Spielberg, July 10
Charles Leclerc survived a late throttle scare to win the Austrian Grand Prix for Ferrari on Sunday and roar back as Formula One world championship leader Max Verstappen’s closest rival.
Red Bull’s Verstappen had to settle for second, still with a comfortable 38-point lead over the Monegasque after 11 of 22 races and banking a bonus point for fastest lap on top of his Saturday sprint win. Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was a distant third, after starting eighth, to complete the podium for the third race in a row.
“Oh my God. I was scared. I was really scared,” said a relieved Leclerc over the radio after taking the chequered flag at the Red Bull Ring with Verstappen in his mirrors and one and half seconds behind.
He overtook the Dutch driver three times on track in the race but, after two engine failures in the previous five, feared the win might still slip through his fingers as he battled a throttle problem over the last few laps. “It would get stuck at 20 or 30% throttle in the low speeds, so it was very tricky. We managed to make it stick until the end and I am so happy,” said Leclerc. “I definitely needed that one. The last five races have been incredibly difficult for myself and the team.” — Reuters
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