Formula 1
MAX WINS DAMP SPRINT RACE BY OVER 20 SECONDS. HULKENBERG COULD TASTE IT BUT NO CIGAR! CHECO FINDS HIS MILIEUX WITH P2 AND FERRARI HAPPY FOR P3
MAX: OF COURSE, WE HAD TO STAY ALERT, BUT I THINK THE RACE WENT PRETTY WELL TODAY.
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – JULY 01: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 battle for track position into turn one at the start during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 01, 2023 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool.
“I had a bit of a slow start today, it could have been spicy between Checo and I but he said that he couldn’t see me, and I trust his word. We’re all good, we had a chat after the race and all is cleared up, there’s no need to make a big deal about it. After we settled into the race, we knew that 24 laps on the intermediate tyres would be quite long, so it was all about managing the tyres whilst trying to drive fast, which is not always easy.
I was able to extend the gap and then towards the end of the race I had a few cars around me on slicks. Of course, we had to stay alert, but I think the race went pretty well today. It’s of course incredibly sad about what happened to Dilano today, he had the same dreams that we had when we were at that age. It’s sad for everyone, his family, the team and the world of motorsport. There’s a lot more that can be done to protect drivers.”
CHECO: IT WAS ALL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE MADE IT UNTIL THE END AS THE TYRES WERE GETTING TOO HOT AS THE CIRCUIT DRIED, BUT WE GOT THE RESULT WE WANTED.
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – JULY 01: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 on track during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 01, 2023 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool.
“It was a great Team result for all of us. At the beginning, Max and I got a bit closer than we should have, there was a bit of misjudgement from both sides, but we have spoken about it and it is all good. Later in the race, after passing Nico in the Haas, it was all about making sure that we made it until the end as the tyres were getting too hot as the circuit dried, but we got the result we wanted. Tomorrow, starting from P15, although overtaking will be difficult, we will give it a go and see what we are able to do and try our best to recover as many positions as possible.
I think yesterday we showed very good pace and we are comfortable with the car. I am still feeling unwell and unfortunately far from one hundred percent but I am looking forward to tomorrow to see what we can do. I also want to take a moment to remember Bob Fernley, who was a massive person in my life – a guy that I shared so many years and so many good moments with. I want to wish Audrey and his family the very best. It is really sad and we had a lot of happy memories.”
RED BULL RING, AUSTRIA – JULY 01: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, leads Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19, Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-23, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60, and the rest of the field at the start of the Sprint during the Austrian GP at Red Bull Ring on Saturday July 01, 2023 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)
Nico Hulkenberg:
“I’m happy first and foremost now. Three points on the board in the Sprint wasn’t really expected for us, so that’s pretty positive. My inters were going away from me, I was going backwards more than others and the track was kind of ready for slicks, so we opted for that decision, and it was the right call for us.”
Guenther Steiner, Team Principal:
“It’s been a good day for us today. Firstly, in Sprint qualifying, having two cars in SQ3 was fantastic, and then in the race with Nico getting some points was very important, and very good for the team. Under these difficult conditions we’re normally doing a very good job. We’ve got some work to do on the car but we’ll get there as well. Bagging three points in a Sprint is good for us. Tomorrow, we start with one car in the top 10, and hopefully we’ll get some more.”