Charles Leclerc was firing on all cylinders at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on Sunday, July 2, as the Monegasque was narrowly beaten to the chequered flag by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, as the Dutchman made it five wins in a row this season.
Last year, it was Leclerc who took the win, which is actually Scuderia Ferrari’s last victory. Leclerc overtook Verstappen three times en route to victory in 2022, but was unable to replicate the win this time, as the RB rocket ship accelerated out of reach in the early laps.
Leclerc briefly led the way after taking advantage of a virtual safety car, but he fell back behind Verstappen as the pair worked through their opposing tyre plans and the Red Bull showed its raw pace, which was only underscored by a very late and successful attempt at a fastest lap.
In the end, Leclerc crossed the line a relatively close 5.155 seconds behind Verstappen, while the latter’s teammate Sergio Perez completed the podium in third place, beating Carlos Sainz to the punch in what became a Red Bull versus Ferrari affair.
Featured image courtesy of @ScuderiaFerrari on Twitter
