Austrian GP: Max Verstappen dominates at Red Bull Ring for fifth ...

Max Verstappen produced another dominant display to claim his fifth successive Formula 1 victory; the Dutchman now leads the world championship by 81 points as he seeks a third successive drivers' title; Charles Leclerc takes second for Ferrari, with Sergio Perez third for Red Bull

Last Updated: 02/07/23 4:09pm

Max Verstappen eased to victory at the Austrian Grand Prix to claim a fifth successive Formula 1 win and tighten his grip on the 2023 world championship.

Having won Saturday's Sprint contest, pole-sitter Verstappen maintained his and Red Bull's dominant form to finish five seconds clear of Charles Leclerc, despite losing time to the Ferrari when opting not to pit under an early Virtual Safety Car and opting to take an extra stop in the closing stages to put on fresh tyres to seal an extra point for the fastest lap.

Sergio Perez came out on top in a thrilling late battle with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to cap a brilliant recovery drive from 15th on the grid, ensuring both Red Bulls finished on the podium at the team's home race.

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Lando Norris maintained his brilliant form at the Red Bull Ring to convert fourth on the grid into a fifth-place finish, securing crucial points in his upgraded McLaren.

Fernando Alonso produced a solid display to take sixth for Aston Martin ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who endured a frustrating afternoon as he dropped backwards after passing Norris for fourth at the start.

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell advanced from 11th on the grid to finish eighth, while Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll rounded out the points.

Verstappen, whose 42nd F1 victory moves him clear of Ayrton Senna in fifth on the sport's all-time list of winners, is now 81 points clear of second-placed Perez and very much on course for a third successive drivers' title.

Red Bull, meanwhile, have now won all nine races (and two Sprints) this season, and the prospect of the RB19 going unbeaten throughout the 2023 campaign becomes more realistic with every passing Grand Prix.

Austrian GP result1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull2) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari3) Sergio Perez, Red Bull4) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari5) Lando Norris, McLaren6) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin7) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes8) George Russell, Mercedes9) Pierre Gasly, Alpine10) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin

Verstappen leads fitting Red Bull display

Verstappen came into the race having led every lap of the previous three Grands Prix, and may well have extended that streak had it not been for the release of a Virtual Safety Car on lap 13.

The Dutchman fended off a bold attack from Leclerc on the opening lap, before an early full Safety Car was briefly sent out to clear debris from the track following a collision at the start.

Verstappen executed a perfect rolling restart, before the release of the VSC, which came after Haas' Nico Hulkenberg retired, triggered stops for much of the field, the Red Bulls the only front-runners opting to stay out.

The decision at first seemed questionable as the other cars looked set to gain time from pitting under reduced speed, but it made little difference.

Its main impact was ensuring that Verstappen's streak of laps leading races ended at 249, as Leclerc moved into first when Red Bull brought him in at the end of lap 25.

Verstappen came out in third just behind Sainz in third, but swiftly passed the Spaniard before setting about closing a seven-second gap to Leclerc.

Any hope that Leclerc might be able to put a fight was quickly dispelled, with Verstappen easing into DRS range before passing the Ferrari on lap 35.

The 25-year-old provided a subtle example of the elite form he is in by smartly holding back before completing the move on Leclerc to ensure the Ferrari didn't gain DRS on the following straight.

From there, he began to pull away at a second per lap, and the only remaining threat was some rain clouds that were hovering to the west of the circuit.

After a second round of pit stops, Verstappen continued to extend his lead to the point that he had a clear margin to pit for a fresh set of medium tyres with two laps remaining, enabling him to set the fastest lap of the race.

Red Bull and Verstappen's decision to make the late stop displayed the huge level of confidence at the team currently, and the driver's ruthlessness as he took the extra point away from team-mate - and nearest title challenger - Perez, with whom he had shared an intense first-lap battle in Saturday's Sprint.

The Mexican produced a fine recovery having been needlessly eliminated from Q2 on Friday after exceeding track limits on three successive attempts at flying laps.

He drove a patient race to progress through the field and eventually came out on top a brilliant late battle with Sainz to secure a first podium in four races.

Having two cars on the podium capped a near-perfect weekend for Red Bull, who were racing at their 'home circuit' for the first time since team founder Dietrich Mateschitz's death in October last year.

More to follow...