Austrian Grand Prix: Russell wins after Verstappen takes out Norris
F1 Drivers NewsSunday, 30 June 2024 at 22:15
George Russell scored a stunning and most unexpected victory at the 37th Austrian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship at ‘Orange’ Bull Ring a race marred by a collision between front runner Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
The 'mates' collided with a dozen or so laps to go, when Verstappen's eight-second lead over Norris, before the last pit stops, shrunk to less than a second thanks to Red Bull messing up his pitstop.
What ensued was a bitter, no-holds-barred between the pair, Track limits broken, dodging and weaving, lots of whinging until inevitably at that sharp right-hander Remus, the pair collided with massive consequences. By the time the dust settled Norris was out, and Verstappen was down in P5.
Instead, Russell in his Mercedes was P1, followed home by a feisty Oscar Piastri and a surprised Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari making up the top three. Deserved no doubt, but inherited nevertheless.
Up until an incident that will be talked about for a long time to come, Verstappen had delivered a stupendous performance, an easy favourite to win. He topped every session at Red Bull Ring this weekend. Topped the timesheets in FP1. Tops in Sprint Race Qualifying. Then winning the Sprint, before taking P1 in Qualifying,
A win was inevitable until it wasn't!
The Max of old surfaced, it was not a smart move by the triple F1 World Champion. Not the way two of the best F1 drivers of this generation should do battle. They need to sort out rules of engagement before Norris versus Verstappen becomes as toxic as Max vs Lewis.
In the race, from the moment the lights went out, he blitzed the start to take the lead over P2 starting Norris. It stayed calm for most of the race, with Verstappen in control.
But a fumbled pitstop by the normally bullet-proof Red Bull crew fluffed their lines. The eight-second lead Verstappen had evaporated as Norris was under his wing on fresher Pirelli mediums and attacking relentlessly.
It was dark arts defensive stuff from the World Champion, whose maturity was tested. However, his inability to accept second-best kicked in and Norris must have looked like Lewis Hamilton to the Dutchman.
Not conceding the contentious Remus corner, he denied his mate Norris and himself a victory or at least a podium. Red Bull dropped the ball, and Verstappen dropped his composure. What might have been his 62nd victory ended P5. He got a 10-second penalty for causing the Norris' DNF. He was voted Driver of the Day for his galant efforts.
With Norris suffering a DNF and Verstappen out of podium contention, Russell inherited victory for Mercedes. A reward for chasing the leaders, hoping for P3 as well as trouble between the pair. But then, the top two were gone, the winner unlikely George who got the better part of his wish.
Russell: I saw Max and Lando were going pretty hard
Of his unexpected win, a delighted Russell: "Incredible. It was a tough fight out there at the beginning of the race just to hold onto P3. I saw Max and Lando were going pretty hard and I knew Lando would want that win.
"The team have done an amazing job to put us in this fight. You've got to be there to pick up the pieces and that's where we were. Max and Lando were going for it. I couldn't believe how close we were to Lando and Max. We were only about 12 seconds behind and I knew it [the collision] was a possibility.
"You are always dreaming. Just so proud to be back on the top step. We have made so many strides since the start of the season. The last few races have been incredible. More to come," declared Russell.
Piastri had an 'if only' kind of weekend. 'If only' his Qualifying lap had counted, if only he had not collided with Charles Leclerc early in the race etc. In the end he was rewarded with P2 and the only McLaren to score points on the day.
The Australian was responsible for some of the more breathtaking passes this afternoon in Speilberg. Piastri said of his P2: "There’s a lot of what ifs and maybes obviously starting from yesterday, but I know it’s only my fourth podium in F1 but so close to a win, it hurts a little bit. But really good points.
"I think second half of the race we were coming on pretty strong and I’m happy with another podium. Just when you’re that close, you can’t help but hurt a little bit," admitted Piastri.
Sainz: Quite an eventful race up front!
Carlos Sainz was better of the Ferrari drivers this weekend and rewarded with a P3 that surprised even him. With the front two knocked out, good luck came his way for a fifth podium of the 2024 campaign.
The Spaniard reported from Parc Ferme: "Quite an eventful race up front! For us, it was all about trying to keep up with George. We knew Mercedes might have an advantage on race pace. But we tried everything to keep up with him.
"Oscar at the end came really quick. In the end, P3 which I think is a good result. I think we can be quite happy and proud of that because this weekend hasn't been easy for us," added Sainz.
With both frontrunners suffering punctures, Norris limped back to the pits for a DNF. Verstappen rejoined and finished P5 behind Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes.
FIA F1 Stewards handed Verstappen driver a 10-second penalty for causing the collision but that made no difference to his result and he increased his 2024 F1 World Championship advantage to 81 points over Norris.
Double points haul for Haas old timers
Nico Hulkenberg was P6 with Kevin Magnussen P8 for Haas, a strong double points haul for the American team. A 12 points haul on the day, is nearly double what they have scored in the previous ten races.
Staying out of trouble, Daniel Ricciardo finished P9 for VCARB, with the final point going to Alpine's Pierre Gasly on a day he saw more than enough of teammate Esteban Ocon who, like his junior nemesis Max, has an array of dodgy 'race' tactics in his armoury. He finished P11.
Apart from Leclerc, other stand-out bad performances came from Fernando Alonso (P18) in the Aston Martin. Ditto Zhou Guanyu (P17) in the Stake F1 Sauber not impressing in Austria. And of course Logan Sargeant for what must be a record last of the runners who was the only driver (barring retired Norris) who finished two-laps behind the winner.
The final word on Russell's fortuitous but much-appreciated victory Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff: "George's done a great job to keep himself in almost touching distance. It was a third place on pace but when the two tangled in front, there was this thought we had that things could go wrong."
2024 Austrian Grand Prix Result
How the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix unfolded
Pre-grid 'action' sees Zhou start the GP from the pitlane rather than P20 where he qualified, using Pirelli white band Hard compound tyres. Russell does some 'farming' on the way to the grid thanks to gusty winds that prevailed most of the afternoon in then Spielberg hillside. No stress for the Merc man.
All 19 cars on the grid with yellow band Mediums bolted on, except Zhou on the white-band Hard compound.
Lights out! The front row duo launch perfectly with Verstappen untouchable into Turn 1 with Norris tucked behind him. Behind them, Hamilton gets by Sainz but later pays the price for a dodgy move. Leclerc makes contact with Piastri and pits for repairs.
Verstappen leads by 1.8s from Norris, growing at half a second per lap, with Hamilton on a charge past Russell before he is told to cede back the spot from Sainz. Perez is also on the move up to P6. Piastri loses a position, after Leclerc tete-a-tete.
On lap 7, after losing P6 to Perez, Piastri fought back to take it back with a fine around the outside move to take it back.
Top 10 after 10 laps:
By Lap 10 Verstappen over 4.0s ahead of Norris, with Russell a further 2.0s adrift in P3. Behind them stalemate, no one within DRS as Hamilton drops out of range while chasing Sainz.
Magnussen and Ricciardo trigger backmarker pitstops. The Haas driver emerging behind Hulkenberg, teammates going wheel to wheel before they settled down.
Ocon, Tsunoda and Gasly into the top ten. On Lap 15, Verstappen extends lead to 5.5s over Norris. Leclerc pits for a second time. Emerges last.
On lap 20, first in the top ten to pit is Ocon. Hamilton, Ysunoda and Perez follow a couple of laps later.. Top five remain on Mediums.
Russell pits from P3, Sainz copies the Mercedes driver on lap 23. At the front, Verstappen leads by 5.6s from Norris, and Piastri in P3. The top two dip into the pits. Both serviced in 2.7s as they rejoin. Yet to stop, Piastri leads Verstappen by 2.3s.
On lap 26, Piastri boxes handing Verstappen the lead with Norris P2, 6.7s behind the #1 Red Bull. P3 is Russell 2.3s down on the McLaren ahead. Apart from Perez harrying Hulkenberg for P7, the top ten are in stalemate mode.
Alonso was penalised after a punt on Zhou's Stake F1 Sauber.
Top 10 after 28 laps:
On lap 30, Verstappen's lead over Norris was pegged at around 7.0s with Russell 3.3s further behind the leader in the podium places. The gap from P1 to P10 is 35.0s. Notably, the top five are as they started the race.
Perez gets a penalty for speeding in the pitlane, while the Alpine lads battle for P12, Ocon ahead of Gasly. The pair passed Alonso in the awful Aston Martin in the process. Top entertainment from the French 'teammates' but worrying for their pitwall, and eyebrow-raising stuff from Esteban.
At the halfway mark. Full stalemate across the top ten. The gap at the front, Verstappen to Norris on 8.0s. Tsunoda gets by Albon in their battle for P12.
Haas duo running strongly, p8 Hulkenberg and P9 Magnussen. Ricciardo makes a second stop from nowhereland. K-Mag follows and is the first in the top ten to do so. Hulkenberg follows a lap later just as Verstappen reports the Hards are going fast.
On lap 41, Gasly squeezes past Ocon with some hairy racing between the pair.
Next in the top ten to box, from P3 Russell makes a final stop for Hards. Sainz in next. At the same time, Piastri gets past Hamilton (who is also on a penalty for track limits) to take P3.
Well in control, Verstappen in control has the lead pegged at 7.0s over Norris but starting to complain about his tyres and being assured by engineer Lambiase to stick to the plan by nursing the disappearing rubber.
On lap 52, the top three box at the sane time Verstappen pits from the lead. Norris and Piastri follow. The Champs stop is longer than expected, the gap now 1.7s. A rare error by the normally faultless cost their driver.
Norris on fresh Mediums, Verstappen on second-hand ones meant: Game on! The McLaren immediately on the attack, within DRS of the leader. Hamilton pits.
The race is now on with 15 laps to go. Verstappen at the front digging into the shady arts of defending to stay ahead. The fresh vs older tyres telling. Verstappen sounded desperate, Norris on a track limit warning.
Top 10 after 58 laps:
On lap 59, Norris lunges past Verstappen, he cedes the overtake. The battle is relentless, the McLaren impatient pushing the edge in his chase of the leader, track limits were incidental at this phase.
Norris complaining, Verstappen complaining. Priceless stuff. But finally it was too much, at Remus on lap 64 they collided Both messed it up. Russell takes the lead and wins his second F1 race.
Austrian Grand Prix Preview: "
Auf Wiederschauen" rivals can say to Max Verstappen
"Auf Wiederschauen" rivals can say to Max Verstappen ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix - Round 11 of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship at 'Orange' Bull Ring - after the greatest Sprint and Qualifying Saturdays our sport has ever seen a driver deliver.
[Note: This post will be updated with the Austrian Grand Prix report. Please refresh page for updated version. Thank you. Enjoy the race!
The "Goodbye" began on Saturday during the Spielberg F1 Sprint Race. Red Bull's Verstappen showed why he is probably the greatest driver F1 has ever witnessed. Fending off a double-pronged, ferocious McLaren attack led by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the six-lap race that the Sprint turned out to be.
But it was a sumptuous six-lapper of classy action. Norris stalked and occasionally buzzed Max ahead before he lunged from nowhere and into Turn 1, half a dozen laps on the board to steel the lead. Verstappen did a nifty shuffle to go wide and avoid the rampant Orange car.
The drag-race up to Remus, the sharp right Turn 3 saw the #1 car cut to the inside ambushing Norris, forcing him wide and allowing Piastri to slip by his teammate too. And that's how it stayed for the next 15 laps.
It was Verstappen's way of saying: "I am the boss of F1." And no one can argue. A few hours later he went on to stun everyone, himself included, with an incredible 0.404s gap to next best on a 65s lap is alien-like, and as perfect as it gets.
Thus it takes no sage to predict a demolition job of his rivals today on the occasion of the 37th Grand Prix in Austria. Barring force majeure - with Red Bull slicker than ever servicing their World Champion and a Red Bull Ring heaving with his Orange Army - Verstappen will win by a mile.
The real race will be for P2 and P3 on the podium
What should have been a P2-p3 on today's grid for McLaren turned into only Norris in the top three, as Oscar Piastri's best effort was deleted for track limit infringement. He claimed it was a perfect lap, the FIA-appointed F1 Stewards thought otherwise and sent him to P6 on the grid.
The young Aussie will be well-tested as Norris takes the upper hand in the McLaren garage. Their engine suppliers Mercedes will also fancy their chances with George Russell lining up P3 and Lewis Hamilton P5 behind Max. Their car is much improved, and Red Bull Ring will further test the theory that on race pace they may be up there in the pecking order. Today will tell.
Beside the Mercs, behind Lando, Ferrari line-up Carlos Sainz in P4 and Charles Leclerc in P5. The Reds need a good result as the magic at Monaco has fast disappeared. It will be interesting to see if they have a say in the podium standings. Sainz would fancy his chances if the perplexing Ferrari plays ball.
Perez was brutally exposed by Max
Sergio Perez. The Mexican veteran is being brutally exposed by his teammate Verstappen. Ironically, his form plummeted straight after Red Bull (inexplicably?) extended his contract. Some say to pacify Perez, whose presence io the team is always being questioned, they did the extension.
But his thanks has yet to come. But you cannot envy a driver matched up against Max. Is there any other driver on the grid that could match Verstappen in the same car? No. However, the growing gap should be narrower. Not P6 on the grid, while the other car is comfortably on P1. Something's wrong. An afternoon of damage control for the number two RBR driver.
Should all in the top four finish the race, which they should barring incidents with these bullet-proof cars, only P9 and P10 is up for grabs for the chasing Formula 1.5 pack.
Other sideshows to keep an eye on:
- Ricciardo versus Tsunoda.
- Gasly versus Ocon.
- Alonso should be interesting depending on his mood.
- Who is the worst driver in F1 at the moment: Zhou or Sargeant?
- Wh bins it first: Sargeant? Zhou?
Austrian Grand Prix Pirelli Infographics
Austrian Grand Prix Facts & Stats by Reuters
- Formula One statistics for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg
- Round 11 of the 24-race 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship and third Sprint Race of the season
- Lap distance: 4.318km. Total distance: 306.452km (71 laps)
- 2023 pole position: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull one minute 04.391 seconds
- 2023 sprint winner: Verstappen
- 2023 race winner: Verstappen
- Race lap record: Carlos Sainz (Spain) Ferrari 1:05.619, 2020
- The circuit is owned by Red Bull and has the shortest lap, in terms of time, on the calendar with just 10 corners but aggressive kerbs.
- It also has the second biggest difference between its highest and lowest points (69m), after Spa-Francorchamps.
- A 2.5m wide gravel strip has been added behind the kerb at the exit to turns nine and 10 after a flurry of track limits violations last year.
- This year's Austrian race is the 37th in the history of the championship, with the first held at Zeltweg airfield in 1964 and then moving to Spielberg's Oesterreichring (a shortened version later named A1 Ring and now Red Bull Ring) in 1970.
- The circuit also hosted the Styrian Grand Prix in 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic.
- There have been 10 winners from pole in 19 races on the current configuration. The run from pole to turn one is 330m, with most overtakes occurring into turns three and four. Turns two, five and eight are taken at full throttle.
- Verstappen (2018, 2019, 2021, 2023), Valtteri Bottas (2017, 2020), Charles Leclerc (2022) and Lewis Hamilton (2016) are the only drivers on the current grid to have won the Austrian GP.
- Hamilton won the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix, and Verstappen won in 2021, at the same circuit.
2024 F1 World Championship Standings
- Verstappen will have led the F1 world championship for 50 races in a row after Austria, whatever happens.
- Verstappen arrived in Spielberg 69 points clear of McLaren's Lando Norris.
Austrian Grand Prix Sprint Race
- Verstappen beat Paistri and Norris in the Sprint Race on Saturday
- Verstappen championship lead increased to 71 points over Norris
- Verstappen has won ten of the 15 sprint races held so far.
Victories, Podiums & Pole Position
- Verstappen has won seven of 10 races this season, with Sainz triumphant in Melbourne, McLaren's Lando Norris in Miami and Leclerc in Monaco.
- Ferrari are the only team to have had two winning drivers this season.
- Hamilton has a record 103 career victories from 342 starts. He has now gone 55 races without a win, a run dating back to 2021.
- Red Bull have won 120 races and are fourth in the all-time list of winners. Ferrari lead with 245, McLaren have 184 and Mercedes 125.
- Verstappen has won 61 grands prix and is third on the all-time list. Michael Schumacher is second on 91.
- Hamilton has a record 104 career poles, his most recent in Hungary last year.
- Verstappen took the first seven poles of the season, equalling Alain Prost's 1993 record, and eight in a row including the last race of 2023 -- equalling Ayrton Senna's 1988-89 record.
- Leclerc ended that run with pole in Monaco and George Russell was fastest for Mercedes in Canada with Norris taking the top spot in Spain.
- The last time Red Bull went three races without pole position was in 2022 (Leclerc/Russell/Sainz in France/Hungary/Belgium respectively). Leclerc had four in a row that same year.
- Verstappen has 106 career podiums, Hamilton 198.
- Verstappen has been on the podium eight times this season.
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