Formula 1: Series continues: Verstappen wins Red Bull home game

formula 1
Series continues: Verstappen wins the Red Bull home game

Formula 1 world champion with the next dominant gala drive in his invincible Red Bull Max Verstappen now also outperforms Ayrton Senna.

The Dutchman once again prevailed unchallenged at his team’s home game in Austria and with 42 career victories he now has one more to his credit than Brazil’s motorsport legend. Incidentally, the 25-year-old extended his lead in the overall standings in Spielberg to 81 points over team-mate Sergio Perez. The third world title in a row is only a matter of time for the dominator.

The day after first place in the sprint, Verstappen also took the most points in the main race. He relegated Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Perez to second and third place. Seven wins in nine World Championship races, five of them in a row: the defending champion is simply unstoppable. Around 50,000 Dutch people among more than 100,000 fans in the stands celebrated their hero with orange smoke pots and deafening noise.

Nico Hülkenberg had long since finished his working day. The Haas driver from Emmerich had to retire on lap 14 due to hydraulic damage.

Mourning for Dilano van’t Hoff

Shortly before the start, the field of drivers had thought of the young driver Dilano van’t Hoff who had died in an accident. The 18-year-old Dutchman van’t Hoff died after an accident during a race in the European junior series Formula Regional on the Grand Prix circuit in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. “I didn’t know him personally, but he was a young Dutch driver and had the same dreams that we had when we wanted to get into Formula 1,” compatriot Verstappen had previously said.

The defending champion was in a class of his own all weekend. After the best time in qualifying, he took pole position for the main race on Friday. On Saturday he secured pole position for the sprint, which he won with a huge lead over Perez.

And the Dutchman also determined the Grand Prix on Sunday from the start. Only four racing drivers have won more times than Verstappen in Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton (103 wins), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51).

At the start, Verstappen easily fended off the attacks of Ferrari star Leclerc in the first corners. Then the safety car came out because Yuki Tsunoda, a bit cocky, spread parts of the front wing of his Alpha Tauri over the asphalt in the turmoil. After the brief cleanup, Verstappen quickly pulled away from his pursuers.

Hulkenberg is kicked out

Once again, it was significantly worse for Hulkenberg. As is so often the case on Sunday races, the Rhinelander could not keep up for long in his inferior car. In the sprint, the 35-year-old had fought brilliantly for sixth place in changeable conditions and won three World Championship points. The main race was over for him after 14 laps.

Shortly after his first pit stop, Hulkenberg rolled off the track. “Up to curve three, it suddenly went bang, I think something hydraulic because the power steering didn’t work anymore,” Hulkenberg told Sky TV.

This time the race control opted for the virtual safety car, the majority of the field opted for a tire change. The Red Bull duo Verstappen and Perez, on the other hand, continued and only got fresh sets of tires ten laps later.

Verstappen with the fastest race lap

The race stewards also had plenty to do. Again and again there were warnings because drivers allowed themselves to be driven next to the prescribed lines in curves. Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz even received five-second time penalties in the fight for a podium place.

On lap 35, Verstappen ended Leclerc’s short time at the top. After his pit stop, the champion quickly conceded Sainz and then lap by lap reduced Leclerc’s lead. Even the Ferrari equipped with fresh components could not keep up with the superior Red Bull. Alone, Verstappen headed for his next triumph and in the end even drove the fastest race lap.

dpa