F1 Austria: 3 Big Things

Well, at least I have plenty to choose from. Let’s get amongst it.

1. Lando vs. Max had to happen and it had to happen like this

This was inevitable. And more than that, it was fundamentally necessary. Lando has positioned himself as the challenger. He’s the only one with the car under him to take the fight to Max and a stage in the growth of this battle was always going to be titled simply: “fireworks.”

Lando misjudged braking points.

Max moved in the braking zone. 

It was scrappy, desperate battling and they probably got what they deserved. But this is so important in the context of “champion vs challenger” and if Max feels aggrieved that Lando was aggressive, we can look back a few years to see the boot firmly on the other foot.

2. Haas get the benefit

A double points finish for Haas in Austria! This was no ninth and tenth, either. Nico Hulkenberg finished P6 and did well to keep Sergio Perez behind him to secure eight points for the team, while Kevin Magnussen brought home another four.

They aren’t world beaters under Ayao Komatsu just yet and they’re not particularly consistent either but they’re showing that with a few breaks going their way, they are perfectly equipped to maximize what they’ve got in front of them. 

That’s the mark of some fundamental health and structure within the team. Long may it continue.

3. George notches another victory

There’s no way George Russell thought he’d have to wait this long for his second victory in Formula 1 after the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2022 but here we are on June 30, 2024, and the British driver has finally returned to the top step of the podium. 

It wasn’t a race of heroics but he was steady and he was the best of the rest. Critically, he was better than Lando and Max in one single respect: not blowing up his race.

While Lewis Hamilton will remain the team leader until he leaves for Ferrari, George is burnishing his reputation with drives like these. A win is great but this would have been a very good podium all the same.