Here Are The Winners And Losers Of The 2022 Formula One Austrian Grand Prix

The 2022 Formula One Austrian Grand Prix was quite an action-packed affair with some amazing midfield battles, a game of strategic chess at the front and a bit of late-race drama sprinkled into the mix. When the dust settled, it was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc back on the top step of the podium after a three-month wait. Here are those who excelled and those who fell short at the eleventh round of the season at the Red Bull Ring.

Winners

Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc hasn’t had the best of fortunes of late, with the Ferrari driver not having a win since the third round of the season at Australia, but that all changed at the Red Bull Ring. Sure, Leclerc settled for second place at the Sprint against title rival Max Verstappen, but in the main event, he unleashed superior race pace and made an opportunistic pass for the lead on the Red Bull Racing driver through Turn 4. After that, Monegasque handled anything Red Bull and Verstappen threw at him, including passing Verstappen another two times. 

But drama ensued in the last 10 laps, as teammate Carlos Sainz retired with an engine failure and Leclerc started suffering throttle issues. Despite all that, Leclerc nursed the car to the chequered flag to take his third win of the season. This much needed fightback closes the gap to 38 points against Max Verstappen in the drivers standings.

Haas 

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After the strong points haul at Silverstone last time out, the Haas F1 Team continued its strong momentum in Spielberg. Mick Schumacher bettered his maiden points haul with a sixth-place finish after some intense battles. His teammate Kevin Magnussen nursed an engine issue to hold on to eighth place. This run of form has catapulted the team to seventh place in the constructors standings.

Mercedes

Whenever things get awry up front, eight-time constructors champions Mercedes are right there to pick up the pieces. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton recovered from a qualifying crash to score his third consecutive podium of the season. Teammate George Russell, who dropped to 19th place after a lap 1 incident, recovered all the way back up to fourth place. This result further cements their place as the third best team in the constructors standings.

Alpine

 

It was yet another strong weekend for the Alpine squad, with Esteban Ocon finishing an impressive fifth. Teammate and two-time champion, Fernando Alonso pulled off a storming drive from the back of the grid to finish 10th, despite making an extra pitstop for a loose wheel. This result puts them on equal points with McLaren for fourth place in the constructors standings.

Alexander Albon

The sole Williams driver to run their latest upgrade package showed an impressive turn of pace at the Red Bull Ring in challenging for the lower points-paying positions. Unfortunately a strategic gamble in the race didn’t pay off and had to settle for 12th place. Nevertheless, it was a positive step in performance for the British squad in their attempts to overhaul Aston Martin in the constructors standings.

Losers

Red Bull Racing

It was looking like Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen was in prime form for the race after winning the Sprint. But the championship leader didn’t have the race pace against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and had to settle for second place. On a positive note, it could’ve been third had Carlos Sainz not retired from an engine failure. His teammate Sergio Perez’ race ended early after contact with the Mercedes of George Russell on the opening lap caused terminal damage and had to eventually retire from the race after a few laps.

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo had a quiet weekend at the Red Bull Ring, with Valtteri Bottas finishing just outside a points-paying position in 11th place. While Zhou Guanyu had plenty of action, he only managed to cross the line in 14th position.

McLaren

 

McLaren’s inconsistent run of form reared its ugly head at Austria with neither Lando Norris nor Daniel Ricciardo looking particularly set for a points haul heading into the race. But the pair managed to keep things relatively clean, with smart strategy calls helping them finish seventh with Norris and ninth with Ricciardo. They’re now tied with Alpine on points for fourth in the constructors standings.

Carlos Sainz

After being a hero in Silverstone, it was a big crash down to zero at Spielberg. The Ferrari driver was looking to overtake Verstappen for second place in the closing stages of the race when the Spaniard suffered a catastrophic engine failure, forcing him out of the race. A difficult result, one which puts him further away from the fight at the top of the drivers standings.

Next up, after a week’s break is the French Grand Prix which will be held at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet. It's scheduled to be held from July 22-24.