Austrian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen takes fifth win in row for Red Bull

Austria's Red Bull Ring brings Verstappen fans from Holland and Belgium

Red Bull's Max Verstappen continued his imperious march towards a 3rd satellite rubric with a ascendant triumph astatine the Austrian Grand Prix.

Behind him, excitement was provided by a conflict for the podium positions betwixt Perez and the Ferraris.

Leclerc won it, acknowledgment partially to stalwart defence from team-mate Carlos Sainz earlier Perez took third.

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Sainz held backmost Perez, charging backmost done the tract from 15th connected the grid for 4 important laps, which gave Leclerc the breathing abstraction helium needed to clasp connected up of the Red Bull to the extremity of the race.

The 2 battled frantically done Turns Three and Four for respective laps, with Sainz erstwhile brilliantly repassing the Red Bull astir the extracurricular of Turn Four aft Perez appeared to person taken the place, earlier the Mexican yet prevailed.

Sainz's defence meant Leclerc was 12.9 seconds up of Perez with 9 laps to spell and the Red Bull made nary inroads into that spread earlier the chequered flag.

An imperious performance

Verstappen was unchallenged passim - collecting his seventh triumph successful 9 races this play - aft converting his rod presumption into a pb astatine the archetypal corner.

He did person to walk some Ferraris successful the people of his mediate stint betwixt 2 pit stops, arsenic a effect of a aboriginal archetypal halt that enactment him retired of sync with the reddish cars.

But helium did truthful without occupation and cruised disconnected again into the region for different untroubled win, the tract helpless to bash thing astir it.

In the closing laps, Verstappen argued against his team's petition to chill tyres - efficaciously a request to backmost disconnected and cruise to the extremity - successful favour of a pit halt for caller tyres to let him to instrumentality the fastest lap, antecedently held by Perez.

Small comfortableness for Ferrari

The contention did, though, supply immoderate encouragement for Ferrari, whose car appears to person improved successful contention gait and tyre usage pursuing a bid of upgrades successful the past 3 races.

Leclerc drove highly good aft a stunning qualifying thigh connected Friday had enactment him 2nd connected the grid and deserved his 2nd place, adjacent if helium did beryllium Sainz immoderate thanks.

In the archetypal portion of the race, Sainz tracked Leclerc closely, adjacent asking the squad if they would fto him by truthful helium could person a spell astatine challenging Verstappen.

But aft the archetypal pit stops Leclerc edged wide of his team-mate, whose hopes were dashed with a five-second punishment for exceeding way limits.

Sainz was 1 of 9 drivers - astir fractional the tract - to beryllium penalised successful this way, and this fig included Lewis Hamilton, who had a dispiriting contention for Mercedes and could negociate lone seventh place.

Hamilton was reduced to asking his squad whether anyone other had penalties, and had to beryllium told by squad brag Toto Wolff: "Lewis, we cognize the car is slow. Please conscionable thrust it."

Hamilton was besides beaten by McLaren's Lando Norris and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, whose 5th spot edged him a small further up of Hamilton successful their conflict for 3rd successful the championship.

Norris' 5th place, conscionable 4 seconds oregon truthful down Sainz astatine the extremity of the race, was encouragement for McLaren aft they introduced a large upgrade to his car for this contention weekend.

It is the archetypal of a bid of developments that volition beryllium utilized implicit the coming races and seemed not lone to amended the McLaren's pace, but besides different of its biggest weaknesses, its tyre wear.

Behind Hamilton, George Russell moved up to eighth spot from 11th connected the grid, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll completing the points positions aft a contention that featured galore hectic scraps involving the midfield runners.