Max Verstappen Triumphs in Penalty-Filled 2023 F1 Austrian Grand Prix

This past weekend saw Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing excel at the 2023 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, held at the Red Bull Ring, marking the tenth round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship.

Claiming victory in both the pole and the Sprint race, the reigning world champion also took home the top prize in the main event, leaving Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez trailing in second and third place, respectively. In the final third of the race, Verstappen established a 24-second lead, allowing him the opportunity to pit for a fresh set of soft tires and secure the bonus point for the fastest lap.

The race began with Verstappen and Leclerc leading the grid, followed by Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Lando Norris of McLaren. Perez, meanwhile, started 15th due to a poor qualifying round. He missed Q3 for the fourth consecutive weekend as all his Q2 laps were discarded due to track limits violations, where the car completely crosses the track’s white boundary line.

Eight drivers faced time penalties during the race for similar track limits violations, including Sainz, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes-Benz AMG, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon from Alpine, Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant of Williams, and AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda.

The 2023 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix

Additional drama included Tsunoda colliding with one of the Alpines at the start of the race, damaging his front wing and necessitating the safety car’s deployment for debris removal. Later in the race, the virtual safety car had to be employed when Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg had to bow out due to power unit problems.

For Ferrari, this race showcased the effectiveness of their recent enhancements, including newly designed front wing and floor. Both drivers were able to maintain a strong race pace consistently.

Sainz showed his progress in tire management with some striking overtakes, and Leclerc clinched his first podium finish of the season.

With this weekend’s results, Verstappen takes a commanding lead in the 2023 Drivers’ Championship with a tally of 229 points, followed by Perez with 148 points. In third place is Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso with 131 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull takes the lead with 377 points, followed by Mercedes with 178 points and Aston Martin with 175 points. The British Grand Prix is the next race, scheduled for the coming weekend.

Max Verstappen at the 2023 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix – Photo credit: Getty Images

Here are the complete results of the 2023 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix:

1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
2. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +5.155 seconds
3. Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing +17.188 seconds
4. Lando Norris, McLaren +26.327 seconds
5. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin +30.317 seconds
6. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari +31.377 seconds
7. George Russell, Mercedes-Benz AMG +48.403 seconds
8. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG +49.196 seconds
9. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +59.043 seconds
10. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri +67.667 seconds
11. Alexander Albon, Williams +79.767 seconds
12. Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo +1 lap
13. Logan Sargeant, Williams +1 lap
14. Esteban Ocon, Alpine +1 lap
15. Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo +1 lap
16. Oscar Piastri, McLaren +1 lap
17. Nyck De Vries, AlphaTauri +1 lap
18. Kevin Magnussen, Haas +1 lap
19. Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri +1 lap
20. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas – DNF

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about 2023 F1 Austrian Grand Prix

More about 2023 F1 Austrian Grand Prix

• Official F1 Website
• Red Bull Racing Team
• 2023 F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
• 2023 F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
• Ferrari F1 Team
• Official F1 2023 Calendar