Max Verstappen cruised to a straightforward victory in a wet-dry sprint event at the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday despite being given an early scare by Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. The reigning champion was made to work hard to retain his advantage on the opening lap after he was overtaken by his Mexican colleague, who briefly led but was unable to keep Verstappen at bay for too long.
A thrilling scrap for the lead took shape just seconds after the start of the race, with Perez diving down the inside of Verstappen after getting a better jump off the line. The Dutchman managed to regain the advantage shortly afterwards, though, before Hulkenberg took full advantage of the situation by passing Perez for second place.
The Red Bull duo appeared to leave each other frustrated as a result of the heavy-handed tactics used in their short-lived battle, with Verstappen saying via team radio: “He pushed me off man, what the f***.” Perez was also unhappy after Verstappen braked late into Turn Three while racing wheel-to-wheel and asked his race engineer: “What’s wrong with Max?”
Lewis Hamilton also managed to make a strong start to proceedings, with the Brit gaining five positions from 18th on the grid on the opening lap. However, it was a different story for Lando Norris, who started from third but quickly fell into the midfield after being caught up in the chaos at Turn One.
Hulkenberg went on to put up a staunch defence in his efforts to hang on to second place but was eventually beaten on lap 12 when Perez forced his way around the outside at Turn Eight to regain his original starting position. A dry racing line then formed on the circuit, prompting many drivers to pit for slick tyres in a bid to make up some ground during the closing stages of the sprint.
Hamilton and George Russell were among those to gamble with softs and ended up climbing into the top 10 after it became clear that slicks were the way forward in the ever-changing conditions. Russell managed to cross the line in eighth place to pick up a solitary championship point, while Hamilton just missed out in spite of his best efforts.
The differing tyre choices made for a thrilling end to the sprint, with several drivers battling each other right up until the very end of the 24-lap contest. Verstappen and Perez were ultimately joined in the top three by Carlos Sainz, with the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso coming home in fourth and fifth respectively.
Hulkenberg ended up crossing the line in sixth after stopping for dry tyres, with Esteban Ocon seventh ahead of Russell, Norris and Hamilton.
Verstappen, who held an intense post-sprint discussion with Perez in the paddock after jumping out of his car, told Sky Sports F1: “The start wasn’t ideal but after lap one we got back in the lead and it was good. Just managing the tyres, knowing that 24 laps on intermediates is quite a lot.
“For us so far in the lead it didn’t make sense to pit [for dry tyres]. It was little bit hairy out of Turn One. When you get forced onto the grass it’s a bit slippery, but we managed to keep control and from there we just did our race again.”
Top 10
Max Verstappen – Red Bull
Sergio Perez – Red Bull
Carlos Sainz – Ferrari
Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
Nico Hulkenberg – Haas
Esteban Ocon – Alpine
George Russell – Mercedes
Lando Norris – McLaren
Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
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