Nithyanandam Ramasamy
The Austrian GP kept stewards on their toes as they graciously handed out penalties. Max Verstappen completed the clean sweep in the first triple-header of this year. The race was a nightmare for Esteban Ocon as his weekend was ended in the very first lap. Along with Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz were also impressive this weekend. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton had a troubled afternoon with damage to his car’s rear. Let’s dig into the Austrian GP’s data and analyse the opening lap and performance of Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton.
The Opening Lap:
The Opening lap has witnessed 14-overtakes. Incredible, isn’t it? Overall, 8-drivers have gained positions in the very first lap and only 3-drivers have lost positions. The biggest loser was George Russell as he lost 5-positions after an impressive qualifying session. Carlos Sainz had a slow start to the race. It shouldn’t be a surprise since he started the race on a hard tyres when everyone around him was on soft or medium tyres. The strategy eventually paid off. His Spaniard compatriot hasn’t had a great start either as he lost 2-positions in the first lap. The biggest gainer of the first lap was Antonio Giovinazzi. Surprised? The Italian driver has gained 3-positions in the first lap but had to pit at the end of the first lap.
The star of the race:
Undoubtedly, the star of the race was Lando Norris. The brit had an impeccable weekend as it started with him putting his car in the front row, just 0.048s off the pole-sitter Max Verstappen. His race was stunning even with the controversial 5-sec penalty. During the first stint, he matched both Mercedes cars. He lapped just 0.174s slower than Lewis Hamilton and 0.047s faster than Valtteri Bottas. He has managed to keep Lewis Hamilton behind for 16 laps, which prompted the seven-time world champion to praise Lando Norris on the team radio. Lewis Hamilton said “Such a great driver, Lando” after overtaking Lando Norris. Surely, the best drive of his career.
His second stint was even more fantastic as he lapped faster than both Mercedes cars and just 0.2s slower than Max Verstappen, even though Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton had a short second stint. Lando Norris finished the race in 3rd position, just 2s behind the second-placed Valtteri Bottas. Surely, he would have finished 2nd without the 5-sec penalty?
Lewis Hamilton was the slowest among the top-4 during the second stint. Astonishingly, his lap times in the second stint were 0.7s slower than Max Verstappen. According to Mercedes, rear damage sustained from the last corner kerb had cost him 30 points of downforce in the second stint, which eventually led him to drop to 4th place. A mega blow to his title aspirations!
Super Carlos:
Carlos Sainz had a stunning doubleheader. Astute tyre management in the first stint and a quick second stint has given him good results in both races in Austria. Astonishingly, he managed the hard tyres for 48 laps in the first stint. That’s most amongst anyone in the Austrian GP. His short second stint on mediums was quicker than Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo, who were on a long second stint on hard tyres. Comparing both strategies isn’t a good idea, but it depicts his brilliancy in the first stint and a quick second stint that led him to finish 5th. Has Sergio Perez got a new competitor for tyre management skills?
When Carlos Sainz pitted at the end of lap 48, he had 23 laps to catch the trio of Sergio Perez (who was on a 10-sec penalty), Daniel Ricciardo and Charles Leclerc. He was able to pass Daniel Ricciardo on lap-70 with a bit of teamwork with Charles Leclerc and finished 5th, inherited after applying a 10-sec penalty to Sergio Perez. From lap-49 to 71, he has lapped more than half a second quicker than Daniel Ricciardo(+0.631s) and Charles Leclerc(0.566s). Only Sergio Perez (0.016s), in the midfield pack, was able to match the Spaniard’s lap times in the same period. Without a doubt, Carlos Sainz has taken full advantage of his short second stint on medium tyres. By doing so, he has also closed down the gap to Charles Leclerc by 2 points in the championship. Charles Leclerc has got to watch his mirrors in the championship as Carlos Sainz is well within his reach of overtaking him.
