Max Verstappen dominated the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday to secure his fifth career win at the Red Bull Ring. Despite his commanding performance, the race was not with out suspense.
On the 70th lap, with a comfortable 20-second plus lead, Verstappen requested a pit stop in a bid to chase the fastest lap time.
LAP 69/71
Verstappen comes into the pits to box for a fastest lap attempt!
He really wants those 26 points 😂#AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/SsDDXXVJi0
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 2, 2023
His gamble paid off as he successfully achieved the fastest lap, further highlighting Red Bull’s faith in both their driver and the RB19.
Verstappen completed his flawless weekend by also clinching the top spot in the sprint race on Saturday.
With Verstappen’s win, Red Bull has secured a P1 finish in 10 consecutive races and is now within striking distance of the record 11 consecutive P1 finishes.
On the other hand, Red Bull teammate Checo Perez faced challenges throughout the weekend, as he failed to advance beyond the third round of qualifying again. However, in the sprint race, he redeemed himself with a second-place finish and in Sunday’s main race, Perez battled his way through the grid from P15 to secure a commendable third-place finish on the podium.
In addition to Red Bull’s success, Ferrari showcased an impressive performance at the race. Charles Leclerc secured a second-place finish, and Ferrari became the first constructor to reach the milestone of 800 podium finishes in Formula 1 history.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz battled Perez throughout the race, and ultimately finished in a respectable fourth place.
Following Ferrari, it was Lando Norris of McLaren Racing who secured an impressive P5 finish. Equipped with new upgrades, McLaren Racing successfully defended their position against both Mercedes drivers and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin. Ultimately, Alonso finished in 6th place, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished in 7th and 8th places respectively.
Next up is the highly anticipated British Grand Prix at the iconic Silverstone circuit. Interestingly, Verstappen has yet to secure a victory at the track despite his dominant performance this season.
Although the battle for the F1 championship seems like it is a foregone conclusion at this point, it will be interesting to see if Verstappen is not only able to secure a victory at Silverstone, but also bring Red Bull one step closer to breaking F1 record of consecutive P1 finishes.
