Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance continues with Austrian Grand Prix win
Max Verstappen produced another emphatic performance to complete a home win for Red Bull at the Austrian Grand Prix. The double world champion was made to work for his seventh victory from nine rounds so far after he passed Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on track. But after manoeuvring himself ahead of both Ferrari drivers, Verstappen raced off into the distance to the delight of his 70,000-strong travelling army from Netherlands. Leclerc crossed the line five seconds behind Verstappen in Spielberg, with Sergio Perez recovering from his lowly grid slot of 15th to finish third. The Mexican fought his way past Sainz with 10 laps remaining following a nip-and-tuck duel. Sainz took fourth after he served five-second penalty for exceeding track limits. The Spaniard was among six of the 20-strong field to be sanctioned by race director Niels Wittich, with Lewis Hamilton also punished. Hamilton finished an underwhelming seventh, while Lando Norris ended the day in fifth to record his best result of a difficult season for his under-performing McLaren team. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso finished between Norris and Hamilton. George Russell made up three places from his starting spot of 11th to finish eighth. Verstappen heads Perez in the standings by 81 points – the equivalent of more than three victories – heading into next weekend’s British Grand Prix. A day after taking the sprint race spoils, Verstappen was celebrating his fifth consecutive win on his unstoppable march to a hat-trick of world titles. Verstappen fended off an aggressive Leclerc on the opening lap before he fell to third after the Ferrari drivers stopped for tyres under the Virtual Safety Car. It ended Verstappen’s run of 249 consecutive laps at the head of the field. However, the Dutchman required just 11 laps before he was back in charge. After he left the pits on lap 25, Verstappen moved ahead of Sainz a couple of laps later, and then fought his way past Leclerc on lap 35 of 71. From there, the Dutchman cruised to the flag – even stopping for tyres on the penultimate lap in order to set the fastest lap and take a bonus point. For Hamilton, the seven-time world champion endured a difficult day in his Mercedes. Hamilton started fifth and leapfrogged Norris at the start of the race, but soon faced the wrath of the stewards for putting all four wheels of his Mercedes over the white line. A black-and-white warning flag was served to Hamilton before he was hit with a five-second penalty on lap 17. Sainz, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly and Logan Sargeant were also handed five-second penalties, while Yuki Tsunoda saw his initial five-second sanction upgraded to 10 for driving off the track. Hamilton served his penalty at his second pit stop on lap 43, dropping him to eighth place. He moved up one spot when Gasly stopped for tyres but he failed to make any impression on Aston Martin’s Alonso. The Briton was on the radio several times asking why other drivers had not been penalised. Team principal Toto Wolff first came on with a word of encouragement for his superstar driver. “They are all going to get penalties in front of you, Lewis.” he said.” Keep going.” But following another frustrated radio message from Hamilton, Wolff was back on to his driver with a firmer message. “The car is bad, we know,” said Wolff to the Briton: “Please drive it.” Hamilton finished 39.1 seconds behind Verstappen and is no closer to ending his 18-month losing streak in Formula One. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Austrian Grand Prix to remain on F1 calendar until at least 2030 Lewis Hamilton to start sprint race from 18th at Austrian Grand Prix Made us look like amateurs – Max Verstappen hits out over raft of deleted laps
2023-07-02 23:23
Austrian Grand Prix to remain on F1 calendar until at least 2030
The Austrian Grand Prix will remain on the Formula One calendar until at least 2030 after a new long-term deal at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring was confirmed ahead of Sunday’s race. The circuit, which was bought and re-branded by Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz returned to the F1 schedule in 2014 and has been a permanent fixture since. Mateschitz died last year, aged 78, after battling a long-term illness. “The vision and passion of Dietrich Mateschitz, a man who loved this sport, made this all possible and it is a very special moment and a tribute to him that we can confirm we will be racing at this incredible venue until 2030,” said F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali. The race in Austria is a big favourite for the drivers and all our fans and we are looking forward to many years of excitement and action that are ahead of us.” Red Bull driver Max Verstappen will start on pole position for Sunday’s 71-lap Grand Prix as he bids to extend his 70-point championship lead. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-07-02 20:18
F1 Austrian Grand Prix LIVE: Race latest updates and times as Lewis Hamilton starts fifth
Max Verstappen’s crushing dominance of Formula 1 continued at the Austrian Grand Prix after he put his Red Bull on pole position. The world champion, a winner at six of the first eight races, saw off his rivals at the Red Bull Ring to seal his fourth pole on the spin for today’s 71-lap grand prix. F1 grid: Starting positions for Austrian Grand Prix Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc provided Verstappen with a late scare, but the Monegasque had to settle for second place, crossing the line 0.048 seconds shy of the Dutchman. Carlos Sainz took third in the other scarlet car, while Lando Norris impressed in his revamped McLaren to take fourth spot. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, 0.428 sec adrift. Sergio Perez’s torrid time continued after all three of his laps in Q2 were deleted for track limits. He lines up a lowly 15th on Sunday. Follow live updates from the Austrian GP with The Independent - the race starts at 2pm (BST). Read More Dutch driver Dilano van ‘t Hoff, 18, dies after tragic accident in junior race at Spa F1 grid: Starting positions for Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen claims team-mate Sergio Perez pushed him off track in Austria sprint win
2023-07-02 19:25
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Max Verstappen says team-mate Sergio Perez actions could have caused ‘big shunt’
Max Verstappen said he was fortunate to avoid a high-speed shunt with Sergio Perez after accusing his Red Bull team-mate of forcing him off the road in Saturday’s sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen survived the early drama to win a chaotic 24-lap dash in damp conditions at Red Bull’s home race in Spielberg and extend his championship lead from 69 points to 70. But despite racking up yet another victory on his probable gallop to a hat-trick of world championships, Verstappen expressed his disappointment with the conduct of Perez in the other Red Bull. “The exit of Turn 1 was not really nice,” said Verstappen on his way back to the pits after he crossed the finish line 21 seconds clear of the Mexican. “That could have been a big shunt so we need to have a chat about that because it was not OK.” Verstappen was referencing the flashpoint between the Red Bull drivers which arrived after only a few hundred metres. The Dutchman started from pole position, but he was unable to prevent a fast-starting Perez from muscling his way past on the run to the opening right hander. That could have been a big shunt so we need to have a chat about that because it was not OK. Max Verstappen Perez took the lead, but the Mexican then ran wide on the exit of the first bend allowing Verstappen the opportunity of a slingshot back past. Verstappen drew alongside his team-mate, but he ran out of room, briefly dropping two wheels on the grass. “He pushed me off, man,” yelled Verstappen over the radio. “What the f***.” However, on the long drag to the third bend, Verstappen managed to maintain enough momentum to launch an aggressive move down the inside of Perez. Verstappen, late on the brakes, ran deep into the right-hander, but he managed to make the move stick. And this time, it was Perez who felt aggrieved. “What is wrong with Max, man?” he said. As Verstappen raced off into the distance, Perez then lost out to Nico Hulkenberg before eventually finding a way past the Haas driver. The inquest started immediately after the flag dropped with Perez going over to Verstappen, while the world champion still had his crash helmet on. The debrief continued into the weighing room as the team-mates spoke for a couple of minutes before revealing their verdicts. “Max was angry that I went into Turn 2 but I did not see him,” said Perez. “I had a very bad Turn 1 so I tried to protect [the lead] and once I realised he was there, I opened up the door and gave him the place back. It is all fine. We just spoke about it. The visibility was very bad out there.” Verstappen was up next. “It was a hairy moment out of Turn 1,” he said. “When you get forced on to the grass it is very slippery but I managed to keep my car under control.” Moments later, Verstappen headed to the official press conference for the top three finishers. Sitting alongside Perez, he moved to downplay the row. “It might have compromised the result but it didn’t,” said Verstappen. “We don’t need to make this a big story. “This is what happens sometimes. We talk about it. We clear it. And it is fine. That is how human beings work. Question, answer, solve it, done. You don’t need to write a whole article about it, I hope.” Behind Verstappen and Perez, Carlos Sainz took third for Ferrari, while George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished eighth and 10th for Mercedes. Lando Norris started third and ended a disappointing ninth. Hamilton fought back from 18th on the grid after he had three qualifying laps deleted for exceeding track limits. Russell started 15th but managed to make up seven places and take the final point after his roll of the dice to move to slick tyres – the first driver to do so – with nine laps to run paid off. Saturday’s result has no bearing on Sunday’s 71-lap Grand Prix, with Verstappen on pole as he bids to land his seventh victory from the nine rounds so far. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lewis Hamilton to start sprint race from 18th at Austrian Grand Prix Made us look like amateurs – Max Verstappen hits out over raft of deleted laps Lewis Hamilton calls for change, claiming new rule would ensure a ‘real race’
2023-07-02 01:50
Sprint winner Max Verstappen claims team-mate Sergio Perez pushed him off track
Max Verstappen accused Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez of pushing him off the road before going on to win Formula One’s sprint race in Austria. Perez had to settle for second behind Verstappen with Carlos Sainz third for Ferrari. Lando Norris started third but finished only ninth following a poor opening lap, while George Russell and Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in eighth and 10th respectively on an underwhelming day for Mercedes. In damp conditions at the Red Bull Ring, pole-sitter Verstappen fell behind Perez as they blasted away from their marks. Verstappen moved to his right on the run down to the opening corner, but Perez squeezed his way past to take the lead. However, the Mexican ran wide on the exit of the first bend allowing Verstappen the opportunity of a slingshot back past on the straight. Verstappen drew alongside his team-mate but ran out of room, briefly dropping two wheels on the grass. “He pushed me off, man,” yelled Verstappen over the radio. “What the f***.” On the long drag to the third bend, Verstappen still managed to maintain some momentum, launching an aggressive move down the inside of Perez at Turn 3. Verstappen made the pass stick, running on deep into the corner, but Perez felt aggrieved by the move. “What is wrong with Max, man,” he said. From there, Verstappen raced off into the distance, taking the chequered flag 21 sec clear of Perez. Despite his commanding win, Verstappen, who extended his championship lead from 69 to 70 points, took aim at his team-mate again. “That first corner was not really nice,” he said on his way back to the pits. “It could have been a big shunt. We need to have a chat about that. For me it was not OK.” Russell was the first driver to gamble for dry rubber in the changeable conditions. The British driver pulled in on lap 15 and was soon the speediest man on track. Half of the 20-strong field took on slicks, too, but such was the advantage of the leading pack, that they were able to finish the race on the intermediate tyres. However, Russell managed to fight his way back from last after his pit stop to take the final point. Lance Stroll held off Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso to finish fourth with Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg sixth.
2023-07-01 23:48
Max Verstappen takes sprint pole in Austria with Lewis Hamilton lowly 18th
Lewis Hamilton will start today’s sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix from a lowly 18th as Max Verstappen took pole position. Defending champion Verstappen raced to top spot for the second day in succession following his qualifying triumph for Sunday’s 71-lap Grand Prix. Sergio Perez joins team-mate Verstappen on the front row for today’s 23-lap dash round the Red Bull Ring, with McLaren’s Lando Norris an impressive third. Norris, who finished nearly six tenths back from Verstappen, lines up one place ahead of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg. The winner of today’s race will be awarded eight points, but the result has no bearing on Sunday’s main event. Hamilton was eliminated in the opening phase after he had three laps deleted for exceeding track limits. “That was really bad time usage,” said Hamilton over the radio. “Am I out?” “Yes we are,” replied his race engineer Pete Bonnington. It is for a sprint race so it does not really matter Lewis Hamilton Hamilton had been leading the way in Q1 before he had a hat-trick of laps chalked off by race director Niels Wittich for running all four wheels of his Mercedes over the white line at the final bend. Hamilton tumbled down the order and was knocked out at the first hurdle of qualifying for only the second time in the last six years. In Friday’s qualifying session, which determined the grid for Sunday’s main event, Verstappen said Wittich made the drivers look like “amateurs” with his over-zealous refereeing. But Wittich did not hold back in the second qualifying running of the weekend, with Hamilton not the only driver penalised. Verstappen also had multiple laps scrubbed off. Following his early exit, Hamilton said: “It is for a sprint race so it does not really matter. “I wish I was still out there. But there is nothing really to say. We focus on what we can do and we could easily have been much further up. Today I will have some fun from the back.” Hamilton was soon followed out of qualifying by team-mate George Russell after he suffered a hydraulic failure. Russell’s Mercedes mechanics were forced to change his steering rack meaning that he was unable to post a lap in Q2. He starts 15th. Today’s sprint race takes place at 4:30pm local time (3:30 BST). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lewis Hamilton to start sprint race from 18th at Austrian Grand Prix Made us look like amateurs – Max Verstappen hits out over raft of deleted laps Lewis Hamilton calls for change, claiming new rule would ensure a ‘real race’
2023-07-01 19:54
Lewis Hamilton to start sprint race from 18th at Austrian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton will start Saturday’s sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix from a lowly 18th. Hamilton was eliminated in the opening phase of the sprint shootout on Saturday in Spielberg after he had three laps deleted for exceeding track limits. “That was really bad time usage,” said Hamilton over the radio. “Am I out?” “Yes we are,” replied his race engineer Pete Bonnington. Hamilton had been leading the way in Q1 before he had a hat-trick of laps chalked off by race director Niels Wittich for running all four wheels of his Mercedes over the white line at the final bend. Hamilton tumbled down the order and was knocked out at the first hurdle of qualifying for only the second time in the last six years. Today’s 23-lap sprint race takes place at 4:30pm local time (3:30 BST).
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