Dutch driver Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Austrian Grand Prix, strengthening his lead in the Formula 1 World Championship on Sunday. Charles Leclerc from Monaco took second place, providing Ferrari with its 800th podium finish in its history. Sergio Perez, also from Red Bull, crossed the finish line in third place after starting from 15th, in a race that featured several time penalties for drivers exceeding track limits.
Verstappen, who achieved his 42nd career victory, surpassing the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna, said, "It was an amazing race, the car was fantastic today." This win marked Verstappen's fifth at the Red Bull Ring, making him the most successful driver at the venue, three wins ahead of Perez. He added, "I enjoy driving this car and working with this team. Sprint races are always tough and things can go terribly wrong, but fortunately, everything went well."
However, it was not a flawless evening for the 25-year-old driver, as his streak of leading for 249 consecutive laps ended when he made a pit stop on lap 26, allowing Leclerc to take the lead. Verstappen reclaimed the lead from the Monaco driver on lap 35 and built a significant gap, even making an extra pit stop in the penultimate lap to use new tires and snag the fastest lap point from Perez without losing his lead.
Carlos Sainz finished fourth for Ferrari, followed by Lando Norris in a McLaren and Fernando Alonso in an Aston Martin. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton came in seventh with Mercedes, followed by his teammate George Russell and Pierre Gasly from Alpine. Lance Stroll secured the final point by finishing tenth with Aston Martin.
