{"id":10828,"date":"2022-07-10T17:26:06","date_gmt":"2022-07-10T16:26:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/f1vault.co.uk\/?p=10828"},"modified":"2022-07-10T17:26:06","modified_gmt":"2022-07-10T16:26:06","slug":"austrian-gp-charles-leclerc-wins-after-dominating-beating-max-verstappen-by-a-second-and-a-half","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.f1vault.co.uk\/index\/austrian-gp-charles-leclerc-wins-after-dominating-beating-max-verstappen-by-a-second-and-a-half\/","title":{"rendered":"AUSTRIAN GP \u2013 Charles Leclerc wins after dominating beating Max Verstappen by a second and a half"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charles Leclerc took a dominant victory ahead of championship rival Max Verstappen to win the Austrian Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver took his first victory since Melbourne finishing ahead of his rival by a second and a half after Leclerc got the better start running with the Red Bull driver early on in the race.<\/p>\n

However it was not a straight forwards victory for the Ferrari driver through out the final ten laps as well as needing to battle with Verstappen, he was battling with a sticking throttle. Despite his nerves the Monacan looked to have things under control as well as the better pace allowing him to take his first win since Melbourne in April, holding off the pressure from Verstappen, who tried to retake the lead.<\/p>\n

The race between the two title rivals was enthralling as they battled each other hard, Verstappen made the better start retaining his lead early on. Verstappen then lost the lead to Leclerc for the first time when the Ferrari driver dived down the inside at Remus at that stage in the race the Red Bull looked slower, trying to come back at Turn Four he locked up dropping further behind.<\/p>\n

Leclerc\u2019s victory allowed him to regain second in the drivers championship, although he remains thirty eight points behind Verstappen. Verstappen meanwhile appeared to grow frustrated like he did in Melbourne with Red Bull\u2019s lack of pace as Leclerc started winding him in midway through the race.<\/p>\n

The relief was palpable in Leclerc’s voice after the race, as he exhaled deeply, before saying: “Yes. Yes. I was scared. I was so scared.”<\/p>\n

Once out of the car, he added: “I definitely needed that one. The last five races have been incredibly difficult for me but also for the team, and to finally show we have the pace in the car and can do it was incredibly important.”<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Sergio Perez was forced to retire from the race, because of an issue on lap twenty-four and Leclerc\u2019s teammate Carlos Sainz who had been part of that battle was forced to retire because of a throttle issue. However the Spaniard looked to be on similar pace to the top two and may have even contended for victory.<\/p>\n

That will be frustrating for Ferrari, as before he retired Sainz was showing the pace to chase Verstappen giving the team a much needed boost to there season. The Spaniard\u2019s car bursting into flames in the teams fourth mechanical failure of the season.<\/p>\n

Perez had tried at the start to go around the outside of Russell, he was then squeezed but the Mercedes that when he picked up damage. Coupled with his lack of pace, Red Bull opted to retire him, Russell picking up a five second penalty.<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton finished the race third after Mercedes used a clever two-stop strategy while others around him had to use a three-stop, to surge through the field after starting ninth on the grid. He benefited from Sainz\u2019s retirement, but the Silver Arrows look to continuing to make steps forward.<\/p>\n

The seven-time champion battling hard to pass both Haas\u2019s midway through the race to finish nearly eight seconds ahead of his teammate George Russell. But it was another champions drive for Hamilton, who stayed out later as he sat through the DRS train around the time Leclerc and Verstappen made their first stops.<\/p>\n

He told reporters, \u201cThis is a great recovery for us as a team to get a third and a fourth. It’s really good points.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russell hung onto fourth, that was despite him picking up a five second time penalty for his collision with Perez. The race may have proved that when running in clear air that the Mercedes can be a fast car, but the team well aware that the biggest challenge is bridging the gap to Ferrari and Red Bull. Hamilton finishing forty seconds behind Verstappen.<\/p>\n

Esteban Ocon continued Alpine\u2019s run of strong results finishing fifth, the Frenchman however was another ten seconds behind Russell and the final car on the lead lap. Mick Schumacher continued his strong results, at one stage in the race he had a thrilling battle with Hamilton after he surged past Lando Norris and Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen.<\/p>\n

Norris hangs onto seventh despite being one of three drivers to pick up five-second penalties for track limits infringements. Daniel Ricciardo brough his McLaren home ninth five seconds behind his teammate and ahead of Fernando Alonso\u2019s Alpine, who rounded out the top ten.<\/p>\n

Neither driver looked to be able to capitalise on the step forwards they have delivered in recent races, although Alonso\u2019s teammate Ocon did manage to finish best of the rest in fifth.<\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas brought his Alfa Romeo home eleventh, the Finn finishing the race four seconds ahead of Alex Albon with Lance Stroll a similar gap behind the Williams driver. Albon and Stroll managing to spilt the Alfa\u2019s with Guanyu Zhou almost a second and three quarters behind in fourteenth.<\/p>\n

Pierre Gasly\u2019s challenging weekend ended with fifteenth, the Alpha Tauri driver picking up a five second penalty for spinning Sebastian Vettel off at Ranch. The Aston Martin driver finishing behind Gasly\u2019s teammate Yuki Tsunoda after being one of the drivers to pick up a penalty for track limits.<\/p>\n

Nicolas Latifi was the only other retirement, on lap forty-eight<\/p>\n

Related<\/h2>\n