The Austrian Grand Prix was the scene where Sergio Pérez returned to the path of the podium, this after he had added three races without being among the best and lost track of the championship against Max Verstappen, his teammate at Red Bull and winner of the test in Spielberg.
While the Mexican rallied from position 15 to third place, Verstappen dominated a race in which, in the end, he gave another example of his superiority.
“I don’t like to think about it yet. I am enjoying the moment, driving this car and working with the team. Throughout the weekend we have done a very good job. A sprint weekend is always very, very hectic”, said the two-time world champion.
Given the dominance of the Dutchman, the fight focused on the back where Charles Leclerc achieved second place over Checo Pérez. Behind them the battle between the Mercedes, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris’s McLaren and the Aston Martins took center stage.
But the positions in which the competitors crossed were altered post-race. Aston Martin, the team where Alonso and Stroll are active, filed a protest requesting the review of the laps of other competitors considering they had exceeded the track limits, the controversial issue of the weekend. If that is proven, there could be time penalties that could benefit their pilots.
Aston’s appeal was successful and the FIA determined almost three hours after the end of the race that the results had to be changed. Sainz and Hamilton, who had already been given a five-second penalty in the race, received a new 10-second penalty that demoted them as well as Pierre Gasly.
The penalties lifted Lando Norris to fourth and Alonso to fifth, with Sainz slipping to sixth. Lewis Hamilton traded his seventh place with George Russell, this while Stroll gained a place to take ninth from Gasly who dropped to tenth.
Formula 1 leaves Spielberg and immediately heads to the Silverstone circuit for the British Grand Prix, the second of four races to be held in just five weeks on the most compact part of the calendar.
Checo and his hard fight with Carlos Sainz
The Mexican pilot Sergio Pérez returned to the podium in third place after a bad run.
Checo Pérez started in position 15 and by half of the competition he was already among the first seven.
The Mexican had an intense duel against Carlos Sainz in the last few turns to snatch the last podium spot from the Spaniard.
“I’m really happy. It has been a very difficult weekend for me personally, physically,” said Checo.
When talking about the battle against Sainz’s Ferrari, he explained that it was a pleasure to compete against the man from Madrid.
“It was very hard, but fair. It is always a pleasure to run with them. The Ferraris were very strong, especially in the corners.”
Luis Ramirez
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