Advertisement

Lewis Hamilton wins Styrian GP from pole after Ferraris collide on first lap

<span>Photograph: Joe Klamar/AP</span>
Photograph: Joe Klamar/AP

After a stunning shakedown to open the season at last week’s Austrian Grand Prix, Formula One’s follow up at Red Bull Ring proved an altogether more sedate affair. Lewis Hamilton brought breathtaking spectacle to his qualifying performance for the Styrian Grand Prix but on race day he and Mercedes delivered the familiar racecraft and control to deliver a consummate victory. Having definitively made his statement on track however Hamilton did so once more on the podium where he delivered the black power salute.

Mercedes and Hamilton’s dominance however could not have sat in starker contrast to the disarray behind them as Ferrari were left reeling in ignominy. Hamilton was fourth here last week and determined to immediately come back. He did so almost with insouciance. Having taken pole with one of the best laps of his career in the wet on Saturday, he held his lead, scampered up the track and drove a faultless race to take the flag in front of team mate Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Related: F1: Hamilton wins Styrian Grand Prix as Ferrari implode – live reaction

After two rounds of a season likely to run to 15 races, Bottas still leads the championship with 43 points, in front of Hamilton on 37 points.

“What a weird year but great to be back driving with this kind of performance,” Hamilton said. “The team did a fantastic job, it was just for me to bring it home. This feels like a long time coming. Difficult weekend last weekend but this was a great step forward. I love back-to-back races. Can we do them all year?”

For Mercedes this was an ominously strong performance. The team are looking to score a record-breaking seventh consecutive constructors’ championship. With two wins from two races at a circuit where they have previously struggled and both drivers in fine fettle, their pursuit of making history is firmly on course, especially with Ferrari already lagging so far behind.

Nearest competitors Red Bull cannot currently match Mercedes for pace and Verstappen did all he could to stay in the fight but could not threaten. Should they repeat this performance at next week’s race in Hungary, Mercedes might expect only to enjoy even more of an advantage when racing moves to Silverstone, Spa and Monza.

Ferrari are already staring down the barrel of a gun as their season slips away almost before it has begun. They have a driver in Sebastian Vettel who the team chose to drop for next season before racing had even begun. They have admitted taking the wrong direction on the aero design for their car, which they are now furiously trying to rectify. Their engine is down on power since the FIA came to a private agreement with the team over its performance towards the end of last season. Off the pace, neither driver was higher than eighth in any session of the race weekend, they qualified in the midfield at the Styrian GP and seconds after the start their race fell to pieces.

On the opening lap the two Ferrari’s were squeezed together as Charles Leclerc was over ambitious in diving up the inside through turn three. He was flicked in the air on the kerbs hitting Sebastian Vettel who took major damage to his rear wing.

Vettel retired immediately and Leclerc did the same several laps later. A disastrous double DNF when the team desperately needed track time to assess the aero upgrades they had brought to the race. The pair had also taken one another out only four races ago in Brazil last season.

Vettel was blameless and not happy. “I wasn’t expecting Charles to try something,” he said. “It is a big pity and something we should avoid. I don’t think there was space, that’s why we collided.” Leclerc apologised and held his hands up. “I’m just disappointed in myself, I’ve let the team down,” he said.

1 Lewis Hamilton (GB) Mercedes GP 1hr 20min 50.683secs; 2 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:21:04.402; 3 Max Verstappen (Neth) Red Bull 1:21:24.381; 4 Alexander Albon (Thai) Red Bull 1:21:35.083; 5 Lando Norris (GB) McLaren 1:21:52.153; 6 Sergio Pérez (Mex) Racing Point 1:21:53.070; 7 Lance Stroll (Can) Racing Point 1:21:53.136; 8 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Renault 1:21:53.274; 9 Carlos Sainz (Sp) McLaren at 1 lap; 10 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia AlphaTauri at 1 lap; 11 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing at 1 lap; 12 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 at 1 lap; 13 Romain Grosjean (Fr) Haas F1 at 1 lap; 14 Antonio Giovinazzi (It) Alfa Romeo Racing at 1 lap; 15 Pierre Gasly (Fr) Scuderia AlphaTauri at 1 lap; 16 George Russell (GB) Williams at 2 laps; 17 Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams at 2 laps.

Not Classified: 18 Esteban Ocon (Fr) Renault 25 laps; 19 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 4 laps; 20 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1 lap.
Fastest Lap: Carlos Sainz 1min 05.619secs on lap 68.

The team are now fifth in the constructors’ championship, behind Mercedes, McLaren Red Bull and Racing Point. The Scuderia’s debrief will be long and painful and the team principal, Mattia Binotto, was blunt in his assessment. “I think it’s the worst conclusion of a very bad week for us,” he said. The pressure on him in only his second season in charge is rapidly mounting and the team cancelled their post race media session.

Behind Alexander Albon who was fourth for Red Bull, there was another mighty scrap in the midfield and once more Britain’s Lando Norris came out on top for McLaren. Norris, only 20 years old and in his second season in F1 took his first podium last week. He followed it here with another sparkling run from ninth on the grid to take fifth. Light on fuel and quick he charged at the close passing Lance Stroll and Sergio Pérez on the final lap. Norris is now third in the championship and McLaren second in the constructors’.

The day belonged to Hamilton however and while he savoured the moment he once more staked his claim to the world championship, there was reflection as he delivered the black power salute. His commitment to fighting racism as uncompromisingly displayed as had been his authority on track in Austria.

The Racing Point of Pérez was sixth from 17th on the grid. His teammate Stroll was seventh. Daniel Ricciardo was eighth for Renault with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz ninth and claiming the point for fastest lap. Daniil Kvyat rounded out the top ten for AlphaTauri.