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      Max Verstappen given FIA warning after doing ‘burnout’ over line at Styrian Grand Prix as race director fumes

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has been warned by FIA chiefs after his ‘burnout’ celebration at the Styrian Grand Prix.The Dutchman stormed to a whopping 35 second victory at Red Bull Ring, picking up his third win in four races.

      Max Verstappen celebrated in style after a dominant winCredit: Getty
      Verstappen, 23, cockily performed his ‘burnout’ celebration at the chequered flag – only to be reprimanded by race director Michael Masi.
      F1 chief Masi, 42, felt that the manoeuvre could have endangered one of Verstappen’s fellow drivers.
      Quizzed over whether he’d looked at the incident again, he said: ” Yes I did, as soon as it happened.
      “It was not an ideal situation, which is why I spoke to the team immediately and told them accordingly, that it’s something that would not be tolerated in the future.”
      Formula 1 have strict rules in place with regards to celebrations.
      Article 43.3 of the organisation’s rules state the strict limits within which drivers must adhere when toasting a victory.
      It reminds drivers that they must not ‘endanger’ any of their colleagues or officials.
      While Verstappen will be feeling a rap on his knuckles, the incident will hardly dampen his spirits after another hugely impressive victory.
      Verstappen, 23, recorded back to back wins for the first timeCredit: Rex
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      After picking up back to back victories for the first time in his career, the Drivers Championship front-runner said: “It’s looking really good, we just have to keep on going.
      “I’m confident we can do another good job again next week.
      “We improve our car at every race, which is important because we have a good chance this season and at the moment I don’t see that compromise [with 2022].
      “I guess time will tell next season.”
      The victory puts Verstappen 18 points ahead of title rival Lewis Hamilton ahead of this coming weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix – again held at the Spielberg circuit.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen react to epic Bahrain opener More

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      Lewis Hamilton claims it is ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ for Mercedes to keep up with Red Bull and have ‘no answer’ to F1 rivals

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      LEWIS HAMILTON called on Mercedes to ditch their plan of focusing fully on 2022 and deliver him an upgrade to catch Max Verstappen.While the reigning world champions have been dominant in Formula One for years, Red Bull are pulling away this season.
      Lewis Hamilton (left) finished second in Austria on Sunday and is now 18 points behind Max Verstappen in the race for the championshipCredit: Reuters
      Verstappen won again in Sunday’s Styrian Grand Prix to go 18 points clear of Hamilton atop the championship standings.
      And the Brit admitted it was ‘impossible’ to keep up with his rival around Red Bull Ring.
      Hamilton summarised: “It was a bit of a lonely race.
      “I was trying to stay with Max but they have made some improvements and it was impossible to keep up.
      “We got good points as a team and we have to keep pushing.
      “I try not to concern myself with the championship but they are just faster and there is not a lot I can do in that respect but just try and do the best I can. We need to find performance.”
      Verstappen led from start to finish in Spielberg and F1 will race at the same circuit next weekend.
      Hamilton had won three of the first four races in 2021 but now finds himself comfortably beaten by the Dutchman for the second week in a row.

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      They have definitely made big steps over the past couple of races and we haven’t really got an answer for it.Lewis Hamilton
      He described the gap between the cars and said: “It was around three to four tenths [of a second per lap] – it was pretty impressive speed they had.
      “There was nothing I could do. I gave it absolutely everything.
      “I don’t know where they are gaining speed but it was everywhere in general, particularly on the straights.
      “They have definitely made big steps over the past couple of races and we haven’t really got an answer for it.”
      Mercedes have admitted that they will not be adding any more upgrades to this season’s car to help them prepare for a huge rule overhaul next year.
      But Hamilton is desperate for some instant extra development to help his bid for eight world titles.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      The 36-year-old said: “We need to find performance. We need an upgrade of some sort.
      “We have not brought any upgrades. I don’t remember the last time we had any upgrades, but Red Bull have.
      “They have clearly brought an engine upgrade and some other part of the package and it has eked them ahead and there is not too much we can do.
      “We would love to have upgrades and improvements but I don’t think that is on the cards, but when we do our debrief, we will talk about it.

      “I am not going to question the team’s logic or process. I would love an update. Give us an upgrade, but I don’t think it is in the pipeline at the moment.
      “We are down on a few areas. It was close at the beginning of the season but they have taken a decent step forwards.
      “We did a decent job but it is going to get harder, especially if Sergio Perez has a better weekend.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 Styrian Grand Prix LIVE RESULT: Verstappen eases to victory as Hamilton second with fastest lap at Red Bull Ring

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has won ANOTHER Grand Prix to keep Mercedes’ drought going to four races.The German manufacturers have not gone four races without a victory since 2014 and now they and star driver Lewis Hamilton are starting to worry the title is moving out of reach.
      Verstappen was in red hot form again in Austria as he led from gun to tape and Hamilton gave up on his chance of victory to try for the fastest lap, which he clinched.
      And Valtteri Bottas then held off Sergio Perez for the third spot on the podium.
      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
      CHEQUERED FLAG
      Thank you for joining us today and we will be back on Friday for practice of the Austrian Grand Prix around the Red Bull Ring.
      Catch up with all the Styrian GP action with Ben Hunt’s race report.
      Credit: Reuters
      GEORGE CRESTFALLEN
      Williams starlet George Russell put his car on the edge of the points in qualifying and reached eighth before an issue wrecked his race.
      Forced into the pits after being told on the radio that he needed to do a two-stopper, he was quickly forced to return and eventually retired.
      Talking to Sky Sports after leaving the garage and looking clearly heartbroken, he said: “It was a very rare pneumatic issue on the car, they’re still looking into it.
      “The team apologised on the radio, there was no need for it. We’re in this together, but it’s frustrating for sure.
      “Racing is cruel sometimes, it’s never straightforward or easy pickings.”
      MAX POWER
      Up next to face the media is Max Verstappen, who is very pleased with his situation but accepts it can all change very quickly.
      He tells Sky Sports: “This race was just very enjoyable.
      “We had good pace and tyre degradation was very good, which is normally a strong point for Mercedes.
      “Next weekend is a different race with softer compounds, naturally I think the teams will be a little closer together.
      “We have a really good car now, I always want to be better and we will keep pushing.”
      FULL RESULTS
      Here is how the Styrian Grand Prix shook down, with just two retirements and only the top four not being lapped by the winner…

      ‘FAR FROM OVER’
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff says there will be no new upgrades to claw back the Red Bulls.
      He tells Sky Sports: “It’s very interesting, I’m really looking forward to seeing where we can improve for next weekend.
      “It’s not a bad result but what’s tough is that this was the first race in eight years where we’re just lacking the pace.
      “You can see that we’ve stopped developing for this year to focus on next year and they keep adding new bits.
      “Time will tell when you look back in five or tens years whether it is the right decision or not, but it’s not over.”
      HAMILTON AT A LOSS
      Lewis Hamilton, speaking under an umbrella as the rain has finally reached Spielberg, discusses the state of the championship on Sky Sports.
      He says: “I can’t remember the last time we had an upgrade.
      “They clearly have, it’s just eked them ahead. There’s a really long way to go but with speed like that there’s nothing we can do.
      “I’ve got confidence that the team can find something.
      “They’ve spent more money than us this year, maybe we’ve put more on next year – I don’t know. I’m just driving the car to the maximum but we need to try and find some more out of the performance.”
      Credit: Reuters
      THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN
      Charles Leclerc was chewed up in the Turn 1 mayhem and dropped to the back of the pack with a broken wing.
      Yet the Ferrari star fought back to a sterling seventh-place finish to claim the fans’ vote for Driver of the Day.

      LANDO APPEARS
      Not since the first few laps of the race have we seen Lando Norris, who came home fifth after surrendering his early podium spot to Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
      After subsequently cruising home, the slightly bemused Brit tells Sky Sports: “A bit of a lonely, straightforward race.
      “Which is quite good but you always want more, until you get to P1.
      “I have to be happy but days like today, although you want more, are the ones you’ll be thankful for when you look back on it.”
      SAINZ SATISFIED
      Carlos Sainz came home sixth but feels it could have been more having found himself behind Lewis Hamilton, attempting to unlap himself.
      The Merc eventually moved aside although Sainz was too far ahead to challenge.
      The Spaniard tells Sky Sports: “A very good day in the office.
      “A very weird scenario as I was on very fresh Hards, I knew I could catch Lando but I was stuck behind Lewis.
      “Eventually I was able to unlap myself. I spent 15 laps behind him, scrubbing my front tyres.”
      Credit: Alamy
      HORNER REACTS
      Red Bull chief Christian Horner is in front of the cameras and heaps the praise on Max Verstappen.
      He tells Sky Sports: “It was an immaculate performance, particularly by Max who managed the race so well.
      “The way he controlled the race, built the gap – that’s the most dominant win we’ve had so far this year against Mercedes.
      “It was a masterclass.”
      CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
      Two wins in a row mean Max Verstappen holds an 18-point lead over Lewis Hamilton after eight rounds of the 2021 calendar.
      There is still a long way to go but that is almost an entire race worth of advantage for the Dutchman.
      Sergio Perez is still third with Lando Norris keeping fourth after making it three fifth-placed finishes on the spin.
      But Valtteri Bottas now sits just 12 back, before Ferrari men Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
      Credit: Reuters
      HERE COMES THE BUBBLY
      Lewi Hamilton *finally* catches Max Verstappen for the first time this afternoon – to douse him in champagne.
      Red Bull supremo Helmut Marko is on the podium to collect the constructors’ trophy, and he gets the bulk of Verstappen’s attention before the winner is caught by his Mercedes rivals.
      All in good spirits of course and attention is quickly turning to the same time in the same place, next weekend…
      NATIONAL ANTHEMS
      The Austrian national anthem rings out around the Styrian hills…
      Max Verstappen has now delivered three victories to his team’s home race.
      WING IT
      Lewis Hamilton pondering Red Bull’s superiority, there.
      It’s the straights where his rivals have found an advantage ‘in the last few races’, says the reigning champ.
      And he adds he doesn’t know whether it’s the Red Bull rear wing or not.
      Fair to say there is a lot of head scratching taking place at the Mercs right now.
      UPGRADE NEEDED
      Lewis Hamilton admits Red Bull ‘are just faster’ following that second-place finish.
      He tells Mark Webber after hopping out the car: “We need to find some performance, we need an upgrade of some sort.”
      VERSTAPPEN WINS
      Back-to-back wins for the first time in his F1 career, and extends his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship.
      He does a wheelspin as he crosses the line. Fabulous drive.
      Hamilton is second and gets a points for the fastest lap.
      Bottas takes third. Perez is fourth, just 0.5 seconds behind when he was 19 seconds at the last top.
      Norris is fifth. Great drive from him.
      FINAL LAP
      Verstappen is closing in on victory….
      MERC STOP HAMILTON FOR TYRES
      He has a free stop. He is going to try and get the fastest lap bonus point. He returns to the race in second place, but 38.7 seconds behind Verstappen.
      PEREZ IS CATCHING BOTTAS
      Six laps to go. Will the Red Bull man get past the Mercedes driver?
      LAP 62/71
      Hamilton is praying for rain. But it is not coming.
      He is 11.6 seconds behind Verstappen.
      HAMILTON WARNED ABOUT TRACK LIMITS
      He has gone wide at turn 10 twice and the stewards have given him a warning. If he does it again, he could get a penalty.
      HAMILTON AT A LOSS TO CATCH VERSTAPPEN
      Mercedes to Hamilton : “Gap to Verstappen is 8.8.” Hamilton: “What do I do? I can’t close that.”
      LAP 55/71
      Perez stops for fresh tyres. This must be an attempt to get the fastest lap. He also now has to hammer it if he is to get past Bottas.
      Will Merc call in Bottas or hope he lasts the distance?

      LAP 50
      Leclerc passes Vettel for 10th place for the final place in the points. Both drivers would have been hoping for better.
      LAP 48/71
      It is Perez v Bottas for third place, which is shaping up to be a great fight for the final podium place.

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      Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton again in F1 Styrian Grand Prix… amid heartbreak for George Russell

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN led from start to finish to bolster his Formula One title bid with yet another dominant performance on a Sunday.Lewis Hamilton had no answer to the Dutch star’s raw pace in the Styrian Grand Prix around the Red Bull Ring.
      Starting on pole, Verstappen opened up a comfortable lead over Hamilton while their team-mates squabbled over the final podium place.
      Red Bull threw a curveball out with Sergio Perez’s late second stop for quicker tyres to try and slingshot him past Valtteri Bottas.
      However, the under-fire Mercedes ace held out to claim a much needed third place.
      A first points finish in a Williams for young Brit George Russell was very much on the cards after adding a confident start to his typically strong qualifying performance.
      Yet a power unit issue wrecked his afternoon while in eighth place and he eventually retired.
      Full report to follow… More

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      F1 Styrian Grand Prix: UK start time, TV channel, live stream and TODAY’s race schedule for the Red Bull Ring

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has won ANOTHER Grand Prix to keep Mercedes’ drought going to four races.The German manufacturers have not gone four races without a victory since 2014 and now they and star driver Lewis Hamilton are starting to worry the title is moving out of reach.
      Verstappen was in red hot form again in Austria as he led from gun to tape and Hamilton gave up on his chance of victory to try for the fastest lap, which he clinched.
      And Valtteri Bottas then held off Sergio Perez for the third spot on the podium.
      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
      CHEQUERED FLAG
      Thank you for joining us today and we will be back on Friday for practice of the Austrian Grand Prix around the Red Bull Ring.
      Catch up with all the Styrian GP action with Ben Hunt’s race report.
      Credit: Reuters
      GEORGE CRESTFALLEN
      Williams starlet George Russell put his car on the edge of the points in qualifying and reached eighth before an issue wrecked his race.
      Forced into the pits after being told on the radio that he needed to do a two-stopper, he was quickly forced to return and eventually retired.
      Talking to Sky Sports after leaving the garage and looking clearly heartbroken, he said: “It was a very rare pneumatic issue on the car, they’re still looking into it.
      “The team apologised on the radio, there was no need for it. We’re in this together, but it’s frustrating for sure.
      “Racing is cruel sometimes, it’s never straightforward or easy pickings.”
      MAX POWER
      Up next to face the media is Max Verstappen, who is very pleased with his situation but accepts it can all change very quickly.
      He tells Sky Sports: “This race was just very enjoyable.
      “We had good pace and tyre degradation was very good, which is normally a strong point for Mercedes.
      “Next weekend is a different race with softer compounds, naturally I think the teams will be a little closer together.
      “We have a really good car now, I always want to be better and we will keep pushing.”
      FULL RESULTS
      Here is how the Styrian Grand Prix shook down, with just two retirements and only the top four not being lapped by the winner…

      ‘FAR FROM OVER’
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff says there will be no new upgrades to claw back the Red Bulls.
      He tells Sky Sports: “It’s very interesting, I’m really looking forward to seeing where we can improve for next weekend.
      “It’s not a bad result but what’s tough is that this was the first race in eight years where we’re just lacking the pace.
      “You can see that we’ve stopped developing for this year to focus on next year and they keep adding new bits.
      “Time will tell when you look back in five or tens years whether it is the right decision or not, but it’s not over.”
      HAMILTON AT A LOSS
      Lewis Hamilton, speaking under an umbrella as the rain has finally reached Spielberg, discusses the state of the championship on Sky Sports.
      He says: “I can’t remember the last time we had an upgrade.
      “They clearly have, it’s just eked them ahead. There’s a really long way to go but with speed like that there’s nothing we can do.
      “I’ve got confidence that the team can find something.
      “They’ve spent more money than us this year, maybe we’ve put more on next year – I don’t know. I’m just driving the car to the maximum but we need to try and find some more out of the performance.”
      Credit: Reuters
      THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN
      Charles Leclerc was chewed up in the Turn 1 mayhem and dropped to the back of the pack with a broken wing.
      Yet the Ferrari star fought back to a sterling seventh-place finish to claim the fans’ vote for Driver of the Day.

      LANDO APPEARS
      Not since the first few laps of the race have we seen Lando Norris, who came home fifth after surrendering his early podium spot to Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
      After subsequently cruising home, the slightly bemused Brit tells Sky Sports: “A bit of a lonely, straightforward race.
      “Which is quite good but you always want more, until you get to P1.
      “I have to be happy but days like today, although you want more, are the ones you’ll be thankful for when you look back on it.”
      SAINZ SATISFIED
      Carlos Sainz came home sixth but feels it could have been more having found himself behind Lewis Hamilton, attempting to unlap himself.
      The Merc eventually moved aside although Sainz was too far ahead to challenge.
      The Spaniard tells Sky Sports: “A very good day in the office.
      “A very weird scenario as I was on very fresh Hards, I knew I could catch Lando but I was stuck behind Lewis.
      “Eventually I was able to unlap myself. I spent 15 laps behind him, scrubbing my front tyres.”
      Credit: Alamy
      HORNER REACTS
      Red Bull chief Christian Horner is in front of the cameras and heaps the praise on Max Verstappen.
      He tells Sky Sports: “It was an immaculate performance, particularly by Max who managed the race so well.
      “The way he controlled the race, built the gap – that’s the most dominant win we’ve had so far this year against Mercedes.
      “It was a masterclass.”
      CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
      Two wins in a row mean Max Verstappen holds an 18-point lead over Lewis Hamilton after eight rounds of the 2021 calendar.
      There is still a long way to go but that is almost an entire race worth of advantage for the Dutchman.
      Sergio Perez is still third with Lando Norris keeping fourth after making it three fifth-placed finishes on the spin.
      But Valtteri Bottas now sits just 12 back, before Ferrari men Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
      Credit: Reuters
      HERE COMES THE BUBBLY
      Lewi Hamilton *finally* catches Max Verstappen for the first time this afternoon – to douse him in champagne.
      Red Bull supremo Helmut Marko is on the podium to collect the constructors’ trophy, and he gets the bulk of Verstappen’s attention before the winner is caught by his Mercedes rivals.
      All in good spirits of course and attention is quickly turning to the same time in the same place, next weekend…
      NATIONAL ANTHEMS
      The Austrian national anthem rings out around the Styrian hills…
      Max Verstappen has now delivered three victories to his team’s home race.
      WING IT
      Lewis Hamilton pondering Red Bull’s superiority, there.
      It’s the straights where his rivals have found an advantage ‘in the last few races’, says the reigning champ.
      And he adds he doesn’t know whether it’s the Red Bull rear wing or not.
      Fair to say there is a lot of head scratching taking place at the Mercs right now.
      UPGRADE NEEDED
      Lewis Hamilton admits Red Bull ‘are just faster’ following that second-place finish.
      He tells Mark Webber after hopping out the car: “We need to find some performance, we need an upgrade of some sort.”
      VERSTAPPEN WINS
      Back-to-back wins for the first time in his F1 career, and extends his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship.
      He does a wheelspin as he crosses the line. Fabulous drive.
      Hamilton is second and gets a points for the fastest lap.
      Bottas takes third. Perez is fourth, just 0.5 seconds behind when he was 19 seconds at the last top.
      Norris is fifth. Great drive from him.
      FINAL LAP
      Verstappen is closing in on victory….
      MERC STOP HAMILTON FOR TYRES
      He has a free stop. He is going to try and get the fastest lap bonus point. He returns to the race in second place, but 38.7 seconds behind Verstappen.
      PEREZ IS CATCHING BOTTAS
      Six laps to go. Will the Red Bull man get past the Mercedes driver?
      LAP 62/71
      Hamilton is praying for rain. But it is not coming.
      He is 11.6 seconds behind Verstappen.
      HAMILTON WARNED ABOUT TRACK LIMITS
      He has gone wide at turn 10 twice and the stewards have given him a warning. If he does it again, he could get a penalty.
      HAMILTON AT A LOSS TO CATCH VERSTAPPEN
      Mercedes to Hamilton : “Gap to Verstappen is 8.8.” Hamilton: “What do I do? I can’t close that.”
      LAP 55/71
      Perez stops for fresh tyres. This must be an attempt to get the fastest lap. He also now has to hammer it if he is to get past Bottas.
      Will Merc call in Bottas or hope he lasts the distance?

      LAP 50
      Leclerc passes Vettel for 10th place for the final place in the points. Both drivers would have been hoping for better.
      LAP 48/71
      It is Perez v Bottas for third place, which is shaping up to be a great fight for the final podium place.

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      Red Bull boss claims Max Verstappen is a better driver than Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes star would struggle in his car

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN is better than Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes champ would struggle if they had to swap cars, claims Red Bull boss Christian Horner. Brit chief Horner – married to former Spice Girl Geri – reckons fellow Englishman George Russell’s outing in Hamilton’s car last season proved Verstappen, 23, is superior.
      Christian Horner (left) thinks Max Verstappen is a better driver than Lewis HamiltonCredit: Reuters
      Hamilton is yet to sign a new deal at MercedesCredit: Getty – Pool
      Seven-time world champion Hamilton, 36, was KO’d by coronavirus for the Sakhir Grand Prix and Williams driver Russell deputised.
      Russell qualified in second place just 0.026s behind the other Mercedes driven by Valtteri Bottas and was leading the race by ten seconds before problems in the pit and with his tyres cost him a maiden win.
      Horner, 47, told RacingNews365: “I think Verstappen is the best, and George Russell’s performance at Mercedes confirmed that for me.
      “Max and Lewis stand out for me but, while we should definitely not be blind to what Hamilton has achieved, he does have a good package at his disposal.
      “While Max has to get more out of his car.
      “At Mercedes, a Williams driver can qualify himself directly on the front row and Russell almost won the race. 
      “However, if at Red Bull someone has to get into Verstappen’s car, for example if Max had corona, then nobody will reach his level.”
      Red Bulls’s Verstappen is hoping to challenge Brit Hamilton’s F1 supremacyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt

      Hamilton was knighted by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours list and also picked up the BBC Sports Personality of the Year gong for 2020.
      The Stevenage-born icon eclipsed Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 wins last year to fuel the GOAT debate.
      Rival Sebastian Vettel insisted Schumacher is the greatest while Hamilton slammed critics ‘with a bee in their bonnet’.
      Verstappen finished third behind the two Mercedes in 2020 and Horner thinks there is plenty more to come from the Dutch star after confirming he hasn’t reached his full potential yet.
      He added: “The others have a hard time compared to Max’s performance.
      “If you look at his performance in Abu Dhabi: his pole was phenomenal and then he controlled the race in a very mature way from start to finish.
      “His racing craft is excellent, as is his tyre management.
      “Max has become better at ‘reading’ the race, giving feedback to the team, but also, for example, in dealing with disappointment. He has matured very much in those areas.”
      F1 champ Lewis Hamilton hikes up mountain in the snow in intensive altitude training More

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      F1 Styrian Grand Prix qualifying LIVE RESULTS: Verstappen on POLE, Hamilton starts third, Norris fourth at Red Bull Ring

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      THE F1 roadshow is in Austria this weekend for the Styrian Grand Prix.Champ Lewis Hamilton currently sits 12 points behind Max Verstappen in a thrilling title race.
      But the Brit has given himself a psychological boost over the Dutchman by edging him out in FP3.
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      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
      LEWIS: WE DON’T HAVE THE PACE TO OVERTAKE
      World champ Lewis Hamilton gave a sober assessment of his chances on tomorrow’s Styrian GP – after Red Bull’s world championship leader Max Verstappen took pole again.
      LEWIS: “It wasn’t the greatest of sessions but I’m still on the front row [because of Valtteri’s penalty].”I don’t think we have the raw pace to overtake [Red Bull]. I’ll be giving it everything. Maybe we’ll be surprised tomorrow. Maybe in rains”#StyrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/NzKQ6bjW22— Formula 1 (@F1) June 26, 2021

      IN THE ZONE
      Here is how Max Verstappen claimed his second pole position in a row.
      Red Bull appeared in control throughout the qualifying round and Verstappen’s first Q3 lap of 1:03.841 proved to be comfortably sufficient for pole

      LEW LOOK
      Lewis Hamilton posed for a few photos before the the Styrian GP.
      The Mercedes star was beaten by Max Verstappen, who claimed his second pole position in a row.
      Verstappen has maintained his championship momentum

      GREAT LAP FROM VERSTAPPEN
      Back to back poles now for the championship leader.

      VERSTAPPEN TAKES POLE POSITION
      The Dutchman is on pole, Bottas is second – but has a three place grid drop – and will start in P5.
      Hamilton, who qualified in third place, will start in second spot. Norris gets bumped up from fourth to start third.
      HAMILTON IS NOT BETTERING HIS TIME
      Hamilton could miss out big time here…he’s made a mistake on a scrappy lap.
      TWO MINUTES REMAINING
      Can Hamilton take the fight to Verstappen?
      THAT WAS A MEGA LAP FROM VERSTAPPEN
      First driver to go into 1:03 for the weekend. Also a good lap from Norris in P3.
      AFTER THE FIRST RUNS IT IS
      Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris, Bottas, Perez, Gasly, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Alonso and Stroll.

      VERSTAPPEN IS FLYING
      He is setting the fastest sector times in the first two sectors and takes provisional pole. A lap time of 1:03.841
      Q3 IS GO
      Hamilton sets the early benchmark but his provisional pole time will get overtaken.

      ELIMINATED FROM Q2
      A blow for Ricciardo, who is out in Q2 and will start in 13th. Hugely disappointing.
      Carlos Sainz also eliminated and will line up in 12th after also failing to make it through.
      Giovinazzi, Vettel, Ricciardo, Sainz and Russell all eliminated.
      SEVEN MINUTES TO GO – IN THE DROP ZONE
      Giovinazzi, Ricciardo, Russell, Vettel and Leclerc.
      VERSTAPPEN GOES QUICKEST – HAMILTON MAKES A MISTAKE
      Double woe for the world champion, who has a mistake at turn three and locks up.
      His time is only good enough for fifth, as Verstappen powers his way out in front.
      Hamilton also has to start the race on those tyres, which now have damage too.
      Q2 IS GO
      Bottas first out on medium tyres. He is joined on track by Antonio Giovinazzi.
      ELIMINATED FROM Q1
      Mazepin, Schuamcher, Raikkonen, Ocon and Latifi.

      LATIFI IN NINTH
      The Williams man has thumped in a great lap to move into the top 10. That was unexpected.
      He is currently quicker than George Russell his teammate, who has out-qualified him at every race.

      BOTTAS IN THE THICK OF IT
      He’s currently P2 and hanging in there. Can he reach Verstappen’s time?
      HAMILTON IN P4
      He will be safely in to Q2 but the track is heating up and there could be a big name in the bottom five.
      EARLY PACE FROM NORRIS
      McLaren have rediscovered that pace. The Brit is second behind Verstappen’s time.

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      20 MINUTES UNTIL QUALIFYING
      Hamilton verses Verstappen for pole in Austria. Who will get the advantage? Just 20 minutes until the green light.
      FP3 LIVE RESULTS
      As explained below, Lewis Hamilton topped Max Verstappen in FP3.
      Valtteri Bottas finished third, ahead of Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda.
      More below:

      FP3 IS DONE HAMILTON TOPS VERSTAPPEN
      The world champion is on P1 while Verstappen is second quickest, and had a lap deleted for exceeding track limits.
      Bottas in third place and Perez in fourt. It is all delicately poised for qualifying.
      HAAS DUO SOME WAY APART
      Mick Schumacher is in 16th yet Nakita Mazepin is last. The Russian is struggling again.

      Load more entries… More

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      in Motorsport

      Verstappen on pole for Styrian GP with Hamilton promoted to second on grid after Bottas penalty

      by

      MAX VERSTAPPEN ramped up the pressure on Lewis Hamilton with his second successive pole.Red Bull’s F1 title leader Verstappen was 0.194 seconds faster than Valtteri Bottas – but world champ Hamilton was promoted to second as his Mercedes team-mate was penalised for a bizarre pit-lane spin.
      F1 world championship leader Max Verstappen is again on pole, this time for the Styrian GP at the Red Bull Ring in AustriaCredit: EPA
      LEWIS: “It wasn’t the greatest of sessions but I’m still on the front row [because of Valtteri’s penalty].”I don’t think we have the raw pace to overtake [Red Bull]. I’ll be giving it everything. Maybe we’ll be surprised tomorrow. Maybe in rains”#StyrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/NzKQ6bjW22— Formula 1 (@F1) June 26, 2021

      Lando Norris continued his fine season by grabbing fourth for McLaren and will profit from Bottas’ penalty by moving up to third.
      World champ Lewis Hamilton finished third but will promoted to the front rowCredit: Getty
      Valtteri Bottas suffered pit-lane woe, meaning a penalty and demotion to third place on the gridCredit: Getty
      Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez finished fifth for a Red Bull team who have won the past three rounds.
      And they are primed to win their fourth in succession as Verstappen claimed the sixth pole of his career.
      The Mercedes driver is now on a run of four races without adding to the century of poles he scored at last month’s Spanish Grand Prix.
      Hamilton, 36, failed to improve with his final run following a poor lap and came on the radio to apologise to Mercedes.
      For Verstappen, who is a dozen points ahead of Hamilton, there were no such concerns as he cruised to the front spot.
      The Belgian-Dutch ace said: “It has been a very good weekend.
      “Again in qualifying the car was good to drive. It is not easy to deal with the traffic to get a clean run but the first lap in Q3 was good enough in the end.

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      “I am super happy to be on pole at Red Bull’s home race. It will be very tight tomorrow. It is never easy and hopefully it will be as interesting as it was last weekend in France.”
      Hamilton, 36,admitted Red Bull’s pace had been superior.
      He said: “They have been so fast this weekend. It wasn’t the greatest of sessions but we are on the front row.
      “I did everything I could and I go into tomorrow’s race up for the fight.
      “Max has had a quarter of a second on us all weekend so it will be interesting to see if we can manage it. I don’t think we have the raw pace to overtake them.”
      Verstappen added: “It’s been a very good weekend. The car was really good.

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      “It’s not easy with the traffic to try and get a clean run in the last few corners but I think that first lap in Q3 was good enough.
      “Super happy to be on pole at home, it’s always nice to see a Red Bull car on pole here.
      “It’s never easy but it’s good for racing. I’m sure tomorrow will be very tough.”
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