Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix to claim a fifth successive victory; Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez ends eventful weekend on a high; Ferrari outperform Mercedes and Aston Martin; Formula Regional tragedy offers reminder of danger
Monday 3 July 2023 17:22, UK
Max Verstappen put aside his reservations about Sprint weekends to produce a flawless display of driving as Red Bull unleashed another show of strength at the team's home race.
Verstappen has previously been very vocal regarding F1's Sprint format and the growing number of events on the sport's calendar, but the reigning world champion was all business in Spielberg.
There were no complaints or comments about quitting the sport, as there have in the recent past, but instead a seemingly unbreakable focus that remained in place all weekend.
A special lap from Charles Leclerc wasn't enough to dislodge Verstappen in Friday's qualifying, while the rain that fell during Saturday's Sprint double of the Shootout and shortened race, only increased the gap between the Dutchman and the rest of the field.
The closest Verstappen's perfect weekend came to being ruined was when team-mate Sergio Perez almost ran him off the road on the opening lap of the Sprint. But Verstappen would respond with some equally aggressive driving to retake the position, before charging into the distance to underline his superiority.
Verstappen came into Sunday's race having not been out of the lead at any point in the previous three Grands Prix, and that record may well have been extended if it weren't for Red Bull opting not to pit him under an early Virtual Safety Car.
The alternative strategy saw Verstappen give up track position to the Ferraris of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, but he swiftly retook the lead and built a big enough advantage to afford himself the opportunity to pit in the closing stages for fresh tyres to take an extra point for the fastest lap of the race.
Verstappen's virtuoso display ensured a fitting weekend for Red Bull as they honoured the memory of team founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who was absent from the race he brought back to the F1 calendar, following his death in October last year.
The victory was Verstappen's fifth successive triumph and his 42nd in F1, moving him clear of Ayrton Senna - into sole ownership of fifth - on the sport's all-time list of race-winners.
The 25-year-old already appears to have one hand a third successive drivers' crown after extending his lead at the top of the standings to 81 points, and could well be closing in on Alain Prost's 51 victories before the end of the season.
The brilliance behind Verstappen's run of form has only been emphasised by his team-mate's struggles, and that pattern continue on Friday.
Perez failed to make it through to Q3 for a fourth successive qualifying session, as he was knocked out in the most needless fashion.
It became apparent in the early stages of qualifying that track limits, or rather the exceeding of them (particularly at Turns 9 and 10) were going to be a big talking point throughout the weekend.
Despite having the best car on the track and plenty of margin to advance to Q3, Perez blew all three of his attempted flying laps in Q2 by crossing all four wheels over the white lines that mark the boundary of the circuit.
More on track limits later… but a good chance of a Red Bull one-two was blown and Perez was left to start Sunday's race from 15th. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner's patience with Perez finally seemed to have run out, as he vented his frustration over the incident in a post-session interview with Sky Sports.
Horner's outburst only added to speculation around the paddock over whether Perez will be given the opportunity to see out the final year of his contract next season.
After taking second in the Sprint Shootout, nearly running Verstappen off the road in the first lap of the Sprint was unlikely to increase his popularity with the team's leadership.
Under considerable pressure, Perez did produce a spirited fightback from 15th on the grid on Sunday to seal a double-podium for Red Bull, but he will need more performances in that vein to ensure Horner isn't shopping for a new driver come the sport's summer break, or 'silly season' as it's known.
A name that often comes up around talk of a possible Perez departure is Daniel Ricciardo, the team's third driver, who will finally get the chance to the drive the RB19 in a test later this month.
There is scepticism over how realistic a return to Red Bull is for Ricciardo, but a solid display could put him in contention for a seat at second team AlphaTauri, with Nyck de Vries' nightmare debut campaign in Formula 1 heading for an early conclusion if he's unable to pick up his form before the summer break.
As hinted at above, Perez's struggles with track limits would turn out to be only the tip of the iceberg.
Lewis Hamilton would be caught out by them on Saturday when getting knocked out in the first part of the Sprint Shootout, but Sunday's race would take the issue to a whole new level.
As violations began to flash up in the opening laps of the race, it became clear that the rarely incurred five-second penalty that follows a fourth breach were going to impact the race.
Hamilton was first to fall foul, and for those following the race it was almost impossible to keep track of the infringements as several more penalties were handed out during the race.
It turned out that it was even more difficult for those adjudicating over track limits. An Aston Martin appeal against the result after the race was followed by an FIA admission that they had been unable to keep up with the "well over 1200" potential track limits infringements that had occurred.
It had been five hours since the race finished when the FIA finally confirmed 83 more infringements resulting in 12 further penalties, with Hamilton and Sainz both losing places - and points - as a result.
It was an extremely poor, or in the words of Horner, "amateurish" look for F1, with further recriminations likely to follow.
Given the Austrian Grand Prix's place on the F1 calendar was ahead of the race confirmed until 2030, it was perhaps unsurprising the FIA suggested a fix for next year, in the form of gravel traps being added at Turns 9 and 10 to deter drivers from exceeding track limits.
While Sainz's demotion to sixth saw the weekend end on a sour note for Ferrari, it was ultimately an encouraging showing from the Italian team.
A dismal start to a season in which they had expected to challenge Red Bull for the constructors' title has often also seen them outperformed on Sundays by Mercedes and Aston Martin, so being comfortably quicker than their chief rivals was promising.
The battle to be the 'best of the rest' behind Verstappen has swung throughout the season, with upgrades appearing to play a key role.
In Austria it was Ferrari who had new parts, along with McLaren, who provided Lando Norris with an improved car that he drove the wheels off to claim fourth.
While there wasn't enough pace to suggest Ferrari are close to ending what is now a year-long wait for a Grand Prix victory, it was a step in the right direction for a team that continues to try to find a new identity under Frederic Vasseur's leadership.
The big question is whether they can maintain the momentum built in Austria next weekend at Silverstone, when Mercedes will bring an upgrade that they expect to add pace to the W14.
The Silver Arrows, and Hamilton in particular, endured a torrid Sunday, with the seven-time world champion dropping from fourth on the first lap to eighth in the final classification.
A somewhat firm radio message from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to Hamilton, telling him to focus on driving amid complaints from the British driver, summed up the extent to which the sport's once-dominant force were out of sorts.
While Hamilton and Wolff ended the weekend at a low ebb, both had arrived in Spielberg in punchy mood.
Hamilton used Thursday's media sessions to suggest that the sport's rules should be changed to prevent dominant teams (Red Bull at the moment) from starting work on their car for the following year until a specific date.
Hamilton and Verstappen had been full of respect when sharing the podium together - with Fernando Alonso - two weeks earlier in Canada, but the chances of a bromance developing between the pair was quickly put to bed in Austria.
Told of Hamilton's comments, Verstappen responded that "life is unfair" and questioned why Hamilton hadn't made the same suggestion when the Brit and Mercedes were dominating the sport over the last decade.
Hostilities between the pair were also renewed on the track, when Verstappen appeared to intentionally block Hamilton in the Sprint Shootout, having felt aggrieved at the Brit accidentally impeding him moments earlier.
Verstappen was fortunate to escape punishment for the petulant act, which Wolff described as a "revenge foul", but Mercedes opted not to request an investigation as they believed Hamilton would have also received a penalty for his initial offence.
Given Mercedes' lack of pace, that was as competitive as it got between the pair on track, but there was more verbal sparring to come from their team principals.
Wolff and Horner indirectly exchanged differing opinions on F1's new engine regulations for 2026, with the pair each questioning the other's motivations and character - watch this space on that one.
While there is no contest between the teams on track at the moment, there is little doubt that a return to contention for Mercedes could instantly reignite the rivalries that inspired a new generation of fans to follow the sport in 2021.
Amid the frenetic entertainment on the track, it was a weekend tinged with sadness.
Along with the absence of Mateschitz at Red Bull's home race for the first time, there was further sad news that filtered through.
There was the death of former Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley, a popular figure in the paddock who died at the age of 70 following a short illness.
Then came a tragedy, as 18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano van't Hoff died following a crash in a Formula Regional race at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
The crash occurred in wet conditions with poor visibility a factor, and led to calls for changes to the layout of a circuit that has now seen two young drivers die in the last four years.
Tributes were paid to Van't Hoff at the Red Bull Ring, and he will undoubtedly be on the mind of the drivers when F1 returns to Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of July.
The tragic incident offers a reminder of the risk that drivers take every time they get in the cockpit.
We must appreciate these remarkable athletes serving up incredible entertainment week after week, and there is no better place to do that than at the historic Silverstone circuit that will host next weekend's British Grand Prix.
Next on the F1 calendar is the big one, Silverstone. Don't miss the British GP live on Sky Sports from July 7-9
