Austria Grand Prix – Sprint: Verstappen assertive

For the second time this season, the drivers took part in a sprint race. A format that required the drivers to immediately be in rhythm in order to hope to finish in the points. This sprint race was also another opportunity for the drivers to encounter various issues and see their qualifying efforts go up in smoke.

Qualified in 8th position, Fernando Alonso was forced to retire even before the formation lap. Guanyu Zhou suffered from a gearbox issue that forced him to start the race from the pit lane. The last unlucky one was Pierre Gasly. Starting in 10th position, the Normandy driver was launched into the air following a collision with Lewis Hamilton. Fortunately for the AlphaTauri driver, this incident seemed to have no consequence on his car.

The poleman, Max Verstappen, made a very good start from the grid which allowed him to keep the two Ferraris behind him. By the end of the sixth lap, the Dutchman had a two-second lead over Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver then only had his garage neighbor, Carlos Sainz, as his competitor. The two men were engaged in a very intense duel. The battle between the two Scuderia drivers at Silverstone seems to have left a mark on their relationship.

Having gained 6 places at the start, Sebastian Vettel’s efforts were rendered useless by a collision with Alexander Albon. Approaching the 6th turn on the 11th lap of the race, the German driver attempted to pass the Williams car on the outside. Unfortunately, the Thai driver understeered slightly and hit Vettel’s left rear wheel. As a result, the Aston Martin driver ended up in last position.

Behind the wheel of his modest Haas, Mick Schumacher engaged in a titanic battle against Lewis Hamilton. Displaying superb defense, the German driver managed to keep the Mercedes behind him for several laps. The Schumacher wall finally crumbled on the 21st lap, allowing Hamilton to take 8th place.

Never troubled by the Ferraris, Max Verstappen flew to victory to prevent 8 additional points. Points that could be crucial in his fight for the world title. His teammate, Sergio Perez, also had a very solid race. The Mexican managed to climb up from 13th place to finish 5th. Thanks to the points from his second place, Charles Leclerc closes in on Sergio Perez, only 6 points behind.