Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen. David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Clean sweep for Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated 7/2/23

Red Bull's Max Verstappen did his team proud at their home race.

The two-time world champion took home the highest possible points tally at the Austrian Grand Prix by winning Saturday's sprint and Sunday's Grand Prix while setting the fastest lap of each session.

"I enjoyed it a lot," Verstappen said after the race. "I'm just enjoying the moment driving the car and working with the team."

Verstappen started the race in first but briefly lost his lead to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc after choosing a different pit stop strategy than the rest of the racing grid. It was the first time since Miami in May that Verstappen had dropped below first place in a Grand Prix.

But Verstappen soon pulled off a classy overtake to regain his position and cruise to victory.

The race-winning moment for @Max33Verstappen with this slick move past Charles Leclerc! ‍#AustrianGP #F1 @redbullracing pic.twitter.com/Agk56wjB84
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 2, 2023

Leclerc drove a steady and cool-headed race to hang on to second place, with his teammate Carlos Sainz battling brilliantly to claim fourth.

It's an excellent step forward for Ferrari. Their car has suffered more tire degradation this season than just about anyone's, and success in Austria--a notoriously high-degradation track--means that Ferrari's updates to address it are working.

Splitting the two Ferraris and closing out the podium was Red Bull's Sergio Perez. After a botched qualifying session that saw him starting in 15th place, Perez cut through the field to claim his fifth podium of the season and his first since Miami.

The race was dotted with penalties for track limit violations. Austria is famous for its hardline enforcement of those rules. Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen all shouldered five-second penalties for repeatedly straying beyond the track's lines.

One driver who wasn't punished was Lando Norris. He drove a near-perfect race to secure McLaren's best finish of the season, and won the fan-voted Driver of the Day award in the process. After a rough start to the season that saw McLaren struggling to finish in the points, Lando's epic drive, in an updated version of his original car, hints that McLaren may become a real midfield threat as the season progresses.

Formula One will return next weekend with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

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