sunday at the front of the pack, battling with the Mercedes cars. Solid and skillful in managing his effort, his best result of the year enables Alpine to tie with McLaren for fourth place in the constructors’ championship. A promising sign as the French team and its driver approach their home Grand Prix.

Haas, or how to improve the car without any updates.

Second consecutive double points finish for the American team. Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen finished sixth and eighth respectively at the Austrian Grand Prix, leading a spirited race with fierce battles against Alpine, McLaren, and Alfa Romeo in the midfield. Maintaining their composure, the two proteges of Günther Steiner took advantage of a car whose speed impressed Lewis Hamilton, who had to fight off the German and the Danish drivers at the beginning of the race. These performances are even more remarkable considering that Haas has brought very few upgrades to their car so far. Schumacher seems to have regained his confidence and was even voted Driver of the Day for this Grand Prix. It is worth noting that the Red Bull Ring has been a successful venue for the Kannapolis team. In 2018, this is where Haas scored the highest number of points in their history, with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

The fails of the Austrian F1 Grand Prix

Reliability still lacks in Ferrari.

For the fourth time in six Grand Prix, Ferrari has seen one of its cars retire due to a mechanical problem. After Leclerc in Spain and Azerbaijan, and Sainz also in Baku, it was once again the Spanish driver’s car that had to stop prematurely during the race. Seeing the car adorned with the Prancing Horse go up in smoke was heartbreaking for the Scuderia’s fans, especially considering that Sainz was on the verge of attempting an overtaking maneuver on Verstappen that could have secured a one-two finish for Maranello. At Silverstone, Sainz’s victory masked Ferrari’s strategic error with Leclerc. In Spielberg, the triumph of the Monegasque driver should not overshadow the fact that the red cars are fragile. To compete against the formidable machine that is Red Bull, Ferrari cannot afford to let valuable points slip away, especially when their car is more competitive than their rival’s. Mattia Binotto will have to remind his team of the legendary phrase of Commandatore Enzo Ferrari: “To win a race, you must first finish it.”

The most difficult race of the year for AlphaTauri

Almost everything is to be forgotten for AlphaTauri after this Austrian weekend. Lacking pace during the Sprint Race and the Grand Prix, the two Italian cars were mere extras at the back of the pack. Penalized twice for five seconds, Pierre Gasly completely missed his weekend, which is rare enough to be emphasized. Making a glaring mistake on Saturday by cutting in front of Hamilton’s Mercedes, he received a first penalty on Sunday for not respecting track limits, and a second one following his collision with Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin. As for Yuki Tsunoda, apart from being taught a lesson by Professor Alonso in the middle of the straightaway, he was nowhere to be seen throughout the race. Finishing 15th and 16th, the results are not worthy of a team that aspired at the beginning of the season to fight with Alpine and McLaren. Developments are eagerly awaited in Faenza, and the sooner they arrive, the better it will be for Franz Tost’s troops.

The unacceptable behaviors of some fans

The Austrian Grand Prix took place in an exceptional atmosphere throughout the weekend. Dutch fans, as usual, came in large numbers to fill the stands of the Red Bull Ring. Orange smoke bombs were spread all around the Austrian circuit. This observation could have stopped there if cases of harassment hadn’t been reported. Numerous testimonies on social media reported racist, sexist, and homophobic behavior from some spectators. These unacceptable actions within a sporting competition didn’t go unnoticed by some drivers. For example, Sebastian Vettel demanded that the spectators involved be banned for life from F1 circuits. When Lewis Hamilton expressed his particular shock, Max Verstappen hoped that the excesses observed in some football stadiums wouldn’t pollute motorsport. A reminder to the FIA that it shouldn’t be afraid to harshly sanction troublemakers. The federation must do everything to preserve a peaceful atmosphere on the circuits, especially as Formula 1 is currently experiencing growing popularity worldwide.