The fifth consecutive victory of the season for what is the fifth victory in Spielberg. Also in Austria the race ended with a Dutch solo, that of Max Verstappen, capable of imposing himself in a race where he had absolutely no rivals.
A weekend dominated from start to finish, from the pole on Friday afternoon to the success on Sunday, enhanced by the first position in the shootout and in the sprint race. The only moment of tension was seen in the moments following the start, when Charles Leclerc tried to put him under pressure but was unable to find the space to complete the overtaking.
From the end of the first lap onwards, Verstappen imposed his pace, immediately extending his lead on the young Monegasque, in whom, however, he was trying to compete more with the riders behind him than looking ahead. Unlike the Ferrari standard-bearers, the Red Bull standard bearer decided not to enter the Virtual Safety Car period, staying on track and extending the first stint.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“For me the most important thing, of course, was the first lap, to stay up front. After that we were able to have our race. Of course, we chose not to pit during the Virtual Safety Car and went with our normal strategy. And I think that worked out very well, because the tire life wasn’t very high here. I think our stints were perfect. Fantastic day, I had a lot of fun”.
Even before the entry of the virtual safety car, however, Verstappen had already accumulated a good gap, even if it seems clear that he wasn’t forcing himself to try to lengthen the stint as much as possible in order to cover any strategic changes. Even coming out from behind after his own stop, the Dutchman was certain he would get the Ferraris back: “We were building up quite a bit of a lead before the Virtual Safety Car. So I knew I would eventually get them back. And I think following our plan at the time was the best solution.”
Although he’s already on the road to his third world title, Verstappen explained that he doesn’t want to think about it yet, preferring to focus on the moment and his excellent form: “I still don’t like thinking about it. I am enjoying the moment driving this car and working with the team. I think we did a great job all weekend. A sprint weekend is always very, very hectic. And a lot of things can go wrong. Luckily, many things went right this weekend. I am therefore very satisfied with this weekend. Now we focus on Silverstone”.
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