Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) took the victory in the race for the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, the eleventh event of the Formula 1 World Championship, while the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) was forced to abandon because his engine broke down and Fernando Alonso (Alpine) finished tenth after coming out from the back row of the grid.
Only bad luck has prevented the ‘Scuderia’ from doubling in Red Bull’s ‘home’, which would have avenged what happened in Imola, where the energy brand doubled; on lap 57, when he was riding in the podium position, Sainz had to withdraw from the track after his engine broke down and he got out of a vehicle wrapped in flames; it was his fourth drop of the year.
The day of the ‘Cavallino Rampante’ could have ended even worse, but Leclerc has managed to survive the problems with the accelerator pedal, which has affected his car in the final stretch. With this, he has signed his third victory of the course, the fifth in his career in Formula 1, and returns to the second position of the general driver – at 38 points from Verstappen -.
“I was really scared,” he admitted on the radio after the race on the final approach of Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull). The championship leader has saved the day with a second place, the best possible result considering the pace of those from Ferrari to Spielberg. In addition, the British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was third with his third consecutive podium.
