Verstappen dominated the competition at the Red Bull Ring, emerging as the clear winner. According to Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen’s Red Bull car is significantly faster, about 12-13 km/h, in high-speed corners compared to the Mercedes at the Austrian Grand Prix. In qualifying, Verstappen outpaced Lando Norris by a considerable margin, while Hamilton struggled behind his Mercedes teammate, George Russell. Despite making changes to the car, Hamilton still faced a significant deficit in the high-speed sections, where Red Bull excelled. Hamilton admitted that Mercedes lacked the necessary aerodynamic pressure and had not made any compromises in their setup. Verstappen’s dominant performance posed a setback for Mercedes, and Hamilton is unsure how to challenge Red Bull’s superiority. He acknowledged that a half-second difference, as seen in this race, makes it harder for Mercedes to win. Hamilton also expressed surprise at Mercedes’ regression compared to their rivals as the race weekend progresses, speculating about possible factors such as fuel or engine strategy.
