Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix with ease, extending his championship lead. The Dutchman defeated Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, increasing his lead over Leclerc to 44 points.
Leclerc held off Sainz’s early challenge but was safe in second once he was far enough ahead of his teammate to lose the DRS overtaking aid. Mercedes’ George Russell finished fourth, and Lewis Hamilton finished eighth.
Lewis Hamilton‘s race was hampered by a tangle at the start, which sent Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly spinning and then getting stuck behind the two Haas cars before eventually passing Mick Schumacher for the final point.
The sprint result had little impact on the starting order for Sunday’s main event, other than allowing Red Bull’s Sergio Perez to recover ground from 13th to finish fifth, where he will now start the grand prix.
