Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Commentary

Live: F1 Austrian Grand Prix commentary and updates

Live commentary and updates for Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring

By: Jake Boxall-Legge, Haydn Cobb, Stephen Lickorish

Summary

Summary

  • Verstappen wins F1 Austrian GP with a dominant performance as Hamilton struggles with damaged floor
  • Bottas takes second, after Hamilton was told to let his team-mate through, while Norris completes the podium
  • Hamilton has to settle for fourth, while Perez is down to sixth after earlier attempt to pass on Perez cost him dear
  • Glut of 5s time penalties handed out, including two for Perez (twice forcing Leclerc off) and two for Tsunoda (twice crossing pit entry white line)

Leaderboard
1. Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Bottas, Mercedes
3. Norris, McLaren 
4. Hamilton, Mercedes
5. Sainz, Ferrari
6. Perez, Red Bull
7. Ricciardo, McLaren
8. Leclerc, Ferrari
9. Gasly, AlphaTauri
10. Alonso, Alpine

Status: Stopped
Here's the race report - check out Autosport and Motorsport.com for all the post-race reaction, and we'll see you in two weeks' time! https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-austrian-gp-verstappen-breezes-to-victory-over-bottas-and-norris/6625491/
Big cheers for Lando from the crowd - maybe the Orange Army was the McLaren fanbase all along?
 
Verstappen: "The car was on rails on every tyre set we put on. I'm a bit amazed how today went, I didn't expect it to be like this."
 
The final lap incident between Raikkonen and Vettel will be investigated after the race - so, now, then.
Easy for Verstappen, almost had enough in reserve for a third pitstop!

The TV replays show Raikkonen and Vettel coming together on the exit of Turn 4, the Finn clipping his right-front wheel into the German's Aston Martin, which sends Vettel into the gravel. An all-action finish!

Hamilton completes the day in fourth, as Perez's penalties send him down to sixth behind Sainz! Ricciardo, Leclerc, Gasly and Alonso complete the top 10.
There were yellow flags waving on that final lap and it looks like Raikkonen and Vettel were involved - the Finn has dropped from 12th to 16th place on the final lap.
Bottas holds second, as Norris claims third place for another podium!
And just like Alonso, the Ferrari driver gets it done on the run to Turn 4, as on the final lap Sainz gets by to take sixth place from Ricciardo.
And Max Verstappen wins the Austrian Grand Prix - total domination!

Focus switches to the other Spanish inquisition, with Sainz all over the rear of Ricciardo in the fight for sixth place.

It's the final lap - that's gone by quickly!

Russell tries and tries but he can't hold off Alonso, as on lap 68 the Alpine driver makes his move stick on the run to Turn 4 with the aid of DRS. Russell had just been shown the black and white flag for moving under braking.

Ferrari pulls off a switcheroo to release Sainz ahead of Leclerc to attack Ricciardo for sixth place.

Bottas and Norris are pretty much matched on times, so the McLaren hasn't been able to make any further inroads into the Mercedes' advantage.
Alonso has another look at Russell, this time on the outside of Turn 4, but thinks better of it and backs out. Five laps to go.
Further up the road from the Russell vs Alonso fight, Sainz has caught up with the Ricciardo and Leclerc battle for sixth place. It is all happening.
Verstappen is an uninvited guest to the Russell vs Alonso fight as he laps the pair on lap 63.
Verstappen's set a 1m06.200s, so that should be enough for that extra point.
Russell, in 10th place, is going to have to work hard for his first points as a Williams driver. Alonso is all over the back of him - but he runs wide out of Turn 1. It is going to be a long 10 laps for the Brit.
Verstappen's pitting for fresh tyres now, and collects new hard tyres to go and cement the fastest lap.
Ooooh, that was close. Leclerc has a sniff up the inside of Ricciardo at Turn 4 but the McLaren driver closes the door and forces the Ferrari driver to back out of it and just avoids contact.
Another fastest lap for Verstappen, who logs a 1m07.835s.
And Tsunoda duly gets given, you guessed it, a five-second time penalty for that incident. More penalties than a Euro 2020 knockout game today.
Verstappen responds with a 1m08.012s - his lead is 24.2s at the moment.

We are getting a sense of deja vu now - Tsunoda is under investigation, again, for crossing the white line at pit entry, again. 

Verstappen out in front has done a 1m08.147s - but Gasly's out-fastest lapped him and drops a 1m08.146s.
Hamilton comes in for fresh hard tyres, which will see him to the end of the race.
Five-second time penalties all over the show today. Stroll, who is in P15 currently, has one now for speeding in the pitlane.
Here's Norris, trying a move on Hamilton - and he clears him down the inside at Turn 6!
Perez has been given another five-second time penalty for his second clash with Leclerc. Double trouble.
Mercedes will swap their cars around, and allows Bottas to pass. Norris is right on Hamilton's six now.
Sainz, who has finally pitted swapping his hards for mediums, is now in eighth place and chasing after Ferrari team-mate Leclerc.
Bottas is now told that he's free to race Hamilton. They're thinking about Norris getting in the mix here.
Further back Mazepin has been shown the black and white flag for exceeding track limits too many times at Turn 9. He'll need to be careful now or risk a penalty.
"I don't think I'm going to be able to make this tyre last," Hamilton says. He's angling for another stop, which would drop him into fourth - such is the gap between Norris and Ricciardo.
Bottas has been told not to pass Hamilton, which Norris has been told about - so this gives the McLaren driver a chance to catch up and pass.

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe