A simple 1-2 for Red Bull in the Sprint in Austria?
Anything can happen in mildly humid conditions. But in the sprint shootout this morning, Red Bull ‘just’ went for a 1-2. In fact, as it should have been yesterday. Especially since the undersigned predicted a 1-2 for Red Bull. This while our editor-in-chief and final boss saw misery coming for Perez again. No Q2 in an RB19 four times in a row. You. Makes up. It. Not.
Anyway, this morning it was slightly better for PER, while VER was supreme again. It was also slightly better for Nyck de Vries than yesterday. Then he came last, today fourteenth. Unfortunately, he is (closely) behind Tsunoda again. Nyck is increasingly reminiscent of Brendon Hartley. He also entered F1 a little later at -then- Toro Rosso and did not necessarily do very badly at all, but never particularly well either. That is deadly in F1.
Nyck is lucky that the (many) Red Bull talents in F2 ‘stick’ a bit. But Liam Lawson is doing well in Super Formula. So that’s going to be the biggest threat. A few good races this weekend and the next would manna from heaven can be for Nyck.
Before the race gets underway we see that great guy Bottas has gone for an epic call to start on mediums. The Finn only starts nineteenth, so in that sense he has nothing to lose. But still… It’s funny that Bottas can’t follow the pace in the warm-up lap. As a result, Sargeant also has to wait, because he is not allowed to overtake him as the 20th starter. The game is on before the lights go out!
Start
Perez catches Verstappen at the start. He pinches Verstappen a bit, but he connects in the slipstream. Before the next corner, Perez gives an unnecessary amount of space. Max senses his chance, but brakes himself. Perez sees the risk and gives his teammate plenty of space. As a result, he loses a lot of time. Norris is also stuck. Hulkenberg takes advantage and goes to P3 and then even to P2 past Perez. We can imagine if the Mexican is not very happy about this. But yes, if you leave the door open for VER, you know what happens.
Norris falls way back, while the team radios are smøllen again. Max yells that Checo pushed him off the job. Checo wonders what’s wrong with Max. Nice. Sainz is now fourth, ahead of the two Astons of Stroll and Alonso. Leclerc had three penalties for blocking in the shootout and does not climb up immediately. Albon, on the other hand, is doing well (again) and is seventh.
Max then drives away from Hulkenberg for a few seconds, who manages to keep Perez behind. We know that the Haas F1’s weakness lies in keeping the tires intact. Both the Haas F1 and the Ferrari seem to be able to warm up the tires very quickly, but then also bite through them very quickly. But could it be that on inters that counts less for 24 rounds? Hülkenberg to a podium after all (albeit in a sprint)?
Magnussen’s other Haas F1 is now busy with the two Mercs. They started from P15 and P18 and are therefore on the rise. But, it’s not really going well yet.
Mid Race
After half the race, the Hulk is eight seconds behind Verstappen. Perez is now seriously attacking and then finally comes alongside. Sainz soon follows and then the podium is gone for Nico. In fact, the Astons are already storming in. So we have the answer: the Haas also eats up its tires in the rain.
The question is whether there will be another dry line and if so whether it pays to stop for slicks. A stop is not necessary in the sprint, but is allowed. Normally it makes no sense, but if you can gain seconds per round, of course it does. Stroll thinks it’s all right and hopes the team makes sure Alonso doesn’t attack him.
Norris overtakes Leclerc for P9, while Russell takes the gamble. He retires for slicks at the end of lap 15. If it succeeds you are the hero, if it fails you have lost nothing as eleventh in the race. The other teams will in any case keep a close eye on the sectors. Hulkenberg also pits and dances out the pit with mediums. Hamilton also likes it.
It was the right call for Russell. He is the first to get his slicks working and moves up to P10 with the fastest lap in the race. The others in the front are stuck. Pits are no longer an option, because then they fall back behind those who stopped earlier. However, there are also only a few rounds left. The top 5 seems to be safe. But now it’s seconds per lap.
Alonso and Stroll are still fighting, but the question is whether Hulkenberg can still catch Norris and Ocon. Did the German stop a lap too late? It probably wouldn’t have mattered for the end result, because Nico indeed passes Norris and Ocon for P6.
Finish
At the front, however, it is another very sovereign victory for Verstappen. 24 laps, 21 seconds ahead. Perez is second, two seconds ahead of Sainz. Behind that is a seven second gap to the two Astons. Hulk is sixth and Ocon is just seventh. Russell steams past Norris in the last lap and is nine thousandths short of the Frenchman. The Brit does get a point for his daring bet to be the first to switch to slicks. We have not actually seen De Vries in the picture, just like his teammate Tsunoda. On the time list we find the two on P16 and P17, with TSU ahead of DEV again.
How will the kerfuffle at Red Bull continue? At least with Max as champion, that much is clear. But will there be more problems with Perez? It looks like the two have a good talk after the race. Mano a mano, as it goes. Talk and move on. Until the next time the two meet on the track. However, that will probably not be tomorrow, because Perez will start in midfield again while Verstappen will cruise to victory at the front. Fancy an!
Result Sprint Austria 2023
- VERSTAPP – Red Bull
- Perez–Red Bull
- Sainz-Ferrari
- Stroll–Aston Martin
- Alonso-Aston Martin
- Hulkenberg–Haas F1
- Ocon–Alpine
- Russell–Mercedes
- Norris-McLaren
- Hamilton–Mercedes
- Piastri-McLaren
- Leclerc-Ferrari
- Albon–Williams
- Magnussen–Haas F1
- Gasly–Alpine
- Tsunoda–Alpha Tauri
- DE VRIES – Alpha Tauri
- Sargeant–Williams
- Zhou-Alfa Romeo
- Bottas-Alfa Romeo
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