In front of the audience at the Red Bull Ring, Max Verstappen takes the first important spoils by winning the Sprint race. The 24 scheduled laps close behind him Charles Leclerc, a second and a half behind the Dutch e Carlos Sainz, Followed by Russell in Mercedes. Nothing new in the first four positions therefore compared to Friday's qualifying. But the Sprint is just a taste of what we will see, and we can say that the conditions are really excellent! Intense duels, both between team-mates and enemies, even from different generations.
It's not just points
Go tell the drivers that today wasn't the real race. There are those who fought just to start ahead of their teammate, there are those who fought tooth and nail to get just one position more than the one they gained yesterday. Who even took it, in the face of "let's preserve the race".
The second appointment of Sprintin Austria has something very important to offer at stake, in addition to the many points on the table. There are internal and external hierarchies to be reiterated or overturned. There is the desire to find further confirmation on the updates brought, the ones that will accompany us until the summer break. We are now halfway through the championship, and now we are no longer looking for performance but true virtuosity. Like those of Verstappen in qualification, the fastest of the group, by 29 thousandths. Only virtuosity could give Leclerc, the exceptional Poleman, a masterstroke, like the one given by Max in the last attempt for the fastest lap. Even in today's Sprint Max performed one of his virtuosities, or the departure. Which allowed him to leave the Ferraris behind, even further away after the fratricidal fight.
A complicated start
An already infinite wait in itself due to the tension that calls for this World Championship, made even longer by a double problem in the starting phases. The first twist arrives on the starting grid at the start of the formation lap. Giro never started for Fernando Alonsoremained stopped on the pitch with the electric blankets and the easels on his Alpine. Not an oversight on the part of the team but a problem with Fernando's car who, after having sent the others out, sadly returns to the pits. “My car always stops. On my side I try to do my best" says Alonso to the microphones of sky sports f1 in the post Sprint. Still reliability problems on what is the last power unit mounted by Fernando, number 4.
The second problem comes at the end of the first training lap when the car Guanyu-Zhou, at the tail of the group that was waiting for him in the meantime to start the 100 km mini race, stops on the straight. The Chinese driver then manages to leave but the others are now forced to do an extra training lap.
Leclerc and Sainz on fire
What in Ferrari it is clear by now that there are no hierarchies and he has reiterated this to us several times Mattia binotto. What matters is getting a Red to the top step of the podium but how far they can go in the fight Charles Leclerc e Carlos Sainz? We saw a first taste of the extent that this fight reaches during the Sprint in Austria. The two go alongside each other, overtake each other and counter-overtake. A fight that came close to the limit several times. Continuous whiplash which also favors the work of Max, who does not feel the hostile presence of his teammate, Sergio Perez, much less of the two Ferrari drivers. The Reds dueled fairly but in the race it will be important to make the most of both drivers and teams promising performances, not so much to rise to first pilot but to catch Max Verstappen, ready to run away with his RB18, best on track and difficult to catch.
Perez's comeback
Weekend got off to a rocky start Perez. Going outside the limits of the track in qualifying took away the position he obtained, relegating him to thirteenth position. A comeback further aggravated by the problems that increased for the Mexican in parallel with the growth of the RB18. Despite this, Perez managed to recover up to P5. A position that could allow him to get even closer to the podium, attacking the Ferraris.
Aggressive sprint
They spared nothing on the track. One of the most relevant clashes occurs due to a dynamic similar to that seen at Silverstone, with gasly as George Russell, closing on Hamilton. Fortunately, the impact did not have major consequences except for Pierre, who was relegated to fifteenth position at the end of the race. Also Albon and Vettel they were the protagonists of a slightly too close encounter, which sent the German into the gravel, ruining the bottom of the Aston Martin.
A beautiful fight instead between Mick Schumacher e Lewis Hamilton. The young German driver put in a wonderful defense against the 7-time world champion, despite having a Haas. After scoring his first points at Silverstone, Mick would like to do an encore and Haas proves to have everything he needs to achieve it. We'll see how the hierarchies change tomorrow, with the real race. The Austrian Grand Prix.
Here is the recipe standings of Sprints
