Unexpected. That’s how Max Verstappen described his Austrian Grand Prix victory. The Red Bull driver admitted he didn’t have the car to win on outright pace, but managed his tyres to absolute perfection to seize the opportunity when Mercedes gifted it to him on a platter.
Verstappen did not have the best of starts to the season. But despite many calling for him to changing his approach, the Dutchman refused. And now it’s paying him back.
Victory in Austria was his first of the year, his third successive podium and his fourth in five races. Suddenly, he’s only three points behind Red Bull team mate Daniel Ricciardo in the drivers’ standings.
Red Bull may not have had the quickest car at the Red Bull Ring, but they finally clinched victory on home soil. Verstappen was aided by Mercedes' misfortune, as both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas retired, but the key - along with an aggressive early pass on Kimi Raikkonen - was the way he managed the tyres.As his rivals struggled in the warmer than expected conditions, with the likes of his team mate Ricciardo and Hamilton forced to pit because of blistering tyres, Verstappen appeared to have no such problems and was able to manage his beautifully to make a one-stop work.
