Austrian Grand Prix – Sprint Race: Verstappen victorious, McLaren so close… and yet so far away

At exactly midday in Austria, the drivers set off for the formation lap under the sun. It’s hot in Styria at the Red Bull Ring: already 29 degrees, but the mercury will continue to rise in the afternoon for the Grand Prix qualifying.

Alex Albon will start from the pit lane for having changed his settings despite Parc Fermé. The cars will have to complete 23 laps.

The Sprint Race outline

The race is about to start, the lights are off… false alarm! The race will start again as there was an issue with the starter. The 20 drivers set off again for a formation lap.

The start is rather clean. Max Verstappen keeps the advantage over the McLarens. The Ferraris are off to a good start: Carlos Sainz passes George Russell, Charles Leclerc has already moved up to eighth position at the end of the first lap, starting in tenth place on the grid.

Battle between Verstappen and the McLarens

Oscar Piastri is putting pressure on Lando Norris, who in turn is putting pressure on the leader Max Verstappen. Lando Norris dives on the inside of turn 3! He makes the pass but Verstappen stays close on the next straight… and then dives on the inside of turn 4! He retakes the lead. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are side by side, and the Australian takes advantage. Magnificent battle between Verstappen and the two McLarens!

Carlos Sainz tries to defend against George Russell, the Mercedes driver slipsstreaming on the straight between turns 3 and 4. Just before the halfway point, the Alpine cars are still far from the points zone: 12th and 13th, even though they started in the top 10. As a reminder, the top 8 score points in the Sprint race.

The McLarens are not catching up to Max Verstappen: did they miss their chance? The three-time world champion complains about an engine that hits a plateau at the end of the straight line. Lando Norris is gradually catching up to his teammate on the 15th lap of the race but it may already be too late for the win… Oscar Piastri is almost 3 seconds behind the Red Bull with only 6 laps left in the race. These laps are short, moreover, around 1 minute and 10 seconds.

Lewis Hamilton is putting pressure on Carlos Sainz for fifth place. The hierarchy has not changed for several laps. Fernando Alonso is struggling with his Aston Martin and is losing several places in these last kilometers. Oscar Piastri is still defending against his teammate and holds onto his second position at the checkered flag. Max Verstappen wins this Sprint race with over a 4-second lead despite a pressured start to the race. Orange smoke bombs are being set off in the stands of the Red Bull Ring!

The ranking of the Sprint race