Formula 1: Max Verstappen overcomes disastrous start, wins 2019 Austrian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen lost five positions at the start of the Austrian Grand Prix, but that was not enough to keep him from earning his first victory of the 2019 Formula 1 season.

Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen made up the youngest front row in Formula 1 history for the 21-race 2019 season’s ninth race, the Austrian Grand Prix, at the Red Bull Ring with an average age of 21 years and 265 days.

That front row did not last long. While Leclerc got away well from the pole position, Verstappen dropped five positions at the start from second to seventh place.

But throughout what was by far the most exciting race of the season from start to finish, the 21-year-old Dutchman worked his way back to win the Austrian Grand Prix for the second consecutive season.

Verstappen won this 71-lap race around the 10-turn, 2.683-mile (4.318-kilometer) Red Bull Ring road course in Spielberg, Styria, Austria by 2.724 seconds over Leclerc in second place, although the winning pass he made with three laps remaining is under investigation.

Here is this winning pass.

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This victory is Honda’s first victory in Formula 1 since the 2006 season when Jenson Button won the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Valtteri Bottas finished in third place to round out the podium. As a result, Mercedes’ 10-race winning streak came to an end. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five by finishing in fourth and fifth, respectively.

McLaren rookie Lando Norris, Red Bull Racing’s Pierre Gasly, McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. and Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen and rookie Antonio Giovinazzi rounded out the top 10 by finishing in sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th place, respectively.

This race featured a total of four lead changes. Aside of Verstappen, who led only four laps of the race, two drivers led at least one lap of the race. Leclerc led more laps than anybody else in the field with 59 laps led while Hamilton led the other eight laps. Of the 20 drivers who started the race, all 20 finished it and five finished on the lead lap.

Here are the full race results of the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

Race Results
1st – Max Verstappen
2nd – Charles Leclerc
3rd – Valtteri Bottas
4th – Sebastian Vettel
5th – Lewis Hamilton
6th – Lando Norris
7th – Pierre Gasly
8th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
9th – Kimi Raikkonen
10th – Antonio Giovinazzi
11th – Sergio Perez
12th – Daniel Ricciardo
13th – Nico Hulkenberg
14th – Lance Stroll
15th – Alexander Albon
16th – Romain Grosjean
17th – Daniil Kvyat
18th – George Russell
19th – Kevin Magnussen
20th – Robert Kubica

Formula 1 action is scheduled to resume on Sunday, July 14 with the 2019 season’s 10th race, the British Grand Prix, at Silverstone Circuit in England, United Kingdom on Sunday, July 14. This race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 9:10 a.m. ET.