Ferrari Wins F1 Austrian Grand Prix, Race Outcome Was Bittersweet

The starting grid for Sunday was established by the outcome of the Sprint race that took place on Saturday. We witnessed an epic battle between Verstappen and Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz wanted a piece of the action as well.

But you can read a more in-depth review of the Sprint race here. Max Verstappen took P1 and added an extra 8 points under his name on the leaderboard, while Charles Leclerc was 1.675 seconds behind him. That means that they were the two drivers on the front row for yesterday's starting grid in Austria.

Carlos Sainz had his fans on the edge of their seats for a moment, as he momentarily went off track. But he quickly recovered and went back out behind his Ferrari teammate. While everyone was paying attention to the battle for P1, George Russell made contact with Sergio Perez on the exit of Turn 4.

That ultimately spelled disaster for the 32-year-old driver from Mexico, as he would later have to retire from the race due to the damage to his car. Charles Leclerc was constantly setting the fastest lap of the race, and he would soon make a move to overtake his Red Bull opponent.

Verstappen opted for an early pitstop, and he would soon start to overtake several drivers including Lewis Hamilton on lap 18. The midfield battle was equally as interesting to follow, with both Haas drivers going wheel to wheel with the likes of Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris.

While Charles Leclerc entered the pits, Max Verstappen went back into P1 but that would be a short-lasting moment for him. The Scuderia Ferrari race car looked as if it was in a league of its own on Sunday, and Leclerc was leading the GP once more.

Halfway through the race, Sebastian Vettel made contact with Pierre Gasly and went off the track. Not a happy moment for the German driver, that's for sure. Ferrari fans were once again excited to see both of their favorites high up on the grid, with Leclerc in first and Sainz in third.

But disaster struck for the Spaniard on lap 57. Seeing his car going up in flames while he tried to keep it rolling back onto the track was without doubt one of the scariest moments this season. He managed to get out of the car unscathed, but we are all aware that he might have overtaken Verstappen if not for this incident.

As Charles Leclerc crossed the finish line in P1, you could say that this was a bittersweet race for Scuderia Ferrari. And it must have felt the same way in the Red Bull Racing paddock as well. This is Leclerc's fifth victory after five years in Formula 1.

And it also happens to be the first time he accomplishes such a feat without starting the race from pole position. Lewis Hamilton finished P3, albeit almost 41 seconds later. This marks his third P3 finish in a row and it does feel strange to know that he hasn't won any races so far in 2022.

With George Russell claiming P4, the remaining six drivers to score points this race are part of teams McLaren Mercedes, Haas Ferrari, and Alpine Renault. As of now, Verstappen is still leading the championship, with Leclerc being 38 points behind.

Sergio Perez is still third, with 151 points, but both Carlos Sainz and George Russell are right behind him. Lewis Hamilton is the only other driver to have scored more than 100 points this season. Over in the Constructor Standings, the situation is equally as hot between Red Bull and Ferrari. The gap is just 56 points, while Mercedes is the only other team that still has a real chance at winning the title this year.