F1 Austrian Grand Prix: Verstappen Beats Piastri to Win Red Bull Ring Sprint; Norris Completes Podium
After fending off an aggressive early push from Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Max Verstappen emerged victorious in the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix sprint race.
By Divyam Dubey
Verstappen emerged victorious in a thrilling Austrian Grand Prix sprint race, fending off a strong challenge from McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris took the lead briefly, but Verstappen swiftly regained control. Verstappen then dominated the race, extending his lead to secure his tenth win from just fourteen sprint races. Meanwhile, Mercedes' George Russell displayed impressive fighting spirit. Despite losing a position early on, he battled back to reclaim it. Ferrari's performance was less stellar. While Carlos Sainz managed to finish ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, he was only able to secure fifth place. Red Bull's Sergio Perez also had a lacklustre race, bringing home the final point in eighth position.
Also Read: F1: Aston Martin to Continue with Lance Stroll, Renews Contract
F1 Austrian Grand Prix: Sprint Race Result
After an early lead by polesitter Verstappen, McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri caught up to the Red Bull with the help of DRS. Norris briefly overtook Verstappen at Turn 3 on lap five in a race shortened to 23 laps for safety reasons. However, Verstappen quickly regained the lead at Turn 4, and Piastri then passed Norris at Turn 6 to take second place.
Carlos Sainz's Ferrari initially advanced to fourth, but George Russell's Mercedes reclaimed the spot and defended against both Sainz and teammate Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc improved from 10th to finish seventh, ahead of Sergio Perez in eighth.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 23 Laps |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 4.616s |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 5.348s |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 8.354s |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 9.989s |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 11.207s |
| 7 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 13.424s |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 17.409s |
| 9 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 24.067s |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 30.175s |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 30.839s |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 31.308s |
| 13 | Yuki Tsunoda | VCARB | 35.452s |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 38.423s |
| 15 | Daniel Ricciardo | VCARB | 39.397s |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 43.155s |
| 17 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 44.076s |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | 44.673s |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 46.411s |
| 20 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 53.143s |
Also Read: F1: Mick Schumacher to Test for Alpine at Paul Ricard, Eyes 2025 Seat as Ocon's Replacement
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly's Alpines dropped to 11th and 12th, behind Kevin Magnussen and Lance Stroll. Stroll finished six places ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso, who lost two positions late in the race to Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo.
