MOTORSPORT: Ferrari returns serve in Austria

The second half of the 2022 Formula 1 world championship is shaping up to be a classic battle, with Charles Leclerc returning the Prancing Horse to the top step of the podium at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

After overcoming championship rival Max Verstappen multiple times during the race, Leclerc had to contend with technical problems in the run to the finish, ultimately holding on by 1.5sec over the Red Bull driver.

“The pace was there at the beginning and we had some good fights with Max and the end was incredibly difficult,” said Leclerc.

“I had this problem with the throttle, and it would get stuck at 20 or 30 per cent throttle in the low speed.

“I definitely needed that one. I mean, the last five races have been incredibly difficult for myself, but also for the team, obviously.

“And to finally show that we've got the pace in the car and that we can do it is incredible.”

Verstappen won the start, before the Mercedes of George Russell came into contact with the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, with Perez later retiring, while Russell was given a 5sec penalty at his first pit stop.

Leclerc sprung an audacious move on Verstappen at the end of the back straight on the 12th circuit of 71 to take the lead, with Verstappen subsequently heading to the pits for a new set of hard tyres.

The race came alive on the 24th lap when a spirited battle broke out between Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo), Fernando Alonso (Alpine), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Lando Norris (McLaren) and Mick Schumacher (Haas), with a spot of three-wide racing seeing Magnussen gain the upper hand in the scrap for eighth.

Leclerc pitted on lap 27 and set about capitalising on his new tyre advantage over Verstappen, breezing back into the lead six laps into the stint.

Verstappen stopped for a second time on lap 37, while Sebastian Vettel spun his Aston Martin following contact from Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri on lap 40, with the latter handed a 5sec penalty.

Leclerc visited the pits for the final time on lap 50, regaining the lead three circuits later, while Carlos Sainz couldn’t repeat his Silverstone heroics, with his Ferrari’s engine spectacularly failing on lap 57.

Behind Leclerc and Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton registered his third straight third-place finish for Mercedes, ahead of Russell, Ocon, Schumacher, Norris, Magnussen, Daniel Ricciardo, who earned points for the third time this season for McLaren, with the top 10 rounded out by Alonso.

Earlier in the weekend, Verstappen converted pole in qualifying to a relatively easy sprint race win, as Leclerc got the better of Sainz in the fight for second.

The race had a delayed start when Zhou’s Alfa Romeo faltered on the warm-up lap, while Alonso was a non-starter after a technical issue on the grid saw the Alpine left on its jacks as the cars pulled away.

Perez elevated himself from 13th to fifth, with Gasly losing ground following a first corner spin after contact from Hamilton.

The Formula 1 championship returns on July 24 with the French Grand Prix at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

2022 Formula 1 championship standings:

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