Title: The Heroes of the Austrian Grand Prix: Norris, Hulkenberg, Sainz, Sergeant, and Verstappen Shine
Introduction:
In the latest edition of his post-Grand Prix analysis, former IndyCar star James Hinchcliffe acknowledges the outstanding performances from the Austrian Grand Prix. The race at Red Bull Ring posed numerous challenges to the drivers and teams, including changeable weather conditions, a short lap, and the return of the Sprint format. Hinchcliffe highlights five drivers who stood out in the race: Lando Norris, Nico Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz, Logan Sergeant, and Max Verstappen.
1. Lando Norris – A Stellar Performance:
– Norris demonstrated his skill and potential with an impressive race at Austria.
– McLaren’s updates brought the MCL60 to life, allowing Norris to secure fourth place.
– Despite losing positions due to a technical issue in the Sprint, Norris showcased great recovery momentum during the race, finishing behind only the Red Bulls and Ferraris.
2. Nico Hulkenberg – Consistent Pace and Sprint Excellence:
– Hulkenberg’s overall performance earned him recognition, despite a DNF.
– He demonstrated impressive pace throughout the weekend, outperforming his teammate.
– The Haas driver excelled in mixed conditions, securing valuable points in the Sprint before an engine failure ruined his race on Sunday.
3. Carlos Sainz – Unfortunate Circumstances Masking Great Performance:
– Sainz showed his excellence in handling challenging situations during the race.
– Qualifying ahead of his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, Sainz secured a solid position.
– He displayed strong pace throughout the race, battling with Leclerc, but was denied the chance to overtake due to team orders and the Virtual Safety Car.
4. Logan Sergeant – Steady Progress for the Rookie:
– Despite a challenging rookie season, Sergeant showcased improvement in Austria.
– With a patient and steady performance, he secured his best result of the season so far.
– The young American capitalized on the Williams’ strengths, finishing just two places behind teammate Alexander Albon.
5. Max Verstappen – Unstoppable Dominance:
– Verstappen reaffirmed his exceptional skills and dominance in the race.
– He pushed his limits in thrilling wheel-to-wheel battles, asserting his position as a frontrunner.
– Verstappen’s willingness to race hard despite holding the championship lead underlines his determination and desire to excel.
Engaging Additional Piece: The Battle for Supremacy and Rivalries in the Formula One Field
Formula One has always been a stage for fierce battles, rivalries, and sublime driving skills. The Austrian Grand Prix showcased some of the key dynamics in the current Formula One field, with drivers striving to prove their worth and assert their dominance.
1. Norris vs. Sainz: The McLaren Showdown:
– Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, former teammates at McLaren, demonstrated their immense talent and hunger for success.
– Norris’s stunning performance highlighted McLaren’s progress, while Sainz showcased his ability to push his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc.
– The rivalry between Norris and Sainz gives fans a glimpse into the depth of talent in the current Formula One grid.
2. Verstappen’s Unprecedented Dominance:
– Max Verstappen’s outstanding form this season has put him in a league of his own.
– The Dutch driver’s unwavering determination and unmatched skills make him a formidable force on the track.
– Verstappen’s dominance, challenging his own teammate Sergio Pérez, sends a strong message to the rest of the field: he is the one to beat.
3. The Rise of Young Talent:
– Logan Sergeant’s performance in Austria showcased the potential of young rookies in Formula One.
– The next generation of drivers, including Norris and Sergeant, are making their mark and challenging seasoned veterans.
– As these young talents continue to develop, the battle for supremacy will become even more thrilling.
Conclusion:
The Austrian Grand Prix displayed the intensity, skill, and rivalries that define Formula One. Drivers like Norris, Hulkenberg, Sainz, Sergeant, and Verstappen demonstrated their abilities and left a lasting impression. With each race, the competition becomes fiercer, pushing drivers to bring their best and make their mark in the sport known for producing legends.
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This season, former IndyCar star James Hinchcliffe takes stock after each Grand Prix and presents his ‘heroes’ of the weekend, exclusively for F1.com. Here are your picks from the Austrian Grand Prix.
Last weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring threw a bit of everything at teams and drivers. From the changeable weather to a short lap and the return of the Sprint format, the 20 drivers were presented with many challenges. Not all notable races were rewarded with the results they deserved, so let’s take a look at who did what in Austria…
Lando Norris – Speed: P9; Grand Prix: P4
I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see Norris’s name on this week’s list. From practice, it seemed that the updates McLaren brought had helped bring the MCL60 to life. Having just one practice session to discover new sensations in the car made the jump to P4 in Friday’s mixed qualifying conditions all the more impressive.
A better one in the Sprint Shootout showed that the pace was genuine, and while he was unlucky to finish the Sprint with no points after losing several positions when the anti-lock system activated on lap 1, his recovery momentum in the 24-race laps was powerful. impressive, giving a lot of hope for Sunday.
And he delivered in a big way, managing the race pace and showing some of that incredible race art that we saw in Canada, battling with Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton.
Finishing behind only the two Red Bulls and the two Ferraris was a well deserved result given all the challenges of the weekend. The promotion to P4 after post-race penalties was welcome news after missing the Sprint.
Nico Hulkenberg – Speed: P6; Grand Prix: DNF
Even though he technically finished last on Sunday, the work behind the wheel throughout the weekend earns the Hulk a spot on the roster. From the start, he had impressive single-lap pace, qualifying P8 for the Grand Prix and an astonishing P4 for the Sprint.
What makes the effort stand out was the performance against his teammate, with Kevin Magnussen only driving P19 on Sunday and P10 on Saturday, with his SQ3 time some nine-tenths off Hulkenberg’s.
READ MORE: 5 Austrian Grand Prix Winners and 5 Losers: Who Was Great at Spielberg?
The Haas have struggled to maintain race pace for a while, but Hulkenberg thrives in mixed conditions and kept several much faster cars behind him for a long part of the Sprint, managing to take three points at the flag.
Sunday was always going to be a difficult task from further back on the grid, with the longest race highlighting Haas’s race pace deficit, but an expired engine prevented him from seeing what he could achieve. Other than that, performance from the cockpit was solid throughout the weekend.
Carlos Sainz – Speed: P3; Grand Prix: P6
Sainz will be frustrated leaving Austria credited with only a sixth place, and rightly so. He kept up with Charles Leclerc in the sister Ferrari all weekend, beating him in qualifying in the Sprint Shootout and trailing just one place in the Grand Prix.
He finished the Sprint in P3, or what is effectively known as ‘first in class’ given Red Bull’s current pace advantage. On Sunday, his form was even better. He seemed to easily have the pace to move in and out of Leclerc and, despite making his case on the radio, he was forced to hold the station, which is an infuriating position to be in as a driver.
READ MORE: Sainz frustrated at missing out on Austrian GP podium after ‘playing team game’
This disadvantage was exacerbated when the Virtual Safety Car was activated, meaning he had to pile up behind Leclerc in the pits and lose even more track position. After his first stop, she set about dispatching the cars between himself and his teammate decisively, but had to use more tires to do so; this battle probably contributed to his tracking limits issues – meaning he ran out of steam to keep Sergio Pérez back at the end of the race.
He followed the Ferrari line and was a good soldier, but one can’t help but think there could be two Prancing Horses on the podium if they had let Sainz run the race he was capable of.
Austrian Grand Prix 2023: The intense fight between Sainz and Pérez for the podium
Logan Sergeant – Sprint: P18; Grand Prix: P13
The young American has had a bit of a baptism of fire in his rookie season, but the race in Austria will definitely be a highlight up to this point in the year.
Far from flashy driving, it was a steady and patient performance that gave him his best result since the season opener.
While he didn’t qualify particularly well, he made some good passes around the track in the opening stage, had a solid strategy and capitalized on the fact that the Red Bull Ring suits Williams’ strengths very well to finish just two places behind the Team leader, Alex. Albon, and maintain a steady gap to 12th placed Esteban Ocon during the final stage.
A little improvement on Saturdays will surely reward consistent drives like this with their first World Championship points. Yes, the track limit penalties were tricky and that sort of thing needs to be cleaned up, but it was still a drive that shows progress.
Max Verstappen – Speed: P1; Grand Prix: P1
Despite his record of late, it’s been a few rounds since I listed Max. Obviously not for lack of effort or results on his part, but the wealth must be spread!
That said, this weekend was another stark reminder of just how elevated Verstappen’s game is at the moment. To have the championship lead that he has and still be willing to race his teammate, of all people, just as hard as he did in the first lap. and In the Sprint, in wet conditions, putting your car on the grass at 200 miles per hour is truly amazing.
F1 NATION: More Max magic in a dazzling Sprint weekend – this is our Austrian GP review
The same can be said for his late-race pit stop for fastest lap, which he easily achieved. His dominance is such that he has to enjoy those little battles since, at the moment, no one is able to challenge him regularly.
Max is a racer who lives for those wheel-to-wheel swaps, and in the event he finds himself in one right now, he has to prove that his time in front hasn’t dulled his race. It’s an affirmation to himself, as well as a reminder to the rest of the field, that he’s unstoppable right now.
Race Highlight: 2023 Austrian Grand Prix
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.hinchs-heroes-who-makes-hinchs-list-after-the-sprint-weekend-in-austria.7hy98SVwCufrTrajCgKaO0.html
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