Dutch driver Max Verstappen of Red Bull continued to lead the World Championship, delivering a decisive win at the Austrian Grand Prix on the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. The race, fought on the ninth day of the year, saw Verstappen secure victory with undeniable clarity while teammate Sergio Perez secured a strong finish in the middle of the pack. Behind them, Ferrari delivered a competitive performance with Charles Leclerc finishing just behind, in a race that highlighted the team’s speed and strategic decisions.
In the battle for the podium, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari crossed the line in fourth place, but a ten-second penalty dropped him two places. Spaniard Fernando Alonso, piloting an Aston Martin, managed to climb to sixth place and briefly led the pack before the post-race review reshaped the order. The finish line posed more changes than anticipated as penalties were applied after the race, reshaping the final standings.
Verstappen passed Austria and fifth-placed Alonso passed Sainz after Aston Martin’s claim
Alonso’s team, Aston Martin, lodged a formal protest with the FIA, alleging that several drivers who exceeded the track limits did not receive the proper penalties. The governing body of motorsport reviewed the case and acknowledged the concerns raised in the complaint.
Following a thorough review of the tours that had not been properly cancelled, eight drivers incurred penalties. As a result, the classification shifted: Sainz dropped two positions while Alonso gained one; Briton Lando Norris of McLaren moved from fifth to fourth after the revision.
Sainz received a ten-second penalty, and so did Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, causing a shift from seventh to eighth place. Hamilton swapped positions with his teammate George Russell, while French driver Pierre Gasly of Alpine finished ninth. Canada’s Lance Stroll, driving for Aston Martin, finished one place behind, and Thailand’s Alex Albon of Williams did not score a point in the revised results.
Under the new scoring, Esteban Ocon of Alpine endured the heaviest penalty load among the drivers. The Frenchman’s time was extended by half a minute due to multiple infringements, pushing him just out of the points. Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri received an additional five-second penalty, while team-mate Nyck de Vries saw his race end with a fifteen-second penalty that effectively erased any remaining chances to score.
The revised final classification also reshaped the championship standings. Alonso remains in third overall with 98 points from 229 possible, while Verstappen continues to lead the drivers’ standings. In the Constructors’ World Championship, Aston Martin remains in a strong position, closing the gap to Mercedes to just a few points thanks to the adjusted results.