Reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen on Saturday continued his dominant form by winning the sprint from pole at the Austrian Grand Prix to extend his championship lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez to 70 points.
The closest Verstappen came to losing his grip on the race was when Perez overtook him at the start and they almost bumped into each other when jostling for position into the corner. Verstappen was clearly annoyed by the incident immediately after the race and complained about it on the team radio, but downplayed it later and said the two teammates had already cleared the air.
“We don’t need to make this a big story, you know? It’s what happens sometimes. We talk about it, we clear it and that’s fine. That’s how human beings work. Sometimes you question, you answer, you solve it,” he said, before adding in a lighthearted tone. “You don’t need to write a whole article about it ... I hope. Or maybe you can, to get the clicks.”
Photo: AP
It was Verstappen’s fifth straight win when including the past four Grand Prix races.
Verstappen was set to start the full race from pole position yesterday, when he would aim for a 42nd career Grand Prix win to move one ahead of the late Ayrton Senna and stand alone in fifth place on F1’s all-time list of winners.
Verstappen collected eight points in the sprint — which he also won here last year — and Perez got seven for finishing second. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr collected six points with third place in the 24-lap sprint.
It was a welcome boost for Perez following a dip in form. Since earning his second victory of the season at the Azerbaijan GP in late April and following up with second place at the Miami GP to maintain his title push, he has drifted away after finishing 16th, fourth and sixth.
“I mean I haven’t lost it [my confidence], from winning races to all of a sudden being a very bad driver,” the 33-year-old Mexican driver said. “I know that I’ve had a rough period. Many drivers have had that, but it seems to be even bigger when a Red Bull driver has it.”
Aston Martin’s Lance stroll took fourth place (five points) ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso (four points), Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg (three points), Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (two) and Mercedes driver George Russell (one).
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