Verstappen: It was amazing to see so much orange

“Of course we’re not playing in the (soccer) World Cup so it’s a bit easier for them to come over here, but in general, great support,” grinned the 20-year-old Dutch driver when asked about the masses of orange splashed around circuit in the picturesque hills in Spielberg.

“It was amazing to see so much orange. And then if you win the race and see all the fans lining up there, it’s incredible. And this is in Austria, which is still 10 or 11 hours away from Holland. So, yeah, amazing that they all came over here,” he said.

Victory at the Red Bull Ring was the fourth of Verstappen’s career and it came, like his first in Spain in 2016, after champions Mercedes had imploded.

In Barcelona, in May two years ago, Lewis Hamilton and then teammate Nico Rosberg lined up on the front row in dominant fashion and then collided.

On Sunday, Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas started on the front row but hopes of a one-two ended when first Bottas retired with a hydraulics leak and then Hamilton pulled over with a fuel pressure problem.

A Mercedes strategy error had already handed the lead to Verstappen by then and he responded with a mature drive to the chequered flag as his fans celebrated all around.

“I could see some orange smoke, I could see them cheering so I think that’s good enough,” said Verstappen, when asked whether he could hear their acclaim.

“And I think this was one of the nicest victories but I keep saying that, so I think at the moment they are all nice. But maybe hopefully, at one point, you just say ‘yeah, it’s just another one’. But at the moment I’m really happy with it.”

Verstappen said he had just tried to do his own race as first Bottas and then Hamilton disappeared from the reckoning.

When a virtual safety car was called, he pitted while Hamilton stayed out and the advantage was his — but he had already made things happen by forcing his way past Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen on the opening lap from fourth on the grid.

Verstappen made a brave move at turn eight to pass Raikkonen, with the Red Bull giving the Ferrari a nudge without consequences.

“It was hard racing but good racing,” agreed Verstappen. “I think Kimi is experienced enough to handle the situation well. We had a little touch, but I think it’s also good for the sport.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner was full of praise for his driver, Unbelievable, it was absolutely nailed in the first lap. Hats off to him because the tyres were so crucial there, you see the blisters and everything that's going on, he just managed to keep those temperatures down and manage it all the way through."

Fernando Alonso posted a cheeky selfie on Instagram showing the Spaniard with teammate Stoffel Vandoorne in front of Orange Army and wrote "lots of support for Vandoorne and McLaren."