F1 2019: Max Verstappen wins Austria Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc came agonizingly close to becoming an F1 race-winner in Bahrain and he was denied that honor again at the Austrian Grand Prix after being overtaken two laps from the end by a brilliant Max Verstappen who closed out his second win in two years at the Red Bull Ring.

Valtteri Bottas finished third on the road for Mercedes, while a late overtake on Lewis Hamilton saw Sebastian Vettel finish fourth after making a two-stop strategy work, with Hamilton coming home in fifth, the first time he’s finished outside the top two this year.

Behind Hamilton, Lando Norris was a fantastic sixth for McLaren, holding off the Red Bull of Pierre Gasly, while Carlos Sainz, having started at the back of the grid, was eighth, ahead of the two Alfa Romeos of Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi, the Italian scoring his first ever F1 point.

After back-to-back races in France and Austria, F1 returns at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 12-14. Sebastian Vettel won there last year for Ferrari – and having once again come so close to victory, how dearly the Scuderia would love to repeat that Silverstone win there in 2019.

F1 2018: Max Verstappen wins Austria Grand Prix

Mercedes looked like they had the Austrian Grand Prix sewn up. But disaster struck in spectacular fashion as Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton both retired. Max Verstappen took advantage and seized his first win of the season, to the delight of the swathes of Dutch fans that had made the pilgrimage to the Red Bull Ring.

Hamilton’s record 33-races-in-the-points streak came to a shuddering stop while he also relinquished the lead of the championship, with Sebastian Vettel - who finished third behind Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen - overturning a 14-point deficit to lead by a single point. Verstappen took advantage of Mercedes’ misfortune to take a fourth career victory, the Red Bull driver inheriting the lead, having previously put a good early move on Raikkonen, and then managing his tyres beautifully as several of his rivals struggled with blistering.

Meanwhile, Ricciardo had pitted, too, as his soft tyres started to blister in what were the warmest conditions of the weekend. Hamilton was struggling, too, and Vettel pounced to take third. After complaining about his tyres for several laps, Mercedes pitted the world champion for a second time and fitted the supersofts. He rejoined in fifth, behind Ricciardo. But that became fourth when Ricciardo pulled off the track, saying on team radio that he had lost gear sync.

That promoted Romain Grosjean to a brilliant fourth; the best ever result for Haas, one place ahead of team mate Kevin Magnussen, with Verstappen comfortably leading the Ferrari duo of Raikkonen and Vettel up front. Force India’s Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez were sixth and seventh respectively, with Fernando Alonso charging from a pit-lane start to an impressive eighth. Charles Leclerc lost a bunch of time when he ran into the gravel at the start but recovered to take ninth – his fourth points finish in five races – with Sauber team mate Marcus Ericsson taking 10th in what is only his second time in the points in 2018.

Lewis Hamilton wins Austrian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton won Grand Prix in Spielberg after passing Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg for the lead on the very first lap. The pair made contact in the move, leaving Rosberg to trail home fourth, as Red Bull Max Verstappen and Ferrari Kimi Raikkonen completed the podium.

Behind Hamilton, Verstappen drove another superb race to take second 5.7s behind and only three tenths of a second ahead of a charging Raikkonen. The Finn’s partner Sebastian Vettel had looked comfortable in front after early leader Hamilton had stopped to switch his ultrasoft Pirelli tyres for softs, but the Ferrari suffered a violent right rear soft puncture on the 27^th lap and crashed into the pit wall. Pirelli attributed the failure to debris on the track.

Hamilton has led the start as McLaren’s Jenson Button kept fast starting Raikkonen at bay until the eighth lap. Rosberg was the first pit stopper, on lap 10, but Hamilton made his ultrasofts last until the 21^st lap. A delay with his left rear tyre enabled Rosberg, who had started sixth, to get ahead, however which set up their epic fight. Hamilton stop dropped him to fourth as Raikkonen led for a lap before his own stop, and that put Vettel ahead from Rosberg and Hamilton, as Raikkonen dropped behind the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.

With Rosberg hobbled, Hamilton sped on to his 46^th career victory, as Verstappen just kept Raikkonen at bay and the second Mercedes limped home for fourth. He still holds the championship lead on 153 points, but Hamilton is now only 11 points behind on 142. Vettel and Raikkonen each have 96 with Ricciardo on 88 and Verstappen on 72. 

Nico Rosberg wins Austrian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton started Sunday Spielberg race from Pole position, but it was Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg who led into turn 1. From there on the German driver never looked back, securing his third win of the season to reduce Hamilton’s title advantage to just 10 points. The world champion, also handicapped by a 5s time penalty for crossing the white line on the pit exit, took the flag 3.8s behind Rosberg, while Felipe Massa scored his first and Williams second podium of the season.

Nor could anyone hold a candle to the Mercedes. Sebastian Vettel tried his best, but lost third place when Ferrari pit stop was delayed as the right rear wheel took longer to change. That was sufficient to drop him behind Felipe Massa, and his chase after the Brazilian was one of the race highlights. Over the final laps he was within striking distance, but Massa held on for his first podium since Abu Dhabi last year.

Ferrari lost their car in a violent accident on the opening lap and came into contact with Fernando Alonso McLaren. McLaren then retired their second car soon afterwards, when Jenson Button lost power after two pit stops, one to serve his 10s stop and go penalty for power unit changes, the other to investigate the incurable problem.

Hamilton still leads the driver championship with 169 points to Rosberg 159 and Vettel 120, while in constructor stakes Mercedes have 328 points to Ferrari 192 and Williams 129. Next race will take in Silverstone circuit, Britain on 5^th July, 2015. Last year the race was won by Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Stay tuned for this year result. 

Lewis Hamilton Wins Canadian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton took a controlled victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, fending off team mate Nico Rosberg. The Mercedes Drivers circulated at the front throughout an unusually uneventful race as William Valtteri Bottas beat Ferrari Kimi Raikkonen to third. Hamilton fourth win in seven races extends his driver championship advantage to 17.

The win helps to make up for a Hamilton disappointment in the last race in Monaco, where he lost a dominant victory as a result of strategic error by the team. Hamilton led into the first corner pole position and built a four second lead before his pit stop and then controlled the gap at little over a second for the rest of the race as the drivers of the two silver cars managed fuel, brakes and tyres to the finish. Raikkonen was on course for a comfortable third place until a spin at the hairpin on lap 27, caused by the hybrid system kicking in unexpectedly. That cost him position to Bottas.

Vettel rode his luck at times, especially at last chance, where he was involved in two near miss incidents. Raikkonen finished ahead of team mate Sebastian Vettel, who drove an attacking race from the back of the grid following an engine problem in qualifying and a five place grid penalty for passing illegally in practice. Grosjean finished 10^th, which he held on to despite a five second penalty for causing the incident was applied. His mistake handed sixth to Felipe Massa from 15^th on the grid.

Three cars failed to make it to the end, both of neither McLarens of Fernando Alonso nor Jenson Button retiring with mechanical problems, while Manor Roberto Merhi exited a race for the first time this year. The next race will held in Austria on June 21, 2015. Last year, the race was won by Nico Rosberg. Stay tuned for this year.