Max Verstappen was dominant once again in Austria, taking victory for Red Bull ahead of Charles Leclerc – who claims the second podium finish of the season for Ferrari.
The Maranello squad will be pleased with the SF-23’s recent updates and their performance, with Leclerc and Sainz enjoying a level of consistency they have not had in 2023.
With Ferrari comfortably the second-fastest in Spielberg, Lando Norris in his McLaren was a surprise entry near the front of the field – securing an impressive P5 for the Woking squad.
Sainz was frustrated with his strategy this afternoon, losing out significantly with a slow stop under the first VSC.
New parts on the MCL60 saw Norris crossing the line as the top Mercedes-powered car in Austria, maintaining the impressive pace shown in qualifying during race trim.
Your Top 10 points-scorers at the Red Bull Ring 👏#AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/hcxzWJaB2u
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 2, 2023
Mid-season development is proving to be a pivotal element of Formula 1 this season, with a failure to make meaningful improvement seeing a few teams slip down the pecking order.
Alonso finished in a fairly quiet P6, with his opening stint on the hards cut short by the virtual safety car. This VSC was also costly for Stroll, whose afternoon was heavily compromised by double-stacking behind his teammate.
A frustrated Lewis Hamilton finished P7 with George Russell in P8, cementing the difficulties encountered by the W14 at a historically difficult track for the Silver Arrows.
Pierre Gasly claimed a couple of important points in 9th place, maximising the result available to a car which – considering the improvements made elsewhere – is not guaranteed to score.
Track limits were a significant part of the Austrian GP, with several drivers receiving 5-second penalties for overstepping the white lines.
Alex Albon narrowly missed out on points for Williams, whilst Logan Sargeant enjoyed a more competitive afternoon relative to his teammate at the Red Bull Ring.
At the very back, a reliability failure for Hulkenberg and poor tyre degradation for Magnussen serve as a reminder that Haas must overcome significant issues in 2023.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
