Lewis Hamilton dominated Formula 1’s second race at the Red Bull Ring, leading from pole position and only briefly conceding the lead during the pit-stop phase.
The reigning World Champion led home Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 13 seconds after the Finn completed a late pass on Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who was carrying minor front-wing damage.
Verstappen was able to hold onto the final podium spot despite making a late second stop for tyres, with his Red Bull team-mate Alexander Albon struggling for pace to take a distant fourth.
Ferraris implode
Ferrari’s Austrian weekends haven’t exactly been great, but at least they scored a podium finish last weekend. This weekend however things couldn’t have got much worse as Charles Leclerc collided with team-mate Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap, causing both to retire.
Vettel retired on the spot with a missing rear-wing and whilst Leclerc was able to continue, they chose to call him in after his floor sustained heavy damage and was deemed unsafe.
Leclerc later accepted full responsibility for the clash: “I am disappointed in myself. I’m sorry but being sorry is not enough.”
Norris surprises again
Lando Norris surprised yet again as he took fifth for McLaren with last-lap drama gaining him two positions.
The Briton, who took third last weekend, struggled early on, dropping down to 11th after starting ninth. However he found pace in the final stage of the race and after being ordered past team-mate Carlos Sainz, charged after Racing Point’s Lance Stroll.
Stroll forced his way past Daniel Ricciardo and at the same time Norris took his chance and passed Ricciardo and got alongside Stroll, but was pushed wide. He would get him a lap later though as sixth looked nailed on. But just a few corners later he happened upon a slow Sergio Perez who had front-wing damage after contact with Alex Albon, who he had been chasing for the last ten or so laps of the grand prix.
Norris past Perez at the final corner as Stroll and Ricciardo crossed the finish line three abreast with Perez. The Mexican took sixth by less than a tenth!
Sainz and Daniil Kvyat completed the top ten.
Styrian GP Race Result
| # | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | |
| 2 | V. Bottas | Mercedes | 13.719 |
| 3 | M. Verstappen | Red Bull | 33.698 |
| 4 | A. Albon | Red Bull | 44.400 |
| 5 | L. Norris | McLaren | 61.470 |
| 6 | S. Perez | Racing Point | 62.387 |
| 7 | L. Stroll | Racing Point | 62.453 |
| 8 | D. Ricciardo | Renault | 62.591 |
| 9 | C. Sainz | McLaren | 1 Lap |
| 10 | D. Kvyat | AlphaTauri | 1 Lap |
| 11 | K. Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | 1 Lap |
| 12 | K. Magnussen | Haas | 1 Lap |
| 13 | R. Grosjean | Haas | 1 Lap |
| 14 | A. Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1 Lap |
| 15 | P. Gasly | AlphaTauri | 1 Lap |
| 16 | G. Russell | Williams | 2 Laps |
| 17 | N. Latifi | Williams | 2 Laps |
| 18 | E. Ocon | Renault | DNF |
| 19 | C. Leclerc | Ferrari | DNF |
| 20 | S. Vettel | Ferrari | DNF |
