The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix weekend, the second sprint round of the season, unfolded with a blend of thrilling on-track action and frustrating off-track controversies. For the fourth consecutive event, rain played a significant role, adding an unpredictable element to Saturday’s sprint proceedings. However, it was another challenge that truly dominated headlines and influenced driver ratings: the relentless policing of track limits.
Drivers not only battled the elements during the sprint race but also grappled with the narrow confines of the Red Bull Ring, struggling to keep their cars within the white lines. An unprecedented number of penalties were issued for exceeding track limits throughout the weekend, with many laps deleted in qualifying sessions and substantial time penalties applied during and after the main race. This rigorous enforcement led to considerable frustration among teams and drivers, profoundly impacting the final results and, consequently, the average grades for what became the lowest-rated weekend of the season so far. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the RaceFans driver ratings for the Austrian Grand Prix:
Max Verstappen – 8/10
Sprint qualified: Pole (+1 place ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: Winner (+1 place ahead of team mate)
Qualified: Pole (+14 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Three-stop (M-H-M-S)
Finished: Winner (+2 places ahead of team mate)
- Max Verstappen delivered a performance typical of his dominant 2023 season, securing maximum points in a weekend where he faced genuine pressure, particularly from Ferrari, in Friday’s qualifying session.
- He showcased his exceptional skill in the damp conditions on Saturday, taking sprint pole by half a tenth over his teammate and then holding him off comfortably to claim a convincing sprint victory.
- In the Grand Prix, Verstappen defended expertly against Charles Leclerc on the opening lap. While he briefly lost the lead after his first pit stop, he swiftly recaptured it by meticulously passing both Ferraris.
- Once back in front, Verstappen unleashed the full pace of his Red Bull, building an insurmountable 23-second gap to Leclerc.
- Demonstrating his insatiable hunger for every possible point, he made an audacious pit stop with just two laps remaining to switch to soft tyres, subsequently setting the fastest lap on the final tour and sealing his fifth consecutive race win.
- Remarkably, despite the pervasive track limits chaos, Verstappen only received a single track limits strike late in the race, a testament to his precision under pressure.
Verstappen’s near-flawless execution across all sessions solidified his status as the championship’s untouchable leader. His ability to deliver even when pressed, and to make strategic calls like the late pit stop for fastest lap, highlights a driver operating at the peak of his powers. While the Red Bull’s inherent pace advantage is undeniable, Verstappen consistently maximizes its potential, leaving his teammate, Sergio Perez, appearing distinctly second-rate in comparison. It’s challenging to score him higher than an 8/10 only because of the significant performance gap his car holds over the rest of the field, yet his individual brilliance in navigating a tricky weekend cannot be understated.
Sergio Perez – 4/10
Sprint qualified: 2nd (-1 place behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 2nd (-1 place behind team mate)
Qualified: 15th (-14 places behind team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-M-H)
Finished: 3rd (-2 places behind team mate)
- Sergio Perez’s Austrian Grand Prix weekend was hampered by illness, with the Mexican driver reportedly battling a fever that excused him from Thursday’s media duties.
- His Friday qualifying was a disaster, as he was eliminated in Q2 after having all three of his crucial push laps deleted for exceeding track limits, relegating him to a dismal 15th on the grid.
- A stronger showing in sprint qualifying saw him line up second, directly behind his dominant teammate.
- In the sprint race, Perez briefly took the lead at the start but then fell behind Nico Hulkenberg for nine laps, finishing well adrift of Verstappen.
- Sunday’s Grand Prix saw a determined recovery drive. Perez steadily climbed through the field, making crucial overtakes on Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc to ultimately secure third place and a podium finish.
- He was also issued a black-and-white flag, indicating three track limits strikes during the main race.
While one can sympathize with Sergio Perez for battling illness, it’s difficult to attribute his cardinal sin of having all Q2 times deleted for track limits to his physical condition. Failing to stay within the white lines for multiple laps pointed to a lack of precision that severely compromised his starting position. His inability to quickly dispatch Hulkenberg in the sprint race, despite being in the superior Red Bull, was also a concerning display of underperformance. However, his fightback on Sunday, culminating in a podium finish, salvaged some respect from an otherwise challenging weekend. Battling through the field and making decisive moves demonstrated his race craft, but the Friday qualifying blunder and the sprint race struggles weighed heavily on his overall rating.
Charles Leclerc – 7/10
Sprint qualified: 6th (-1 place behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 12th (-9 place behind team mate)
Qualified: 2nd (+1 place ahead of team mate, -0.142s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-M-H)
Finished: 2nd (+4 places ahead of team mate)
- Charles Leclerc enjoyed a strong Friday, narrowly missing out on pole position by just half a tenth of a second behind Max Verstappen, securing an excellent second place on the grid for the Grand Prix.
- His sprint race weekend began with a sixth-place start in sprint qualifying, but a penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri dropped him three places for the actual sprint race.
- Struggling significantly in the mixed conditions, he initially ran ninth in the sprint race before falling to 12th after a switch to slick tyres proved unsuccessful.
- In the Grand Prix, Leclerc fought hard to challenge Verstappen at the start but was ultimately repelled. He briefly held the lead after pitting under a Virtual Safety Car.
- Despite his best efforts, he had no answer for the pace of Verstappen’s Red Bull, eventually dropping back to secure a solid second place.
- Throughout the race, Leclerc received two track limits strikes, managing to keep his infringements to a minimum compared to many rivals.
Leclerc’s weekend was a mixed bag of impressive highs and frustrating lows. His qualifying performance on Friday was excellent, showcasing the Ferrari’s single-lap potential and putting him in a prime position for Sunday. However, his sprint race was severely compromised by a team-induced penalty, and he struggled noticeably more than his teammate Carlos Sainz Jnr in the treacherous mixed conditions. When it mattered most in the Grand Prix, Leclerc pushed his Ferrari to its absolute limit, providing some early challenge to Verstappen. Ultimately, the raw pace advantage of the Red Bull was too much to overcome, but holding off other strong contenders and securing second place was a worthy and commendable result, marking a strong recovery after a difficult Saturday.
Carlos Sainz Jnr – 5/10
Sprint qualified: 5th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: 3rd (+9 place ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 3rd (-1 place behind team mate, +0.142s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-M-H)
Finished: 6th (-4 places behind team mate)
- Carlos Sainz Jnr secured a strong second-row start in Friday qualifying, lining up just behind his teammate Leclerc.
- He performed admirably in the sprint qualifying, beating his teammate by one place, and then delivered an excellent drive in the sprint race, passing Nico Hulkenberg to take third place and a podium finish.
- In the Grand Prix, Sainz initially ran close to Leclerc during the opening stint but lost valuable positions due to a double-stack pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car, which left him vulnerable.
- His race was further complicated by track limits violations, earning a five-second penalty. Despite this, he initially retained third position. However, he was later caught and eventually overtaken by Sergio Perez after a thrilling three-lap battle.
- Sainz crossed the finish line in fourth place but was demoted to sixth after a hefty post-race penalty applied for multiple track limits infringements.
- He accumulated a total of 15 seconds of time penalties across the Grand Prix, stemming from an astonishing six track limits infringements.
Carlos Sainz Jnr showcased genuine strength and promising pace across Friday and Saturday, performing particularly well in the sprint race where he secured a podium. He matched Leclerc’s qualifying efforts closely, indicating strong single-lap potential. However, his Sunday performance ultimately squandered the Ferrari’s potential. His inability to consistently stay within the track limits proved incredibly costly, directly denying him a potential first podium of the season. With all three drivers who finished ahead of him avoiding significant penalties, Sainz ultimately has only himself to blame for the time deductions that pushed him down the order. It was a frustrating outcome for a weekend that had started with considerable promise, highlighting a lapse in discipline that proved to be his undoing.
George Russell – 6/10
Sprint qualified: 15th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: 8th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 11th (-6 places behind team mate, +0.24s)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-M)
Finished: 7th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
- George Russell’s Friday qualifying saw him eliminated in Q2, finishing 11th. While his best time was deleted for track limits, it ultimately had no impact on his grid position.
- A hydraulic fault in SQ2 knocked him out in 15th for the sprint race grid. Despite this setback, he showcased a strong recovery in the sprint, rising to secure the final point in eighth after a strategic pit stop for slick tyres.
- In the Grand Prix, he lost a place to Sergio Perez early on but made good progress up the order after pitting under the Virtual Safety Car.
- Russell executed a smart undercut on Pierre Gasly by pitting a lap earlier, positioning himself ahead, and then maintained his position behind his teammate for the remainder of the race.
- He initially finished eighth on the road but was promoted to seventh, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, after his teammate’s post-race penalty.
- Crucially, Russell navigated the entire race without accumulating a single track limits strike, demonstrating exceptional precision and discipline.
George Russell delivered a decent, if not spectacular, weekend at a circuit where the Mercedes W14 was clearly not operating at its peak, unlike recent strong performances in Montreal or Barcelona. His low point was undoubtedly the Q2 elimination on Friday, though the hydraulic failure in sprint qualifying was entirely beyond his control, leaving him starting 15th for the sprint race. What stood out was his impressive race craft in both events. He made significant progress through the field in both the sprint and the Grand Prix, consistently looking stronger and more composed than his highly-decorated teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Furthermore, his remarkable achievement of completing the entire Grand Prix without a single track limits violation—one of only two drivers to do so—underscores his precision and mental fortitude in a weekend where many others faltered. This clean sheet was a clear differentiator and a key factor in his solid performance.
Lewis Hamilton – 4/10
Sprint qualified: 18th (-3 places behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 10th (-2 places behind team mate)
Qualified: 5th (+6 places ahead of team mate, -0.24s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-M)
Finished: 8th (-1 place behind team mate)
- Lewis Hamilton secured a respectable fifth place on the grid in Friday qualifying, although he was out-qualified by Lando Norris’s McLaren.
- He notably failed to progress out of SQ1 in the tricky, changing conditions of sprint qualifying, a rare and disappointing outing. However, he managed to gain eight places in the sprint race, finishing tenth.
- In the Grand Prix, he faced early pressure from Lando Norris and quickly accrued a five-second penalty for track limits violations.
- He was subsequently overtaken by both Norris and Sergio Perez, falling down the order. He initially finished seventh, ahead of his teammate.
- However, post-race penalties saw him drop to eighth in the final classification, behind George Russell.
- Hamilton amassed a significant six track limits strikes during the race, leading to a total of 15 seconds of time penalties.
Lewis Hamilton endured a challenging and ultimately disappointing weekend in Austria, with Friday proving to be his strongest day by a considerable margin. His qualifying performance on Friday was solid, but his failure to progress beyond SQ1 in the mixed conditions of sprint qualifying was an unusual and concerning misstep for a driver of his caliber, even if he made reasonable progress in the sprint race itself. On Sunday, Hamilton appeared to struggle significantly with the car’s performance, lacking the confident pace he displayed in Montreal. He quickly accumulated his allotted track limits strikes in the early laps, indicating a struggle with the car’s balance or his own discipline, which culminated in a further post-race penalty. This consistent battle with track limits and an apparent lack of race pace combined to cap off a weekend of clear underperformance for the seven-time world champion.
Esteban Ocon – 3/10
Sprint qualified: 9th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: 7th (+8 places ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 12th (-3 places behind team mate, +0.145s)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 14th (-4 places behind team mate)
- Esteban Ocon should have reached Q3 on Friday but had his best time deleted for exceeding track limits, dropping him to 12th.
- He qualified ninth in sprint qualifying, which became sixth after Leclerc’s penalty, and then finished a commendable seventh in the sprint race by a mere 0.009 seconds.
- During the Grand Prix, he largely ran just outside the top ten. His race was complicated by a five-second penalty for an unsafe pit release, compounding his troubles.
- He crossed the finish line in 12th place, having maintained that position for his entire final stint.
- However, Ocon was hit with an unprecedented four separate time penalties post-race for track limits violations, plummeting him to 14th in the final classification.
- His total count of track limits strikes reached an astonishing ten, resulting in a staggering 30 seconds of time penalties – a new Formula 1 record for a single driver in one Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon’s Austrian Grand Prix weekend will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, as he set an undesirable new Formula 1 record for the highest volume of penalties received by a single driver in one Grand Prix: five. While one of these, an unsafe pit release, was arguably a team error, his ten track limits strikes—equivalent to 14.3% of all race laps he completed—are utterly inexcusable. This lack of discipline was a recurring theme, as he had already lost a Q3 spot on Friday due to a similar infringement. Despite earning two points in the sprint race after a decent Saturday showing, the sheer scale of his penalties far outweighs any positives. Such a prolific number of errors, particularly in an area that all drivers were warned about extensively, inevitably leads to a harsh grading.
Pierre Gasly – 4/10
Sprint qualified: 12th (-3 places behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 15th (-8 places behind team mate)
Qualified: 9th (+3 places ahead of team mate, -0.145s)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-M)
Finished: 10th (+4 places ahead of team mate)
- Pierre Gasly had a strong Friday, unlike his teammate, reaching Q3 and securing ninth place on the Grand Prix grid.
- He was knocked out in SQ2, qualifying 12th for the sprint race, and then endured a disappointing sprint itself, dropping three places on the opening lap to finish a lowly 15th.
- In the Grand Prix, he largely circulated around the edge of the top ten, but his race was punctuated by a five-second track limits penalty served at his final pit stop.
- He crossed the chequered flag in ninth place but fell to tenth in the final standings after an additional ten-second post-race penalty for further track limits infringements.
- Gasly amassed a total of seven track limits strikes over the weekend, resulting in 15 seconds of penalties.
Pierre Gasly’s Austrian Grand Prix weekend presented a familiar pattern of promising flashes interspersed with frustrating inconsistencies. He performed admirably on Friday, out-qualifying his teammate Esteban Ocon to reach Q3. However, his Saturday performance was a significant step backward, struggling in the sprint race and dropping down the order. While he was fortunate that his accumulated 15 seconds of track limits penalties didn’t entirely cost him a points finish, it’s undeniable that these infractions reflect a lack of precision. Given the inherent pace of the Alpine, his eventual tenth-place finish felt somewhat par for the course, surrounded by cars that were genuinely faster. Nonetheless, accumulating multiple penalties, particularly for something as controllable as track limits, warrants a deduction in his overall grade.
Lando Norris – 7/10
Sprint qualified: 3th (+14 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: 9th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 4th (+9 places ahead of team mate, -0.567s)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 4th (+12 places ahead of team mate)
- Lando Norris was granted a significant raft of upgrades by his team specifically for this weekend, which his teammate Oscar Piastri did not receive.
- He secured an impressive fourth place on the grid in Friday qualifying, though he expressed regret over a final corner error he believed cost him third.
- Norris went one better in sprint qualifying, taking third. However, he lost seven places due to anti-stall on lap one of the sprint race, ultimately finishing ninth and just outside the points.
- In the Grand Prix, he initially lost a place to Lewis Hamilton at the start but then spent the early laps pressuring and running behind the Mercedes.
- After his first pit stop, Norris executed a superb overtake on Hamilton to move into fourth position. He later lost this spot to a charging Sergio Perez but still finished fifth on the road.
- Following Carlos Sainz Jnr’s post-race time penalty, Norris was promoted to an excellent fourth place in the final classification.
- He received a black-and-white flag for three track limits violations during the race, but crucially avoided any time penalties, a distinction that proved vital.
Lando Norris arrived at the Austrian Grand Prix with the added pressure of being the sole McLaren driver to receive a major package of upgrades. He handled this responsibility with aplomb, delivering sensational qualifying performances on both Friday (4th) and Saturday (3rd in sprint qualifying). While his sprint race was unfortunately compromised by an anti-stall issue, he truly shone in the Grand Prix, providing McLaren with ample reason to celebrate. His decisive overtake on Lewis Hamilton was a highlight, demonstrating his sharp race craft and the potential of the upgraded MCL60. Critically, Norris managed his track limits infractions well, receiving a black-and-white flag but escaping further time penalties, a feat that allowed him to gain a position after Sainz’s post-race demotion. This clean driving, combined with his pace, validated McLaren’s decision to fast-track the upgrades and made for a genuinely impressive weekend from the young Briton.
Oscar Piastri – 5/10
Sprint qualified: 17th (-14 places behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 11th (-2 places behind team mate)
Qualified: 13th (-9 places behind team mate, +0.567s)
Start: -3 places
Strategy: Three-stop (M-H-H-M)
Finished: 16th (-12 places behind team mate)
- Oscar Piastri ran without any of the major upgrades afforded to his teammate Lando Norris for the weekend.
- He failed to follow his teammate into Q3 on Friday, having his best lap time deleted for track limits, which saw him knocked out in 13th.
- Piastri was eliminated in the first round of sprint qualifying in 17th but made good progress in the actual sprint race, gaining six places to finish 11th.
- His Grand Prix started poorly, dropping to 15th on the opening lap, and was further compromised by front wing damage sustained after clipping Kevin Magnussen.
- He fell to last after being overtaken by Valtteri Bottas but managed to pass Magnussen in the closing laps, ultimately finishing 18th on the road.
- Piastri received a black-and-white flag for three track limits strikes but, like Norris, managed to avoid any time penalties.
Assessing Oscar Piastri’s weekend is inherently difficult given that he was driving a different specification of car compared to his teammate, Lando Norris. While this difference in equipment must be considered, even in isolation, Piastri perhaps underperformed relative to the potential of the car he had. His strongest moment came during the sprint race, where he demonstrated good judgment in the changing conditions and made effective use of slick tyres to gain several positions. However, his Sunday was significantly compromised by a clumsy clash with Kevin Magnussen early in the Grand Prix. This incident resulted in front wing damage, effectively taking him out of contention for the remainder of the race and hindering his ability to showcase the car’s true pace. Despite avoiding time penalties for track limits, the combination of qualifying struggles and the race incident means it was not the strongest of outings for the young Australian.
Valtteri Bottas – 5/10
Sprint qualified: 19th (-3 places behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 20th (-1 place behind team mate)
Qualified: 14th (+3 places ahead of team mate, -0.055s)
Start: -4 places
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-H)
Finished: 15th (-3 places behind team mate)
- Valtteri Bottas just scraped into Q2 on Friday, qualifying 15th despite causing an early red flag with a spin. He was then knocked out in 14th in Q2.
- In the damp conditions of SQ1, he was eliminated 19th, three places behind his teammate.
- Bottas made a bold and unique attempt to start the sprint race on slick tyres on a wet track, a gamble that ultimately did not pay off, and he finished last, six seconds behind his teammate.
- He dropped four places on the opening lap of the Grand Prix, unfortunately running over Yuki Tsunoda’s endplate at Turn 1 and sustaining damage.
- He initially stayed out under the Virtual Safety Car but then pitted well after the green flag, costing him time and dropping him to the back of the field.
- Despite the setbacks, he passed Oscar Piastri and then caught and overtook Kevin Magnussen in the final laps to finish 16th on the road, gaining 15th with Nyck de Vries’ penalty.
- Bottas received two strikes for exceeding track limits during the race.
Valtteri Bottas endured a largely anonymous weekend in Austria, punctuated only by one truly memorable, albeit unsuccessful, moment: his audacious decision to be the sole driver to start the sprint race on slick tyres on a wet track. That high-risk gamble emphatically did not pay off. His Grand Prix was compromised from the very first corner, where he sustained damage after being an innocent victim in an incident involving Yuki Tsunoda, which inevitably hampered his car’s performance. While he had shown better pace than his teammate Zhou Guanyu on Friday, this advantage didn’t translate into Saturday or Sunday. Given the early damage and the unfortunate VSC timing, it’s difficult to be overly critical of his eventual finishing position, as he made the most of a compromised situation, including some late overtakes. However, the costly sprint gamble and the initial damage prevent a higher score.
Zhou Guanyu – 5/10
Sprint qualified: 16th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: 19th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 17th (-3 places behind team mate, +0.055s)
Start: +2 places
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 12th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
- Zhou Guanyu expressed disappointment after being eliminated from Q1 in 17th on Friday, attributing it to losing tyre temperature before his final flying lap.
- He narrowly missed out on SQ2 by a mere 0.001 seconds, being knocked out in 16th for the sprint qualifying.
- In the sprint race, he dropped to 19th, finishing one place ahead of his teammate.
- During the Grand Prix, he ran 14th in the early laps but was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop to remove a tear-off from his brake duct, dropping him to the very back of the field.
- Despite this setback, he passed Kevin Magnussen and then ran behind Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the race, initially finishing 14th.
- He was ultimately promoted to 12th in the final standings following post-race penalties applied to Esteban Ocon and Logan Sargeant.
- Crucially, Zhou completed a clean race without accumulating a single track limits strike, an impressive feat shared by only one other driver.
Zhou Guanyu navigated a challenging weekend at the Red Bull Ring, managing to acquit himself reasonably well despite the circumstances. He admitted he could have performed better in Friday qualifying, and the Alfa Romeo simply lacked competitiveness in the sprint race, making for a difficult Saturday. However, his Grand Prix performance, especially after an unscheduled pit stop for a tear-off, demonstrated resilience. What truly stood out, and is highly notable in a weekend plagued by infringements, is that Zhou was one of only two drivers to complete the entire race without a single track limits strike. While simply not breaking the rules might not sound like high praise, in the context of the Austrian Grand Prix 2023, it represented exceptional discipline and precision. This clean driving, combined with his fight back, allowed him to capitalize on others’ penalties and secure a respectable 12th place.
Lance Stroll – 5/10
Sprint qualified: 7th (-1 place behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 4th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 6th (+1 place ahead of team mate, -0.018s)
Start: -3 places
Strategy: Three-stop (M-H-H-M)
Finished: 9th (-4 places behind team mate)
- Lance Stroll out-qualified his teammate Fernando Alonso on Friday, securing an impressive sixth place on the Grand Prix grid.
- He qualified just behind Alonso in seventh for the sprint race, which became sixth after Charles Leclerc’s penalty.
- Stroll then delivered a strong performance in the sprint, passing his teammate and holding him off in the closing laps to finish an excellent fourth.
- In the Grand Prix, he dropped to eighth at the start and lost several more positions after pitting during the second lap of the Virtual Safety Car period, which turned out to be an ill-timed strategy.
- He then moved back through the field, eventually catching and passing Alexander Albon after making a late final pit stop, finishing tenth on the road.
- Stroll gained ninth place in the final classification following Pierre Gasly’s post-race penalty.
- He received a black-and-white warning flag for three track limits infringements during the race.
Lance Stroll’s Austrian Grand Prix weekend presented a Jekyll and Hyde performance. He delivered a strong showing across Friday and Saturday, notably out-qualifying his illustrious teammate Fernando Alonso for the Grand Prix grid and then impressively holding him off to secure fourth in the sprint race. These performances highlighted his raw pace and ability to deliver when the conditions suited him. However, when it mattered most on Sunday, Stroll faded. His Grand Prix was significantly compromised by an ill-timed pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car, which saw him lose crucial track position. While he showed good recovery pace to climb back, he ultimately finished behind both Mercedes drivers and Pierre Gasly. The contrast between his strong initial days and his less impactful Sunday, coupled with his track limits warning, means he cannot be rated as highly as his teammate, despite some clear positives earlier in the weekend.
Fernando Alonso – 6/10
Sprint qualified: 6th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: 5th (-1 place behind team mate)
Qualified: 7th (-1 place behind team mate, +0.018s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-M)
Finished: 5th (+4 places ahead of team mate)
- Fernando Alonso secured seventh place in Friday qualifying, just behind his teammate, after opting for a single run on new tyres.
- He out-qualified his teammate by one place in sprint race qualifying, taking seventh, which became sixth after Charles Leclerc’s penalty.
- In the sprint race, he finished behind his teammate Lance Stroll after a late battle for fourth position.
- Alonso started the Grand Prix on hard tyres and ran fifth behind Lewis Hamilton in the early laps but was later overtaken by Sergio Perez.
- He spent the latter part of the race largely alone in sixth place, a position he maintained to the chequered flag, but was promoted to an impressive fifth after Carlos Sainz Jnr’s post-race penalty.
- Alonso received a single track limits strike during the race, demonstrating his usual precise driving.
Fernando Alonso delivered a decent, if somewhat unspectacular, performance in Austria, particularly compared to some of his earlier, more dramatic outings this season. For the first two days, he and teammate Lance Stroll were locked in a close battle, with Stroll having the edge in qualifying and the sprint race. However, on Sunday, Alonso was the sole Aston Martin driver truly in the mix for significant points. The timing of the Virtual Safety Car unfortunately eroded his chance to fully capitalize on his strong first stint on hard tyres, and he lacked the ultimate pace to genuinely challenge the Red Bulls or Ferraris ahead later in the race. Nevertheless, his characteristic clean driving, evidenced by only one track limits strike, allowed him to avoid the penalties that plagued many rivals. Capitalizing on Carlos Sainz Jnr’s post-race demotion to secure fifth place, and finishing ahead of a Mercedes driver who had started ahead of him, was a commendable result given the circumstances and his consistent, mature approach.
Kevin Magnussen – 4/10
Sprint qualified: 10th (-6 places behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 14th (-8 places behind team mate)
Qualified: 19th (-11 places behind team mate, +0.231s)
Start: +11 places (due to pitting under SC)
Strategy: Three-stop (H-M-H-H)
Finished: 18th
- Kevin Magnussen was eliminated 19th in Friday qualifying, attributing his poor performance to traffic and a downshift problem on his final run.
- He had a stronger sprint qualifying, reaching SQ3 and lining up tenth on the grid.
- However, he fell down the order in the sprint race, finishing 14th after a strategic switch to slick tyres didn’t pay off.
- Magnussen started the Grand Prix from the pit lane after changing parts under parc ferme conditions and then immediately ran off track at Turn 3.
- He gained many places by staying out under the Virtual Safety Car but then fell down the order, eventually being pushed off track by Nyck de Vries.
- He ran in 16th for a period but faded late in the race, being passed by Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, and Oscar Piastri to finish last on the road.
- He was eventually classified 18th after Tsunoda’s post-race penalty.
- Magnussen received a five-second post-race time penalty after exceeding track limits four times.
Kevin Magnussen endured a tumultuous and forgettable weekend at the Red Bull Ring, where his teammate Nico Hulkenberg comprehensively outshone him across all three days – a recurring theme this season. His disappointing Friday qualifying performance, which he blamed on traffic and a mechanical issue, ultimately led to his pit lane start in the Grand Prix. The race itself was fraught with difficulties, including an early off-track excursion. Magnussen suggested he suffered floor damage after being shoved wide by Nyck de Vries, an incident that arguably hampered his performance significantly, and he deserves some benefit of the doubt for that. However, even accounting for external factors, his overall weekend was sub-par, lacking the competitive edge shown by Hulkenberg and culminating in a significant post-race track limits penalty. It was a weekend where little went right for the Danish driver.
Nico Hulkenberg – 7/10
Sprint qualified: 4th (+6 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: 6th (+8 places ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 8th (+11 places ahead of team mate, -0.231s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: One-stop (M-M)
Finished: Retired (Power unit – L13)
- Nico Hulkenberg secured passage to Q3 on Friday, taking an impressive eighth place on the Grand Prix grid.
- He stormed to a second-row start in sprint race qualifying with a terrific fourth place, despite an alarming incident in the pit lane where he struck a wheel.
- In the sprint race, he sensationally moved past Sergio Perez at the start to run second for the first nine laps before eventually falling to sixth.
- In the Grand Prix, he gained one place from Lance Stroll on the opening lap but then lost it back to him on Lap 8.
- Tragically, he was forced to pull off track with a smoking car just a lap after his first pit stop, becoming the race’s only retirement due to a power unit issue.
- He received a black-and-white warning flag for three track limits violations in the opening 12 laps of the Grand Prix.
In a weekend where many drivers struggled with consistency and track limits, Nico Hulkenberg was a shining exception, delivering one of the most impressive performances. His strong qualifying on Friday, securing P8, was further enhanced by a sensational sprint qualifying, where he claimed fourth place despite a pit lane scare. He then captivated viewers in the sprint race, holding second position ahead of a Red Bull for a significant period before eventually finishing a commendable sixth. Hulkenberg drove exceptionally well in the early laps of the Grand Prix, battling to stay within the top eight until his race was cruelly cut short by a power unit failure shortly after his first pit stop. This unfortunate retirement prevented him from converting his strong form into a points finish on Sunday, but his overall performance across the weekend only serves to validate Haas’s decision to bring him back to a full-time seat this season. He demonstrated pace, race craft, and resilience, making him one of the weekend’s true stars.
Yuki Tsunoda – 3/10
Sprint qualified: 13th (+1 place behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 16th (+1 place behind team mate)
Qualified: 16th (+4 places ahead of team mate, -0.19s)
Start: -4 places
Strategy: Three-stop (M-H-H-M)
Finished: 19th (-2 places behind team mate)
- Yuki Tsunoda expressed frustration after being the first driver eliminated in Q1 on Friday, blaming traffic on his final run.
- He reached SQ2 in sprint qualifying, finishing 13th, but his quickest lap was deleted for track limits, impacting his starting position for the sprint race.
- In the sprint race, his switch to slick tyres did not pay off, and he finished a disappointing 16th.
- The Grand Prix started disastrously as he hit Esteban Ocon at Turn 1, losing his front wing endplate, and then ran off track at Turn 4.
- He largely ran towards the rear of the field, earning a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits four times.
- After a four-way battle near the end of the race, he overtook Kevin Magnussen to finish 17th but was demoted to last after an additional post-race penalty.
- Tsunoda exceeded track limits a staggering nine times over the course of the race, leading to a total of 20 seconds of penalties.
For a driver in his third Formula 1 season, Yuki Tsunoda’s performance in Austria regrettably resembled that of a rookie, particularly when compared to his actual rookie teammate Nyck de Vries. His struggles with track limits began early, costing him a quicker lap in sprint race qualifying. However, his Grand Prix was marred by a clumsy dive into Turn 1, where he made contact with Esteban Ocon and subsequently sustained front wing damage, paying a heavy price for his over-aggression. His nine track limits infringements over the course of the race were among the highest of any driver, matched only by Alexander Albon and Esteban Ocon, highlighting a serious lack of discipline and precision. While the AlphaTauri is undeniably one of the slower cars on the grid, Tsunoda’s driving errors throughout the weekend severely undermined any chance he had of securing a decent result, making it a weekend to quickly forget.
Nyck de Vries – 4/10
Sprint qualified: 14th (-1 place behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 17th (-1 place behind team mate)
Qualified: 20th (-4 places behind team mate, +0.19s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-M)
Finished: 17th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
- Nyck de Vries was knocked out slowest in Q1 on Friday, losing two tenths of a second due to a mistake at Turn 1 on his final flying lap.
- He easily progressed to SQ2 but was then knocked out 14th, just behind his teammate.
- He experienced a poor start in the sprint race and found himself stuck behind Logan Sargeant, ultimately finishing 17th.
- De Vries was forced to start the Grand Prix from the pit lane due to changing his setup under parc ferme conditions.
- He pitted two laps before the Virtual Safety Car, which proved costly as it put him at a disadvantage relative to rivals ahead. He ran 15th after his second stop.
- He earned a penalty for forcing Kevin Magnussen off the track at Turn 6 on his way to finishing 15th on the road.
- De Vries was demoted to 17th after the race due to various penalties.
- He accumulated six track limits infringements, leading to a total of 15 seconds of penalties.
Nyck de Vries’ Austrian Grand Prix weekend began on a sour note with a critical mistake in Friday qualifying, which saw him relegated to last on the grid. His Sunday didn’t offer much redemption, culminating in a total of 20 seconds of penalties. The clash with Kevin Magnussen, his second such incident in successive races, was entirely deserved and added to his woes. He also experienced a degree of misfortune with the timing of the Virtual Safety Car early in the race, which negatively impacted his strategy and track position. Despite these setbacks and penalties, de Vries’ race pace was not particularly slow, suggesting he possessed some underlying potential. However, his repeated errors, particularly with track limits and his clumsy contact with Magnussen, meant he failed to put himself in a position where he could truly capitalize on any inherent speed, leading to another frustrating outing for the rookie.
Alexander Albon – 5/10
Sprint qualified: 11th (+9 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint finished: 13th (+5 places ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 10th (+8 places ahead of team mate, -0.275s)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 11th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
- Alexander Albon impressively squeezed into Q3 on Friday, but his fastest Q3 time was deleted for track limits. He would have still qualified tenth if it had counted.
- He narrowly missed out on SQ3 in sprint qualifying, finishing 11th, and then gained four places on the opening sprint lap before fading to finish 13th.
- Albon ran solidly in tenth place for most of the first half of the Grand Prix but then picked up a five-second penalty for four track limits strikes.
- He was eventually overtaken by Lance Stroll in the later laps, finishing just outside the points in 11th, a position he retained despite an additional ten-second post-race penalty for further track limits violations.
- In total, Albon received 15 seconds of track limits penalties over the Grand Prix weekend.
It might seem counterintuitive to consider a driver who received 15 seconds of penalties in a Grand Prix as having a ‘good’ race, but Alexander Albon’s performance backed up Williams’ encouraging pace from Canada. He ran solidly in the midfield for much of the weekend, showcasing the improved potential of the FW45. On Friday, he impressively reached Q3, and while his fastest Q3 lap was deleted for track limits, it wouldn’t have altered his tenth-place grid slot – a minor consolation. His Grand Prix pace was noticeably stronger than his sprint performance. However, his significant track limits penalties, totaling 15 seconds, cannot be ignored. While these penalties ultimately didn’t deny him points, as he was already outside the top 10, they clearly factor into his overall grade, reflecting a lack of the precision required on such a meticulously policed circuit. Nevertheless, his ability to keep the Williams in contention for so long was a positive takeaway.
Logan Sargeant – 4/10
Sprint qualified: 20th (-9 places behind team mate)
Sprint finished: 18th (-5 places behind team mate)
Qualified: 18th (-8 places behind team mate, +0.275s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 13th (-2 places behind team mate)
- Logan Sargeant was eliminated 18th from Q1 on Friday but expressed satisfaction with his final lap.
- He was the slowest in sprint qualifying but managed to gain two places in the sprint race to finish 18th.
- In the Grand Prix, he initially ran behind Oscar Piastri, then passed Kevin Magnussen to take 13th position.
- He largely maintained 13th place during the later stages of the race, keeping out of reach of Zhou Guanyu behind him. He initially finished in that position.
- Sargeant earned a five-second time penalty late in the race but initially remained ahead of Zhou in the provisional results.
- However, he dropped behind Zhou after a post-race ten-second penalty, though he still retained 13th place in the final classification.
- He accumulated six track limits infringements over the weekend, resulting in a total of 15 seconds of penalties.
In some respects, the Austrian Grand Prix presented one of Logan Sargeant’s more encouraging weekends of the season, yet in others, it was a disappointing one where he struggled to extract the maximum potential from his upgraded Williams in its debut outing. He consistently found himself behind his teammate Alexander Albon across all three days of competition. His performance in the Grand Prix, however, was his strongest, demonstrating decent race pace and allowing him to run outside the very back of the order. He showed good potential to maintain position and battle, but like many others on the grid, he ultimately accumulated too many penalties for track limits. These 15 seconds of penalties, while not costing him a points finish, reflect a lack of the necessary precision that F1 demands, preventing him from scoring higher despite some positive signs in his Sunday drive.
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