#Verstappen sees off Perez for commanding win in rain-hit sprint race | 2023 Austrian Grand Prix sprint race

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Verstappen sees off Perez for commanding win in rain-hit sprint race | 2023 Austrian Grand Prix sprint race

Max Verstappen took a comfortable victory in the Austrian Grand Prix sprint race after winning a fierce scrap for the lead with his team mate on the first lap. In a race that begin on a wet track which slowly dried out, Verstappen was challenged by Perez for the first couple of corners but managed to take back the lead by turn four. From there on he was never touched and went on to win by 21 seconds. Perez finished second with Carlos Sainz Jnr taking third place for Ferrari. Rain before the race left the circuit wet as teams prepared for the formation lap. All the field chose intermediate tyres except for Valtteri Bottas in 19th, who opted to risk starting on mediums. However, he was hardly able to keep up with cars ahead on the formation lap and pulled into the pits before the start to switch to intermediate tyres. When the lights went out, Perez made a better getaway on the damp grid than his team mate and took the lead turn one. Verstappen did not take losing the lead lightly and battled back into turn three, retaking the place back from his team mate. Nico Hulkenberg moved past Lando Norris into third place, which became second when Perez was hung out around the outside of turn four by his team mate, allowing the Haas driver to take second place. Verstappen pulled away out front in the early laps, ahead of Hulkenberg, Perez, Sainz and the two Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Perez did not put Hulkenberg under pressure for second until finally getting within a second of the Haas on lap eight. However, to took until the 12th lap for Perez to finally take second place from the Haas, getting a better exit from turn four to sweep around the outside into turn six. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free At half distance, Verstappen’s advantage was almost 10 seconds over his team mate. Sainz demoted Hulkenberg down to fourth place as, behind, a three-way scrap was taking place between Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Norris. With eight laps remaining, George Russell pitted from 11th place for soft tyres. After a slow out-lap, Russell set the fastest first sector which led to a flurry of activity in the pit lane, including Hulkenberg, Leclerc and Alexander Albon among other switching to dry tyres. With only five laps remaining, drivers were reaching a point where they had to either pit or stick with their intermediate tyres for the rest of the race. The drivers on slick tyres were easily quicker, but had to make up significant time to catch the top seven drivers, who all remained on their intermediates. Out front, Verstappen’s lead over his team mate had doubled. Sainz was two seconds behind Perez, while Alonso was pressuring his team mate for fourth but did not get close enough to attempt a pass. On the penultimate lap, Hulkenberg caught and passed Norris to take sixth place but was running out of time to catch the two Aston Martins ahead. Verstappen cruised over the final lap to take the chequered flag and secure the eight points for victory in the sprint race. Perez lost almost a second per lap to his team mate on his way to second place, while Sainz in third was only two seconds behind the second Red Bull. The two Aston Martins finished fourth and fifth after Stroll successfully held off Alonso’s challenge over the final lap. Hulkenberg climbed back up to sixth to finish the highest of those who pitted for slicks, while Ocon only just held off Russell to the line by nine-thousandths of a second – the Mercedes still claiming the final point as a consolation. Norris and Hamilton completed the top 10, but neither scored points. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2023 Austrian Grand Prix Browse all 2023 Austrian Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/