Given more or less the same strategy and Red Bull’s advantage in the 9 July sprint, the start was critical for the Ferrari, but this time Max Verstappen made good on his pole at the first corner, already by the end of the first lap out of the DRS zone from Charles Leclerc. Behind did not do without accidents Sergio Perez is very eager to win back from his fifth position and several times attacked George Russell, however, in the fourth corner of the British and the Mexican not divided turn, because of what Checo went on a tour on the gravel, rolled to the last place, and then sent to the boxes to replace the damaged wing and tyres.
Did not set the race in the second driver Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton, who missed Mick Schumacher after his own error at the second corner.
Leclerc managed to find the pace by the fifth lap and still nudged Max Verstappen, again coming in less than a second behind the Red Bull driver. And this is where Leclerc’s strategy should begin to take a closer look.
Every manoeuvre he makes makes it clear he is worth betting on in one of the non-GamStop sportsbooks. We also managed to get an expert opinion from sports journalist Dan Roan’s NoUkCasino website. Who also thinks these are important signals that say Leclerc is a key player in the arena today. But let’s keep looking to make sure of that.
Charles beat Verstappen three times in front of the Austrian fans. The Scuderia still have a chance to fight for the title!
Ferrari victory in Austria was the second in a row, but the success of Sainz in Canada, which was only possible thanks to a mistake in the tactics of Leclair, brought Maranello more harm than good.
For Charles, however, the first place in the Red Bull Ring is the first victory after the Australian Grand Prix, which took place exactly four months ago. Although the Monegasque this weekend beat Verstappen only five points, this triumph for the Scuderia is more important than the previous one. He again allows us to hope for a fight for the title.
“The Scuderia” Can Still Do It
The Austrian Grand Prix is traditionally held at the Red Bull Ring circuit – literally the home circuit of the Verstappen team, where the stands are packed to capacity with Max’s fans. And this is where Leclair overtook the reigning champion three times in a head-to-head battle on the track – in the first segment and after the first two pit stops.
Charles acted decisively and at the same time correctly, without provoking the judges. At the same time Verstappen had nothing to oppose – in each case he was much slower and was barely able to fend off the attack.
It’s not the first time the Ferrari car has been faster than the Red Bull, but this is probably the first time in the season that the Italian’s team bridge has made bold and timely decisions (Leclerc’s second and third pit stops), and they’ve ended up working.
Over the past few months, it might have seemed as though Ferrari were pathologically incapable of leading Leclerc to victory – either a broken down car or a miscalculation in tactics. But in Austria there were no such problems, “Scuderia” looked collected and clear – and that means she can still return to the race for the title. Or is the team so good only if they lack hope and pressure?
Mercedes Is Too Far Away From Winning
The German team seem to have sorted out their dolphin problems – from the outside the car seems to be rocking less frequently and strongly, and in the middle of the peloton the Mercedes still holds the lead. However, the pace to compete with the leaders for the win is still lacking.
For example, in the first 10 laps Russell was almost 10 seconds behind Sainz, and Verstappen was behind by more than 12 seconds. And on the 18th already Hamilton, who was fighting in the middle of the peloton after the departure in qualifying, ahead of Max, who was on an early pit stop – that is, in this segment of the Red Bull on the grid rate won by about 20 seconds.
There are no hopes of a fight for the championship, but the progress of the team’s work with the chassis is clear, and if the trend continues, then in the future Mercedes might have a chance to fight for victory in individual races. And let neither Hamilton nor Russell in the fight for the title, they can intervene in a duel between Verstappen and Leclerc.
For now we can add that in the last six races Mercedes racers five times up on the podium – on the background of the problems at the beginning of the season about this stability could only dream.
Another Russell Mistake
For Russell, the second Grand Prix in a row begins with a first lap collision. At Silverstone George sloppily shifted to the side of Gasly and knocked out Zhou over the barriers, and now went wide in turn four and turned around an already outgoing Sergio Perez. Despite the penalty, Russell in the end made his way to fourth place, but the second error in a row ruins what George has achieved at the beginning of the season: through a series of clean and error-free races it came to be considered almost the leader of the Mercedes. And let the intra-team confrontation continue, in the forefront of the gradually returned Hamilton.
Final Word
Although there are now at least 4 worthy contenders in front of the fan’s eye, there are plenty of really strong arguments for Ferrari, led by Leclerc, to take the title this year. Nevertheless, the confrontation is expected to be fascinating. And maybe even present a new, unexpected champion. We have shared our expectations and bets with you though.
