Supreme Max Verstappen wins Styrian GP: 'It's looking really good'

Published on 27 June 2021 by Mike Motilall

Max Verstappen magnificently won the Styrian Grand Prix. The Dutchman kept his pole position after getting well off the line and never relinquished it throughout the entire race. Verstappen was the first to cross the line with a thirty-five-second lead on Lewis Hamilton. Who himself even made a pit stop towards the end of the race for the extra point for fastest lap. The Austrian win is Max’ fourth win this season and second in a row. Valtteri Bottas managed to keep Sergio Perez off his back and rounded out the podium on behalf of Mercedes.

“You never know how it’s going to end up but straight away I felt good balance in the car”, says a very happy Verstappen after the race. “It was good to manage the tyres basically from the start and I also felt like at the end I still had tyres left. Lewis Hamilton pitted a lap earlier than we did and we reacted to that. Then we kept on going trying to hit our lap times, which went very well today.”

With the Austrian Grand Prix on the same circuit and scheduled in a week’s time, things are looking good for Red Bull. However, Max remains realistic: “That is of course very positive, but we still need to show it again next week. We will have a look what we can do better, but I am looking forward to next week.”

Regarding the championship, Verstappen has done well points wise, the momentum is starting to come in Red Bull’s way: “It’s looking really good so we just have to keep on going, keep pushing really hard then I am confident we can do a good job again”, Max concludes.

Slightly cloudy but with warm conditions, the first of the two Grands Prix in Austria gets underway. Max Verstappen gets well off the line and keeps his lead entering the first corner. In the midfield things get a bit chaotic: starting from seventh Charles Leclerc, on his way to Turn three, hits Pierre Gasly’s rear left tyre, resulting in both drivers suffering damages. Leclerc immediately heads to the pits for a new front wing, while Pierre Gasly reports to the pits a lap later with a rear left that has been knocked out of commission. The damage is too severe to be repaired, causing the Frenchman to retire from the race. Nicholas Latifi is another one that doesn’t come out unscathed from the midfield turmoil as he suffers a puncture – the result from a Turn three get together – and is forced to head back in for a new set of rubbers.

After five laps, Max has managed to increase his gap to Lewis Hamilton to well over two seconds. In the meantime team mate Sergio Perez is trying to overtake Lando Norris for third place. On lap ten the Mexican succeeds in overtaking the McLaren-driver. Also Valtteri Bottas, who started fifth because of grid penalty, overtakes Lando Norris moments later. The top four is now once again formed by two Red Bulls and two Mercedes.  

A third of the race distance covered and Verstappen is still leading the pack. His lead over Lewis Hamilton is at that moment about five seconds. Behind them Sergio Pérez, Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris and Lance Stroll form the top six. On lap twenty-seven, Sergio heads to the pits for a tyre change. The stop is slow because of issues with the rear left tyre, causing Valtteri Bottas  – who pits one lap later – to take over third place from the Red Bull Racing-driver.

Another lap later, Lewis Hamilton also pits for a new set of the harder compound tyres after which it’s race leader Max Verstappen’s turn. This time round the stop is flawless and the Dutchman rejoins with almost the same lead over Lewis Hamilton. On lap 39 George Russell becomes the second driver to retire from the race. The Briton was up till then well on his way to finish in the points, but some technical issue prevented this from happening for the unfortunate Williams-driver.

After rejoining Max needs to clear a great many back markers. Having done that he has clean air again and is able to focus on managing the race and extending his lead over Lewis Hamilton. With still twenty laps to go that has grown to almost seven seconds. Valtteri Bottas trails his team mate by well over twenty-three seconds but is being pressured by Sergio Perez, who has set his sights on reclaiming the final podium place. Red Bull decides to call in the Mexican on lap 55 for a second pit stop, in an attempt to make little work of the Mercedes-driver on fresher tyres.

For the remainder of the race it’s plain sailing for Verstappen and he crosses the line with a 35-second lead over Lewis Hamilton. The Briton however takes the extra point for the fastest lap by coming in for a late pit stop. Sergio Perez is unable to overtake Valtteri Bottas leaving the Finn to round out the podium. Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll form the rest of the top eight.

Results Grand Prix Styria: