GP Austria 2024: final race results amid penalties and investigations at Red Bull Ring

06/30/2024 11:15 AM

F1 Austria, race standings

F1 Austria, race report
The die is cast. The strong friendship between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris wasn’t enough to prevent the contact that officially marks the beginning of their on-track rivalry. The McLaren driver was faster, put pressure on the world champion, and after an intense, edge-of-the-seat duel not seen in a long time, the contact resulted in a puncture for both and the retirement of McLaren #4.

Benefiting from all this is George Russell, who, after the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, brings Mercedes back to victory, ahead of the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, with the Spaniard salvaging a difficult weekend for the Maranello team with a podium finish.

Let’s go in order. Max Verstappen’s race was firmly in command until lap 52, when a slow pit stop for Red Bull (6.5″) allowed Norris to close the 7-second gap and get within less than three. The used medium tires mounted by Max towards the end did not seem to perform as well as initially: a lockup while almost lapping Bottas further compromised his tires, with a clear flat spot on the front right.

Norris then began the pressure, first showing himself in the mirrors and repeatedly attempting to overtake. On the first attempt, Lando was almost ready to pass but complained of a braking move by Max Verstappen (reminiscent of the ‘Verstappen move’ from his early Red Bull years). On the second attempt, the McLaren was further back but Lando Norris still dived inside, going wide: he let Max pass after returning to the track (receiving a dubious 5-second penalty for track limits, the fourth of the race).

The third attempt saw Verstappen going into the runoff area at turn 3, but this time the Dutchman didn’t give way, infuriating Norris. The next lap brought the disaster: in the same spot, #4 dove inside again, but there was contact between the left rear of the Red Bull and the right rear of the McLaren, resulting in a puncture for both. The British driver’s damage was greater, forcing him to retire, while the three-time world champion managed to get back on track and – with a 10-second penalty – still finished fifth with the fastest lap.

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