In the title race, Max Verstappen wins in Austria, putting him ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

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Monday, 12th July 2021

Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Austrian Grand Prix for the third time in a row on Sunday, consolidating his world championship lead over Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth. Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton's Mercedes teammate, finished second, while Lando Norris of McLaren finished third. Verstappen's latest move toward eliminating Hamilton's grip on the drivers' title sparked a carnival atmosphere in Formula One's first capacity audience since the coronavirus outbreak, with the majority of the 100,000 in attendance dressed in his Dutch orange colours. "Seeing so much orange in the stands is great, it's an extra motivation, thank you," he told the Red Bull-owned Spielberg circuit's adoring crowd.

"The vehicle was unreal," said the 21-year-old challenger to Hamilton's pursuit for a record ninth world title, who had won at the track the week before. "It was a blast to drive on every pair of tyres we installed. The entire team put up a tremendous effort. It's been a wonderful two weeks here."

Verstappen now has 182 points, 32 more than Hamilton, ahead of the seven-time world champion's home British Grand Prix on July 18 at Silverstone.

After qualifying on Saturday, Hamilton, who hasn't won since early May in Barcelona, predicted that overcoming Verstappen would be difficult.

Apart from his Red Bull rival's superior speed, Hamilton's car suffered damage late in the race, costing him a likely second place finish.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source

NDTV