Max Verstappen emerged as the dominant force at the Red Bull Ring race, securing a victory over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and his own teammate Sergio Perez. However, the provisional result was soon thrown into uncertainty when Aston Martin launched a protest regarding track limit breaches.
The protest specifically highlighted incidents at Turns 9 and 10, where breaches were not correctly identified and penalized. In response, the FIA admitted that it had been unable to review over 1200 reports of drivers straying over the painted white lines with all four wheels during the 71-lap race.
Upon further investigation, the stewards discovered a list of deleted lap times that revealed additional infringements that had not been previously addressed. As a result, 12 penalties were awarded, with three infringements resulting in a black-and-white warning flag, four earning a five-second penalty, and five earning a 10-second penalty. Additionally, a “reset” was allowed due to the excessive number of infringements, meaning four fouls resulted in another five-second penalty.
The full review of the race classification led to several changes. Carlos Sainz, initially penalized with a five-second penalty, was later hit with a 10-second penalty, causing him to drop two places to sixth in the final classification. Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso moved ahead of Sainz as a result.
Lewis Hamilton, who initially received a five-second penalty, also had his penalty increased to 10 seconds. This pushed him down to eighth place, behind his teammate George Russell.
Esteban Ocon suffered the most significant impact from the new evidence, receiving four separate penalties that combined for a 30-second hit. His 12th place finish was revised to 14th. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries, and Yuki Tsunoda were also penalized, resulting in changes to their final positions.
Teams have the right to appeal these decisions within a specific time frame. The delayed policing of track limits frustrated teams, as they could have warned drivers about the consequences of receiving a five-second penalty after being shown a black-and-white flag.
The stewards strongly recommended finding a solution to the track limits issue. The FIA had previously urged Red Bull Ring management to install gravel traps at Turns 9 and 10, similar to those used at Turn 4. However, this has not been implemented due to the circuit’s hosting of motorcycle championship events, including MotoGP.
The revised Austrian GP classification now stands as follows:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT)
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull/Honda RBPT)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes)
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Mercedes)
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Mercedes)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Renault)
11. Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes)
12. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo/Ferrari)
13. Logan Sargeant (Williams/Mercedes)
14. Esteban Ocon (Alpine/Renault)
15. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo/Ferrari)
16. Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes)
17. Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT)
18. Kevin Magnussen (Haas/Ferrari)
19. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT)
– Nico Hülkenberg (Haas/Ferrari)
How did Max Verstappen’s victory at the Red Bull Ring race contribute to his lead in the drivers’ championship?
O initially finished in second place, was also penalized after it was discovered that he exceeded track limits. He received a five-second penalty, dropping him to fourth place in the final classification.
The revised race classification now showed Max Verstappen in first place, followed by Charles Leclerc in second and Sergio Perez in third. This victory marked Verstappen’s fifth win of the season and extended his lead in the drivers’ championship.
The controversy surrounding track limit breaches at the Red Bull Ring race raised concerns about consistency in enforcing the rules. Many fans and teams felt that penalties should have been given during the race rather than after the fact, as it could have affected the outcome and strategy of the drivers.
Moving forward, the FIA aims to improve its ability to monitor and penalize track limit breaches in real-time. This incident serves as a reminder of the challenges and controversies that can arise in the world of Formula 1 racing, further emphasizing the importance of fair and consistent officiating.