In a display of sheer dominance, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing secured his fifth consecutive victory at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, further solidifying his position at the top of the driver’s championship.
The Dutchman seemed almost untouchable as he extended his lead by a staggering 81 points, making his third world title appear all the more inevitable.
When asked about the prospect of winning another championship, Verstappen humbly replied to reporters after the race, “I don’t like to think about that yet. I’m just enjoying the moment driving this car, working with the team.”
In an exhilarating battle, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc emerged victorious, edging out Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez to claim second place.
Once again, Verstappen started from pole position and effortlessly cruised to his seventh triumph out of the nine races this season. It was a near-flawless weekend for the 25-year-old, who also emerged victorious in Saturday’s sprint race.
Reflecting on his performance, Verstappen remarked, “I think the whole weekend we have done a really good job. The sprint weekend is always very hectic, and a lot of things can go wrong. Luckily, a lot of things went right for us this weekend.”
Despite his dominant run, Verstappen did experience a minor setback during the race in Austria. His streak of leading 249 successive laps came to an end when he made a pit stop on lap 26, allowing Leclerc to briefly take the lead.
Before the start of the Grand Prix, a minute of silence was observed in honor of 18-year-old driver Dilano van’t Hoff, who tragically lost his life during a junior race in Belgium on Saturday. The fatal crash occurred during the second Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) race at Spa-Francorchamps.
Verstappen expressed his deep sadness upon hearing the news, taking to Twitter to share his condolences: “Extremely sad to hear the news about Dilano today. I want to send my condolences to Dilano’s family and loved ones. Rest in peace.”
As Verstappen’s remarkable winning streak continues, fans around the world eagerly await the next race, wondering who, if anyone, can challenge his dominance on the Formula 1 circuit.
