The Truth About Max Verstappen's Austrian Connection

Max Verstappen is a Dutch racing driver who competes in the Formula One World Championship. He is not Austrian, but he has won the Austrian Grand Prix five times in a row, including in 2023.

Max Verstappen's win at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2023

Max Verstappen's win at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix was his fifth successive Formula 1 victory. The Dutchman dominated the race at the Red Bull Ring, tightening his grip on the 2023 world championship.

Verstappen's win was a continuation of his dominant form, having won Saturday's sprint contest. He maintained his lead throughout the race, finishing five seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, despite opting not to pit under an early virtual safety car.

The race was heavily impacted by drivers' struggles with track limits, with eight drivers receiving post-race penalties, including Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz, who was demoted from fourth to sixth, and Lewis Hamilton, who dropped from seventh to eighth.

Verstappen's victory extended his lead at the top of the driver's championship to 81 points, with a third world title seeming inevitable. His performance in Austria showcased the superior pace of the Red Bull, as well as his innate talent and the strong operational execution of his team.

The win in Austria was a significant milestone for Verstappen, as it moved him ahead of Ayrton Senna in fifth place on the sport's all-time list of winners. With his fourth world championship already in his sights, Verstappen's focus remains on enjoying the moment and working closely with his team.

Verstappen's fifth consecutive win at the Austrian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen produced a dominant display to claim his fifth consecutive Formula 1 victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, tightening his grip on the 2023 world championship. The Dutchman was largely untroubled as he extended his lead at the top of the driver's championship to 81 points, with a third world title already seeming inevitable.

Verstappen started on pole and cruised to his seventh win out of the season's nine races. He won Saturday's sprint race and left Spielberg's Red Bull Ring with a maximum haul. The 25-year-old pulled away with so much time in the bag that he pitted on the penultimate lap for soft tires to seize the fastest lap bonus point from Perez.

Verstappen's win was Red Bull's tenth consecutive victory and the team's ninth of the season. The reigning constructors' champion has won 19 of the last 21 races and is just one away from the all-time record set by McLaren in 1988.

Verstappen's win was also his fifth success at the Red Bull Ring, more than any other driver, and his first in Austria since the death of team owner Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022. The race was held just days after the death of 18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano van 't Hoff in a junior race in Belgium.

Verstappen's victory was yet another demonstration of his and Red Bull's dominance in the 2023 season. The superior pace of the Red Bull, combined with Verstappen's innate touch and ability, and the team's strong operational execution, have created a flawless whole. The team remains unbeaten this season, and the prospect of the RB19 going unbeaten throughout the 2023 campaign becomes more realistic with every passing Grand Prix.

Verstappen's Red Bull Racing team

Max Verstappen, the Dutch-Belgian racing driver, has been a part of Red Bull Racing since 2016. He is currently in his eighth season with the team.

Verstappen's journey with Red Bull began in 2014 when he joined the Red Bull Junior Team and was announced as a 2015 race driver for Toro Rosso. After a successful run with the Red Bull junior squad, he was promoted to the Red Bull Racing lineup.

On his Red Bull debut at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen qualified fourth and drove an immaculate race to claim his first F1 victory. He became the sport's youngest race winner at 18 years old.

Over the next few seasons, Verstappen firmly established himself as a major star of the sport and a regular race winner. In 2020, he finished third in the Drivers' Championship, winning races at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The stage was set for Verstappen to make his first serious bid for championship glory in 2021. He took the fight to a dominant Mercedes team, winning races in Imola, Monaco, Paul Ricard, and Spielberg in Austria. The 2021 season culminated in a nail-biting showdown in Abu Dhabi, where Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on the last lap to claim his first Drivers' World Championship title.

Verstappen's dominance continued in the following years, with back-to-back championship wins in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he secured his fourth consecutive title, becoming the first driver in 41 years to win the championship for a third-placed constructor.

Verstappen's success with Red Bull Racing has been remarkable. He has achieved numerous records and is set to remain with the team until at least the end of the 2028 season.

Verstappen's career and achievements

Max Verstappen is a Dutch-Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Born in 1997, Verstappen is the son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen and Belgian former kart racer Sophie Kumpen.

Verstappen started racing in karts at the age of four and began competing in championships at the age of seven. In 2013, he completed a record-breaking season in karting, winning three CIK-FIA championships in a single season. In 2014, Verstappen made his racing debut in the non-championship Florida Winter Series. The following year, he became the youngest driver in Formula One history at the Australian Grand Prix, driving for Toro Rosso. In 2016, Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull and, at the Spanish Grand Prix, became the youngest-ever driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix at 18 years and 228 days.

Verstappen achieved multiple race wins in his 2017 and 2018 campaigns, before finishing third in both the 2019 and 2020 World Drivers' Championships. In 2021, he won his maiden title, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion from the Netherlands and the 34th overall. Verstappen went on to win the next three championships consecutively, from 2021 to 2024, breaking numerous records along the way.

As of 2024, Verstappen has achieved 63 race wins, 40 pole positions, 33 fastest laps, and 112 podiums in Formula One. He holds several Formula One records, including the most wins in a season (19), the most consecutive wins (10), and the most consecutive pole positions (8, shared with Ayrton Senna).

Other notable drivers at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen is not Austrian, but he did win the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix. The race was held on 2 July 2023 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.

Charles Leclerc

Driving for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc finished second in the race. He was the only driver able to give Verstappen a challenge during the race, briefly taking the lead after the deployment of a Virtual Safety Car. However, he was ultimately unable to keep up with Verstappen's pace and finished five seconds behind him.

Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez, Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, completed the podium in third place. Starting from 15th on the grid, Perez delivered a fine recovery drive to secure his first podium since the Miami Grand Prix. He engaged in a thrilling late battle with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, ultimately coming out on top to ensure both Red Bulls finished on the podium.

Lando Norris

Lando Norris had a strong performance at the Austrian Grand Prix, finishing in fourth place. Norris' McLaren showed impressive pace, and he was able to get ahead of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes despite struggling with brake issues. Norris' result was made even more impressive by the fact that McLaren had brought upgrades to the MCL60, which allowed him to compete at the front of the field.

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso, driving for Aston Martin, finished in fifth place. Alonso produced a solid and consistent drive to score valuable points for his team. He was able to take advantage of the penalties incurred by other drivers and move up in the final classification.

Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz, Leclerc's teammate at Ferrari, finished in sixth place. Sainz showed strong pace throughout the race and was challenging his teammate for position. However, he incurred a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits, which dropped him down in the final standings.

Frequently asked questions