Max Verstappen: Fifth in Austria

Verstappen finished fifth in the Austrian Grand Prix F1 race at Red Bull Ring on Sunday.

Analysis:

Verstappen looked to be headed for a dominant weekend. He won both sprint qualifying and the sprint race, and then qualified atop the grid for the traditional grand prix. He maintained the lead convincingly until he made a final pit stop on Lap 51 to put on fresh medium tires. A slow stop allowed Lando Norris to come out of the pits only two seconds behind Verstappen, and Norris kept the pressure on and made several overtaking attempts. That culminated in a clash between the duo that left both with tire punctures, forcing Norris to retire and Verstappen to tumble down the grid. Even with that slight stumble, Verstappen has an 81-point advantage in the driver standings.