If you are not a regular viewer of Formula 1 you’d be forgiven for assuming that the race around Austria’s Red Bull Ring was a replay of seven days ago at least from a Red Bull perspective.
Again Max Verstappen took the top step of the podium for a third consecutive win in 2021. But for as much déjà vu as Verstappen on the top step of the podium evokes there were some marked differences too. Not only did he win with seeming ease but also the margin, in terms of pure pace, was even bigger to Mercedes this week.
With no answer on pace or strategy the best Mercedes could do was a second place with Valtteri Bottas. For the majority of the race Lewis Hamilton ran second but some unexplained and unconfirmed damage at the rear of the car meant a lack of pace, even in comparison to teammate Bottas. Not only did he lose out on second but Lando Norris also made short work of the reigning champion to take yet another podium finish in third. Again, Norris delivered a stellar weekend, which included a first-ever front row start after missing out on pole position be less than half a tenth of a second.
Ultimately Hamilton finished fourth and seemed fairly downcast post-race. Mercedes clearly have a lot of work to do in order to catch up to Red Bull and Hamilton was reluctant to divulge in which area the car is lacking the most. In two weeks time F1 will run around the Silverstone circuit where Mercedes are expected to perform better. But the same was expected in France too. It remains to be seen what Hamilton and Mercedes can pull out of the bag against a rampant Red Bull and Verstappen.
It was a solid day for Carlos Sainz who brought his Ferrari home in fifth. The same can’t be said for Checo Perez though who banged wheels with both Norris and Leclerc on his was to a sixth place finish. The Mexican driver looked set to snatch second off Norris on lap 2 of the race but ran off track into turn 6. Norris, quite harshly, was given a 5-second penalty for forcing a driver off the circuit and Perez had dropped well down the field. A skirmish with Leclerc later in the race at the very same corner saw Perez given a 5-second penalty, which once again defied logic. As if to add insult to injury another tussle with Leclerc, this time in turn 8, earned Perez yet another 5-second penalty. The stewards certainly didn’t cover themselves in glory as they did their level best to discourage hard racing. One hopes that they’ll take a good hard look at themselves after a fairly poor showing.
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo was seventh for McLaren with Charles Leclerc in eighth overall ahead Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly in ninth. An entertaining late-race battle between George Russell and Fernando Alonso saw the Spaniard sneak into the final points-paying position in tenth.
Never before at any level of his racing career has Max Verstappen led a world championship. But three wins on the bounce with the most recent seeming no more taxing than a Sunday afternoon cruise makes Verstappen look very much at home. As it stands there are 14 more races and an awful lot of racing that remains on the 2021 calendar. Much can change in the next six months but what is becoming ever more certain is that if it is within Max Verstappen’s control then 2021 may just be the most special year of his racing life.
