Carlos Sainz P3, Charles Leclerc P12 in Spielberg Sprint race

Ponchos going on and umbrellas going up, as the rain returned to the Red Bull Ring with 30 minutes to go until the start of the Austrian Sprint race at the 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

The rain intensity was increasing, so the Red Bulls were going onto the grid on the intermediates. Most drivers are were slicks though as the teams were faced with a big decision to make.

The Sprint is 100km long, which is one-third distance of Sunday’s Grand Prix. No pit stops need to be made and there is a free choice of tyre. Points are given out to the top eight finishers: 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. The Sprint has no impact on tomorrow’s grid anymore.

The cars left the grid for the formation lap and there was plenty of spray being kicked up off the start line. And Sergio Perez already had a moment by going wide at Turn Three. He got away with it though. Valtteri Bottas was on slicks but came into the pit lane at the end of the formation lap because it was simply too wet. Lights out and Sergio Perez took the lead into Turn One! The Mexican got a better start than his team-mate: Max Verstappen pushed his team-mate wide at Turn Three as the two Red Bulls went wheel to wheel.

And that then allowed Nico Hulkenberg to take second place on the run to Turn 4 and 5. For a moment it looked like Lando Norris might take the lead but he struggled for grip outside of Turn Three and was down towards the back end of the top 10. So Max Verstappen led again as we headed onto lap two. Nico Hulkenberg was between the two Red Bulls with Carlos Sainz fourth ahead of the two Aston Martin.

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Lando Norris was 10th and pushing Charles Leclerc to fight back after losing ground on the opening lap. It was Max Verstappen out in front by 2.5 seconds from Hulkenberg, Perez, Sainz, Stroll, Alonso, Albon, Ocon and then comes the Leclerc versus Norris battle. Onto lap seven we went and Max Verstappen’s lead over Nico Hulkenberg was 3.5s. Sergio Perez was another couple of seconds back in third. Russell and Hamilton were 12th and 13th, both still behind Kevin Magnussen. The top eight score points remember and it was proving tricky to overtake right now with no DRS. Tyre degradation was set to be a problem though with everyone saving their rubber. Max Verstappen was told to be careful with the front left as he looked for some wetter patches.

And a lap later Lewis Hamilton got past Kevin Magnussen but the Haas driver put up a real fight: Hamilton got past on the exit of Turn Three but back came Magnussen with the slipstream down to Turn Four. But after going through Turns Five and Six wheel to wheel, Hamilton made the move to take P12 and move back behind his team-mate.

Hulkenberg was able to hold off an attacking Perez a lap, as they took different lines to battle each other. Eventually, Perez danced around the outside at Turn Seven to take second place. It was now a Red Bull 1-2. And further back Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc were having a terrific duel for P9. Norris almost managed to get ahead on the way into Turn Six but Leclerc held him off. The McLaren was almost pushing the Ferrari through the final corners but the Monegasque held on to stay a place outside the points.

Soon after, Carlos Sainz also overtook Nico Hulkenberg to take third place.

This was frantic stuff in Austria and it was Hulkenberg in ninth who was the first of the drivers on slicks. Russell was next, then Bottas, Albon and Hamilton made a great move on Charles to take 13th. Out in front, Verstappen still led Perez, Sainz, Stroll, Alonso, Ocon and Norris. Those seven were on inters. Bottas was dropping down the order on intermediates and was acting like an extra chicane as Albon, Hamilton and Leclerc had a big scrap in the first half of the lap. Hamilton was 11th, Albon 12th and Leclerc 13th.

Max Verstappen was 18 seconds ahead of Sergio Perez and cruising to victory but it was battles aplenty behind the championship leader.

ax Verstappen therefore won the Austrian GP Sprint. The Dutchman cruised to victory after that opening lap squabble with his team-mate. Sergio Perez made it a Red Bull 1-2 but came home 21 seconds after Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz completed the podium with third for Ferrari.