Max Verstappen's F1 domination summed up by Charles Leclerc after Austrian GP
Max Verstappen breezed to another race win in an F1 season that would've already been stopped if it were a boxing match.
Red Bull's Dutchman finished ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Austrian Grand Prix by more than five seconds, extending his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship.
It was also Verstappen's fifth win in a row, moving him 81 points clear of teammate Sergio Perez in the season standings.
Both Red Bull drivers have claimed wins in all nine races of the season so far between them, with Verstappen winning seven, and Checo Perez winning two.
Ferrari driver Leclerc admitted that the championship leader was well ahead of the chasing pack, and he didn't even bother trying to defend against him during the race.
Greggs, Costa & Pret coffees have 'huge differences in caffeine', says report
The Red Bull duo continued their excellent 2023 season with another race win (STIEFEL Udo/ATP/SPP/REX/Shutterstock)Do you think Red Bull will win every race this season? Let us know in the comments below!
Verstappen was closing in on Leclerc almost halfway through the race, and the Dutchman ultimately made the pass on Turn Three - and Leclerc just accepted his fate.
"I knew it was a matter of time," Leclerc said at the race. "Max had much fresher tyres. They are also quicker whenever we have the same tyres so it's not like I tried to push like crazy.
"I knew it was crucial to lose as little time as possible in this battle. And this is why I haven't been as aggressive as I have been other times when we have been fighting for real positions.
Charles Leclerc said there's still more to come from Ferrari this year (FLORENT GOODEN/DPPI/REX/Shutterstock)"This one was a bit different. If he hadn't overtaken me, it was the lap after and I would have lost more time and it would not have benefited me in the race."
Despite Leclerc allowing Verstappen to pass relatively easily, it was the Monegasque's best performance so far this season.
Ferrari has been struggling to keep up with Mercedes and Aston Martin in the race for the top three, but a podium finish for Leclerc helped to close the gap to the teams above.
He insisted there's still plenty more to come this season from Ferrari and himself, too.
Verstappen is edging closer to a third successive F1 title (Formula 1 via Getty Images)"I am always motivated, especially after weekends like this when you finally see a bit more potential of fighting in the front. It feels good.
"It is going to be difficult to go and win this championship but there is still plenty to work on.
Costa Coffee cappuccino has four times the amount of caffeine as a Red Bull
"I see how high the motivation is in the team and how hard they are pushing to bring upgrades earlier. This gives me the confidence and motivation to push whenever I am on track.
"I am already looking forward to Silverstone. It's a very different track and the team has done an incredible job. We are all flat out to get back winning as soon as possible. Even though we are 150 points behind, a win would feel nice and we are all working towards that target."
Next up in the F1 schedule is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend.
It'll also mark exactly one full year since Ferrari last managed to win a race.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
