The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Verstappen stages stunning comeback to win Austrian Grand Prix
Fightback sees Red Bull ace win Austrian title – but Hamilton suffers in the heat
Max Verstappen produced one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent Formula One history to win the Austrian Grand Prix yesterday.
The Red Bull driver, roared on by his large Dutch following at a sweltering Spielberg, denied Charles Leclerc the first win of his career by passing the young Ferrari driver with just two laps to go.
Verstappen kept his victory after he escaped a penalty for his winning move on Leclerc.
More than three hours after the Red Bull driver took the chequered flag in Spielberg, Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, revealed the stewards had decided to take no further action over the incident.
“It is hard racing, otherwise we have to stay at home,” said Verstappen when informed he was under investigation.
“If those things are not allowed in racing, then what is the point in being in Formula One?”
Leclerc said: “I will let the stewards decide. I was on the outside of the corner the lap before. He left the space, but he didn’t on the next lap. I had to go wide and didn’t have a chance to come back at him.”
Verstappen began alongside Leclerc on the front row but dropped to seventh following a torrid start.
The Dutch driver was then running in fourth place with 20 laps to run, but passed Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas and finally Leclerc in a stunning end to the race.
Bottas finished third for Mercedes, while Vettel fought his way past Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap to take fourth.
Hamilton will head to his home race at Silverstone in a fortnight’s time, 31 points clear of Bottas in the championship.
After being passed by Vettel on the penultimate lap at the Red Bull Ring, Hamilton took the chequered flag in fifth, marking the world champion’s worst finish in more than a year.
The Briton had to lift and coast throughout the race due to his Mercedes engine overheating in the extreme temperatures. Hamilton’s race was also hampered when he ran over the kerbs and had to stop for a new front wing.
Mercedes have dominated this season with six one-two finishes from nine rounds. This marked the first race Hamilton has failed to finish in the top two.
The five-time world champion added: “We knew it would be a difficult weekend, and it has been more painful than we thought but, as a team, we have not been complacent at all.
“We have not had any problems up until this race The race in Budapest will be hot but I don’t think this performance will happen in a lot of places.”
British teenager Lando Norris finished sixth for McLaren, equalling his career best.