Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, coming out on top after an intense battle with Max Verstappen throughout the race.
His first race win since Australia, he was able to overcome an issue with the car’s throttle pedal and withstand pressure from behind in the race’s final laps to ultimately cross the line first.
With Austria marking the halfway point of the season, Leclerc is second in the drivers’ standings, 38 points behind the current leader, Verstappen.
“Every win is special, but this one feels just amazing. The last 15 laps were on the limit with the issue we had, but we brought it home.
“Today, we had a really strong pace and some great battles. I worked hard last night to find where I could still improve and it made the difference today. I’m very happy!”
“We are fast, and this is what matters the most” – Carlos Sainz
A double podium was in the cards for Ferrari until Carlos Sainz suffered a technical issue that left his car in flames– the Spaniard was able to get out of the car safely, though unable to continue a race in which he had felt strong.
“It’s difficult to find the right words today, as it was clear that a one-two was pretty straightforward. I had strong pace today, especially on the hard tyre. Degradation was very high but we managed it well. On the last stint the car felt really good on track until we obviously had the issue and we had to retire.”
Sainz said that although he had lost out on a great result, he is optimistic about the improvement he’s made and the pace Ferrari is showing amidst a competitive battle at the top with Red Bull Racing.
“Today’s result is a hard one to take as it cost the team and myself an important number of points for both championships. On the positive side, I’m feeling better and better in the car, more comfortable every race, and this keeps me motivated. We are fast, and this is what matters the most. Congrats to Charles for the win! We’ll keep pushing!”
