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Max Verstappen wasn’t to be denied in the Austrian GP. The Red Bull driver made up for a strategy miscue by his team, overtook Charles Leclerc and won his seventh race of F1 2023.
Photo: GEPA pictures/ Manfred Binder – Photo by Icon sport
F1 Austrian GP Results: Who Won the Race?
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Max Verstappen won the 2023 F1 Austrian Grand Prix. The Dutchman had to overtake Charles Leclerc on the track after Red Bull chose not to pit under a VSC, but made short work of his rival. Verstappen went as far as pitting for softs on the penultimate lap in order to pick up the extra point for the fastest lap, such was his advantage over the rest of the field. Sergio Perez completed Red Bull’s first double podium in four races.
Verstappen Leads, Early Safety Car
Verstappen got a better start than Saturday, and managed to retain the lead into turn 1. Lance Stroll and Lando Norris nearly came together, creating room for Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to move into fourth and sixth, respectively.
Yuki Tsunoda tagged the right rear of Esteban Ocon and lost the left endplate of his front wing. With lost of debris on track, the safety car was called into action.
The restart happened on lap 4. Verstappen produced a perfect launch, and had already gotten out of Leclerc’s DRS range by the end of the lap.
Virtual Safety Car, Red Bull Stays Out
On lap 13, Nico Hulkenberg, fresh off the pits, stopped on the exit of turn 3 with a mechanical issue, bringing out a virtual safety car. Most of the field took the chance to pit, but Red Bull chose to stay out. Ferrari double stacked, dropping Sainz to fifth.
On the restart, Hamilton picked up a five-second penalty for track limits. Sainz, on a new set of mediums, quickly got rid of Hamilton and Perez to move back into third position.
Verstappen came in on lap 25. The pit brought his streak of 249 consecutive laps to an end, which was good enough for fifth in the all-time list.
Verstappen Passes Leclerc for the Win
Exiting behind Sainz, the two-time champion got around the Ferrari a lap later on the exit of turn 3. Perez pitted aon lap 26, and exited in seventh place.
The action continued, and on lap 28, as Norris got around the outside of Hamilton into turn 4 for fourth. Sainz, meanwhile, picked up a five-second penalty for track limits.
On a fresh set of tyres, Verstappen slashed Leclerc’s lead. On lap 35, the Dutchman completed the move into turn 3, effectively rendering Ferrari’s VSC advantage moot. The Red Bull driver stretched the gap to over 14 seconds.
On lap 45, Norris was the first of the front runners to stop, doing so from fourth. Sainz pitted from third two laps later, serving his penalty along the way. His teammate Leclerc followed in a lap later from second.
Verstappen pitted from the lead on lap 50, and re-emerged over 13 seconds ahead of Leclerc. A lap later, it was Perez’s turn to pit from second.
The Mexican, who had exited the pits in fifth place, closed in on Norris and Sainz, and got around the Brit on lap 56. He then gave chase to Sainz, leading to a long battle for third. Perez briefly got ahead into turn 3 on lap 60, but in doing so gave Sainz the DRS advantage into turn 4, which led to the Ferrari driver recovering the final podium spot. But it didn’t last long, and three laps later, Perez finally got around the Spaniard to secure a spot in the top 3.
Verstappen opened a 23-second gap, and decided to pit at the end of lap 69 for a set of softs in an attempt to score the fastest lap. Red Bull delivered the quickest pit stop of the GP, getting their driver comfortably out ahead. On lap 71, the Dutchman took the checkered flag while also securing the fastest lap of the race.
Leclerc and Perez completed the podium, with Sainz, Norris, Alonso, Hamilton, George Russell, Pierre Gasly and Stroll rounding off the points-paying positions.
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