Even though Red Bull is less dominant this season, there is no question of giving up at home. Its triple Dutch world champion, Max Verstappen, won this Saturday in the sprint race of the Austrian Grand Prix. On the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, he beat the two McLaren cars.
At the end of the 23 laps of this third sprint race of the season (he had already won the other two), the leader of the drivers’ classification gleaned 8 new points. “When the DRS was authorized, it was complicated,” he confided. We had a good fight, the McLarens gave me problems but it was a pleasant race. Then when I was out of the DRS, I was able to run my race. There are still things to improve before the Grand Prix. »
Piastri overtook Norris
The Dutchman started from pole position. Behind him, Oscar Piastri (McLaren) overtook his partner Lando Norris. “Happy? Yes and no,” explained the former. “At one point I thought I could take advantage of the fight between Max and Lando to slip past but I couldn’t. I lacked a bit of pace to hope to overtake Max afterwards.”
The Briton George Russell (Mercedes) took fourth place, ahead of the Ferrari of Spaniard Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), only 10th on the grid after being unable to set a time in Q3 on Friday after a problem with the anti-stall system, managed to move up to 7th place to grab two points, one more than Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull).
” There is no miracle solution “
“The first laps were successful and I was able to gain a few places, then I had to manage the temperature of the brakes,” explained the Monegasque. The real problem, like last weekend, is performance. We are in difficulty at the moment, we are trying to work but there is no miracle solution. We will try to do something in qualifying. »
The top 10 is completed by the Dane Kevin Magnussen (Haas), who fails at the points gate, and the Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin). The two Alpines, who started in 8th and 9th positions after having both managed to reach Q3 on Friday, finally finished in 11th and 12th places. The drivers now have an appointment at 4 p.m. for qualifying which will determine the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
