F1 | 2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix Result, Sprint Race Result, Lap by Lap, Review & Summary

The 2023 F1 season returns to where the hills are alive – and doubly so as there are two races to unpack at the Red Bull Ring circuit and our summary covers the 2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix Result for both the Sprint Race and the Main Event.

This 2023 Austrian Grand Prix Result, Lap by Lap, Review & Summary gives you just enough to catch up with. With just a hint of cynicism, bias, opinion and colour. The perfect bite sized review for those who couldn’t be bothered, or don’t have enough time. And you get it for both the main race on Sunday and the Sprint Race on Saturday. So read on.

READ MORE:

2023 Austrian Grand Prix Preview
2023 Canadian Grand Prix Review
Our 2023 F1 Calendar & Results

2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix Result Sprint Race Summary

Didn’t see the race live? Don’t have time to watch the whole race? Well here are the top laps where stuff happened. We write these live as we go, sort of like a minute by minute for the football, but marginally more interesting.

Setting the scene – So on the surface it’s Max Verstappen on pole position for the Sprint Race, business as usual? Well, yes, but behind it has been an ever-changing list of drivers battling for next best. A combination of tyre choices and times being deleted for going too far off line has mixed up the grid a little. Great jobs from Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg, but surely at least one of those two will fall back. Where are Mercedes you may ask? Well, Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in the first session, and George Russell was unable to set a time in the second session.

A few hours later and the race starts with a wet track and raining softly. Not too wet, wetter in some places than others, but wet enough for inters. The teams had to choose the tyres going onto the grid too. So a slightly mixed-up grid with some wet weather. This better be good, because it is set up to thrill. For second.

GRID (Starting Order) –  VER PER NOR HUL SAI ALO STR OCO LEC MAG

Lap 1 – Max Verstappen gets away worse than Perez and the Mexican takes the lead into the first corner. Max dives on the inside of Perez into turn three and they both run wide, but Max retakes the lead. It also holds up Lando Norris who loses his spot to Nico Hulkenberg and others, the The Hulk steals second from Perez at the next corner. Big winners from lap one are Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Alex Albon. Biggest losers are Sergio Perez and Lando Norris. Both of whom can thank Max Verstappen. The Mercedes drivers are up to 12th and 13th from 15th and 18th on the grid.

ORDER – VER HUL PER SAI STR ALO ALB OCO LEC NOR

Lap 3 – More good news for Haas as Kevin Magnussen nails George Russell for 11th, who we didn’t realise had gained an extra spot since last typing.

Lap 5 – Plenty of spray around as the track doesn’t appear to be getting any drier. Or wetter for that matter. As we say that, team radio from someone says more rain coming. At the front Max Verstappen is doing it easy in front of Nico Hulkenberg, who is doing it as easy in second. The cars are reasonably spread out on the whole as no driver dares too much, except for Lando Norris trying to take 9th from Charles Leclerc.

Lap 9 – Sergio Perez is now within a second of second, and looks like he is going to be the killjoy for all the Hulk fans. Of which there are many. And there should be. George Russell takes back 11th from Kevin Magnussen. Lewis Hamilton tries and fails and tries again and succeeds to repeat his team mate’s work a few laps later.

Lap 10 – Alonso’s team on the radio asking about dry tyres, and the Spaniard says yes. So hopefully some daring strategy to come.

Lap 12 – Nice battle between Hulkenberg and Perez eventually ends up in the Red Bull’s favour halfway around the lap around the outside. That leaves Carlos Sainz on his tail and looming to zoom past for third too. Which he does on lap 13.

ORDER – VER PER SAI HUL STR ALO ALB OCO LEC NOR

Lap 14 – An even better battle between Ocon, Leclerc and Norris continues to rage. Ocon is just holding on, and so is Leclerc who has been pressured by Lando Norris. The Mercedes duo are catching up too. Leclerc runs wide on the last corner on lap 15 and Norris takes 9th.

Lap 16 – George Russell is the first to pit for dry tyres. Why not, he probably wasn’t going to finish 8th and in the points. But there are just enough laps left to get the tyre switch to work.

Lap 17 – Nico Hulkenberg sadly continues to drop backwards. Losing 4th to Lance Stroll on lap 17. Then is instructed to pit. Throwing away points are Haas? Lewis Hamilton pits too. As do others that aren’t as important or likely to do something interesting. 

Lap 19 – More cars pit – Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon. For the record George Russell is up to 10th and Nico Hulkenberg is 9th. And 8th not long after when he passes Ocon. If many ahead of him pit, a first podium may be on here.

ORDER – VER PER SAI STR ALO OCO NOR HUL RUS GAS

Lap 20 – Four car battle for 11th between Albon, Russell, Leclerc and Bottas is plenty entertaining.

Lap 21 – George Russell – first to pit for dry tyres – sets fastest lap. Three laps left to make up some places.

Lap 23 – Nico Hulkenberg is flying and overtakes Lando Norris and Esteban Ocon in the closing laps, and gets within a second of the Aston Martins on the finishing line. 

Final Lap – Max Verstappen wins with ease, a full 20 seconds and more ahead of his team mate by the end of the race. His move may have been a little rude n lap one, but you can’t deny his speed advantage. A very good podium for Carlos Sainz, who in sprint qualifying in one session had just one lap to nail a time due to losing time in the pits for brake problems. Aston Martins squabble over 4th but it is the bosses son who gets the fourth place.

ORDER – VER PER SAI STR ALO HUL OCO RUS NOR HAM

2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix Result Main Race Summary

Didn’t see the race live? Don’t have time to watch the whole race? Well here are the top laps where stuff happened. We write these live as we go, sort of like a minute by minute for the football, but marginally more interesting.

Setting the scene – Max Verstappen comes into the main race having dominated most of the weekend, and after his 20 second winning margin after just 24 laps of the Sprint Race is real concern for those who want a race. In fairness there probably will be, just behind him. Weather is fine, and doesn’t look like much chance of rain. But this is track where stuff does happen, looking at you Turn Three of the first lap. Not forgetting the grid is decided by Friday’s Qualifying session, not yesterday’s sprint race.

GRID (Starting Order) – VER LEC SAI NOR HAM STR ALO HUL GAS ALB — PER (15th)

Lap 1 – Max Verstappen gets away well enough from pole position and keeps first. Leclerc challenges him into turn three and they almost touch. Leclerc tries again into turn four and falls short. Lewis Hamilton takes advantage of a Norris-Stroll scrap to take fourth. Alonso is ahead of Lance Stroll who was the biggest loser of the first lap. Well apart from Yuki Tsunoda who had to pit due to first lap damage. Probably caused by Kevin Magnussen who also pits. Replays show Tsunoda hits an Alpine instead. And he nearly ran into the back of a few cars into turn four but avoids that by going into the gravel at pace. The debris left all over the circuit brings out the Safety Car.

SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED

ORDER – VER LEC SAI HAM NOR ALO HUL STR GAS ALB

SAFETY CAR IN

Lap 4 – Max Verstappen gets the race back underway and he is out of danger going into turn three. In fact he is 1.2 seconds ahead after the first tour post Safety Car. Further back all the cars behave themselves on the restart.

Lap 8 – Interesting as the Ferraris are starting to battle on the track and on the team radio for second place, with Carlos Sainz looking the faster combo at the moment. With Verstappen 2.6 seconds up the road, they could do worse than give Sainz a crack at the leader by getting past Leclerc.

Lap 10 – If you’re wondering about Sergio Perez well he is racing side by side with George Russell for 11th in a very exciting battle. Perez eventually gets past and stays ahead. Still out of the points though, that’s why you don’t stuff qualifying, which Perez seems to be doing every second race this season. Although, he’s up to 9th a few laps later.

Lap 13 – Lewis Hamilton receives a warning from the stewards about track limits. Lando Norris in 5th (and right behind) has been complaining about Hamilton on the radio for a few laps. Hamilton responds to team advice about track limits by offering he’s struggling to keep the car on the track.

Lap 14 – Nico Hulkenberg retires with a smokey Haas. We’re not sure if it stinks as well. It stinks for him though, a good weekend ruined.

ORDER – VER LEC SAI HAM NOR ALO STR GAS PER ALB

VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED

Lap 15 – Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris pit. Other cars of lowering interest pit as well. Not the Red Bulls, Ferraris or Aston Martins. A double stack of Ferraris and Aston Martins pit the next lap.

Lap 16 – VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ENDS

Cars battling everywhere as differing pit stop strategies means the field is quite mixed for now. Except for the front as Max Verstappen has it under control. But it does beg the question why he didn’t pit and everyone else around him did.

ORDER – VER LEC PER HAM SAI NOR ALO TSU GAS RUS

Lap 17 – Lewis Hamilton gets a five second penalty for track limits. And loses fourth place to Carlos Sainz a few laps later.

Lap 20 – Carlos Sainz gets past Sergio Perez with ease for third now. Further back the great racing for 10th to 15th rages on for our entertainment. Alex Albon is leading that for the time being.

Lap 23 – Carlos Sainz is warned about track limits and on his last chance. Reckon he’ll have a five second penalty anytime. Talking of penalties, Lewis Hamilton is trying to counter his five second time penalty by getting past Sergio Perez. 

Lap 25 – Max Verstappen pits from the lead, Charles Leclerc gets past for the temporary lead, and even Carlos Sainz sneaks past into second. TV informs that Verstappen falling behind the Ferraris means that his 249 lap run of leading races has come to an end.

Lap 26 – It doesn’t take long, Max Verstappen burns past Carlos Sainz after turn three but before turn four. Leclerc is six seconds up the road. 

Lap 28 – Further back Lando Norris gives Lewis Hamilton something extra to complain about to his team radio and overtakes him for fourth.

Lap 32 – It’s getting all Oprah Winfrey for track limits. Carlos Sainz gets a five second penalty, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon get warnings about five second penalties.

Lap 35 – Max Verstappen overtakes Charles Leclerc for the lead into turn three. Too easy that one. He even makes sure he doesn’t overtake before the DRS detection line so he keeps the DRS advantage after the corner. Double win for Red Bull as Sergio Perez takes 7th. Less elegant was Nyck de Vries forcing Kevin Magnussen off the road whilst trying to overtake. He gets a penalty for that one.

ORDER – VER LEC SAI NOR HAM ALO PER GAS RUS ALB

Lap 41 – The race has calmed down a bit now, with points of interest being the five drivers who have yet to serve their five second penalty, Sergio Perez chasing Fernando Alonso, and Lando Norris making a second pit stop. It’s all good though, gives us a chance to check The Ashes score. Which hurts a bit if you’re supporting Australia.

Lap 43 – Sergio Perez does overtake Alonso for sixth. Imagine what he could do if he qualified higher. In other Red Bull dominating-the-race news Max Verstappen is over ten seconds in front in the lead.

Lap 46 – Heavy hitters are starting their second pit stops. First Alonso then Carlos Sainz, who serves his five second penalty. Lando Norris punishes the penalty by overtaking him. It doesn’t last long. Half a lap later Norris is staring at the back of the Ferrari rear wing. Leclerc pits on lap 48 and drops from second to third.

ORDER – VER PER LEC SAI NOR ALO HAM RUS STR GAS

Lap 50 – Just over 20 laps to go, and the TV Commentators are starting to talk rain. Yes please we say to the screen, expecting no reply.

Lap 54 – Yuki Tsunoda gets a ten second penalty, Further forward Lando Norris is putting Carlos Sainz under big pressure. This is for the final podium spot before Sergio Perez steals it towards the end. That might come earlier as he is close enough to Norris to overtake on lap 56, which he does into turn four.

Lap 59 – The Sainz-Perez battle is sensational. Perez edges ahead but Sainz keeps his foot in around the outside a number of times and stays in front. It goes for a few laps of the Austrian track.

Lap 62 – Sergio Perez finally gets past on the outside of turn four.

Lap 68 – A great battle for 16th is doing it’s best to keep us awake. Valtteri Bottas is winning that one for the time being.

Lap 70 – Max Verstappen pits for new tyres, just so he can try and set fastest lap. What a risk in so many ways. And then not really, it is Max Verstappen after all.

Last lap – Max Verstappen flies around the final lap and gets the Fastest Lap he craved. And an extra point he doesn’t really need. Charles Leclerc secures Ferrari’s 800th podium in second, with Sergio Perez just avoiding a five second penalty to keep third. Alonso and the Aston Martins were kept a little quiet but double points for the team. Bad day for Haas as Magnussen finishes last and Nico Hulkenberg was the only DNF for the race.

FINAL ORDER – VER LEC PER SAI NOR ALO HAM RUS GAS STR

Here we go through the field and highlight the very best (Great) of the race, and the plodders, the over-ambitious, the out of luck, and simply hopeless (Grape).

These points get added to our Driver of the Season scores. points for a great nomination, and -5 for the worst or grapest driver in the pack. Then it is +2 /-2 for honourable or dishonourable mentions.

THE GREAT-EST – MAX VERSTAPPEN

Yeah, yeah, our Driver of the race is as predictable and boring as the race results themselves. But how can you argue against a driver who literally came first in every single session of the 2023 F1 Austrian Grand Prix.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

CHARLES LECLERC – Back on the pace to a degree, or at least equal best of the rest behind Max Verstappen.

SERGIO PEREZ – Yes, his racing was great, with some great overtakes, and just the right strategy, but he doesn’t deserve driver of the race, because with his car he shouldn’t be missing Q3 as much as he does. 

CARLOS SAINZ – His qualifying lap where his team sent him out with just one lap to do and nailed it showed the quality pace we don’t always see from the Spaniard. Drove a good race too.

LANDO NORRIS – A solid performer all weekend. His McLaren just being slightly shy of the Red Bull/Ferrari pace, but Norris outperformed as per usual. His team mate ran towards the back of the field for most of the race.

NICO HULKENBERG – A DNF is what we’d call great normally, but the Hulk was let down in the race by a car failure after shining in a lot of sessions over the weekend. So deserves a little something.

THE GRAPE-EST – YUKI TSUNODA

For his range of penalties received during the race to ruin his day. Went from the fringe of top ten toward back of the field. Although, a better finishing position than Oscar Piastri.

DIS-HONOURABLE MENTIONS

VALTTERI BOTTAS – Valtteri Bottas used to take pole positions here and wins. Now he’s winning the four car battle for 16th.

OSCAR PIASTRI – Quite the distance behind in the race compared to his team mate (5th v 18th).

NYCK DE VRIES – Actually drove a good race to finish ahead of other cars in 15th. But he is coming under massive pressure to keep his drive. We reckon he’s done over the Summer break. 

Was it a good race, loads of action, tense, or just a big, fat, snooze-fest.

We rate the big race itself so we know which races to go back and watch in the off season or one to simply remember the winner for the post season quiz nights.

Note: this is for the combined races.

SEASON IMPORTANCE –  4 / 10

A hint of a bit of pace from both Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez- our best chances of a challenge to Max Verstappen for the Championship. But ultimately, Verstappen is so much better, he can take a lazy pit stop on the second last lap to give himself a chance of Fastest Lap. So it is still season over, and a matter of which race will seal the Championship for Verstappen.

ON TRACK ACTION – 8/10

Lots of action up and down the grid, mainly in the midfield, but still a pass for the lead. And the Sprint Race has plenty going for it too.

ENDING 6 / 10

The Sergio Perez – Carlos Sainz battle towards the end was great, if not long enough. There was some midfield racing to keep us engaged to the end. Plus the Max Verstappen Fastest Lap attempt was worth something.

OVERALL RATING 18 / 30

A good race overall, with some great racing. But overall it is the same old, same old, result with Max Verstappen and Red Bull winning. Accept that, and enjoy the rest appears to be a theme for the 2023 F1 season.

2023 SEASON RATINGS SO FAR

Want to know what we thought of previous races? Or which ones to to back and watch? 

R1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – 
R2 – Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – 10/30
R3 – Australian Grand Prix – 23/30
R4 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix – 8/30
R5 – Miami Grand Prix – 20/30
R6 – Monaco Grand Prix – 23/30
R7 – Spanish Grand Prix – 15/30
R8 – Canadian Grand Prix – 12/30

2023 F1 Season Power Rankings

Stay tuned for our Power Rankings from the race soon as it is currently being calculated and will be ready on Monday.

Who not check out last race which includes the season ratings so far: Canadian Grand Prix and 2023 Driver Ratings.