The Chaser: Win Number Six for Verstappen

The Austrian thriller revitalized the 2019 season.

Jun 25, 2024

2019 started great for Mercedes. The Brackley team won first eight races of the season, stacking record five 1-2 finishes in a row from Australia to Spain. They were dominating, and that didn’t bode well for the championship. For a time it looked like we’ll witness a repetition of the seasons from 2014-2016.

And the fact that racing in general wasn’t the most spectacular didn’t help. The 1000th Grand Prix at Shanghai, a circuit that had hosted some of the best races from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s, turned out to be a Sunday to forget. Two IndyCar drivers even made fun of F1 during the Spanish Grand Prix. Things looked bleak.

Then suddenly, in the ninth round, the season came alive and delivered thrilling races, ranging from good to outright all-time great. Thanks to Austria, Britain, Germany, and Italy, among others, the season turned out to be quite exciting, even though both championships had been forgone conclusions very early on.

Austria was the turning point.

Simplified Wings

Technical regulations changed for 2019, aimed at improving following and overtaking. To achieve that front and rear wings were made wider and simpler. The latter made DRS more powerful than before.

The change didn’t play into Red Bull’s hands. Christian Horner voiced his concerns before the season even began. In June Max Verstappen specifically pointed out that the front wing changes hurt their car.

The early dominance of the Silver Arrows likely contributed to the perception that the 2019 regulations hindered high-rake cars, thereby favoring the low-rake design concept employed by Mercedes.

The Competitive Order

Red Bull remained the third-best car in the field, trailing behind Mercedes and Ferrari. Although the all-conquering Brackley team won all the races leading up to the French Grand Prix, not every victory was achieved purely on pace.

Ferrari should have won in Bahrain. Leclerc had been the fastest driver throughout the entire weekend until one of the cylinders in his engine malfunctioned. The Monegasque secured his first podium as a consolation. His misfortune, combined with Sebastian Vettel’s questionable driving, presented Mercedes an easy 1-2.

There was one additional race that the Maranello team could have won.

The Maneuver of Discord

While leading the Canadian Grand Prix and watching the silver Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton in his mirrors, Sebastian Vettel made a mistake, lost the car and cut across Turn 4. He returned to the track blocking the path of his pursuer. He returned to the track, obstructing the path of his pursuer. Hamilton veered to the right, came dangerously close to the wall, and backed off. As a result, the stewards issued Vettel a 5 second penalty.

Whether the decision was right or wrong is irrelevant to this post. What is important are the consequences, manifested in the form of criticism and anger directed at the stewards.

As I mentioned, Mercedes dominated up to that point. Everyone knew who was going to win both championships; the only question was the size of the winning margin. Suddenly, there was an exciting, nail-biting race in Canada in which Vettel could have broken Mercedes' hold on victories.

The stewards took the fun away. Fans went mad.

Red Bull Ring

Formula 1 traveled to Spielberg from Le Castellet, where the French Grand Prix had recently taken place. The race had been boring. Fun was gone. Not many had high hopes, when the paddock moved to Austria. However, the qualifying session at the picturesque circuit nestled in the Styrian mountains sparked some excitement.

Leclerc secured his second career pole position at Red Bull Ring, finishing two and a half tenths ahead of Hamilton, who received a grid penalty for impeding Raikkonen. He had to start from 4th. Thanks to that Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas each gained one position.

Pierre Gasly set 9th fastest lap in Q3, ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who finished qualifying without a lap time due to reliability issues. Additionally, Gasly gained a position. Kevin Magnussen, who had qualified P5, changed his gearbox which cost him 5 places.

Saturday at the Red Bull Ring showcased an amusing consequence of the recent rule change. The wider rear wings and more buffed DRS made the tow more powerful than before. And that’s what the drivers were primarily seeking during qualifying. Unsurprisingly, given the three long straights on the circuit.

Tow has always been helpful. Always will be. Nothing new. However it probably has never been as rewarding as in 2019-2021. At Monza, later in the season, the get the tow tactic reached its bizarre, comedy of fools tier zenith, when during the last run in Q3 no driver wanted to be first and give the tow to his rival. In the aftermath, the rules were changed to prevent a recurrence of such a spectacle.

Down the Order

On a scorching Sunday, for the first time in their F1 careers, Leclerc and Verstappen started from the front row. At that time, it was the youngest front row in the history of the sport (and likely still is), with both drivers being just three months shy of their 22nd birthdays. Fittingly, they played the leading roles in the race.

As the cars accelerated at the start, it appeared that not only had the lights gone out, but also the Dutchman's Honda engine. The power unit went into an anti stall mode, causing Verstappen to drop to 7th after the first corner. He also briefly lost a position to his teammate, who passed him on the outside of Turn 3, but he got it back six corners later.

Leclerc led at the end of the opening lap, followed by Bottas, Hamilton, Norris, Raikkonen, and the out-of-position Vettel and Verstappen.

The German and the Dutchman quickly passed the slower cars. By lap 10, they were running in 4th and 5th positions, with Verstappen 14.5 seconds behind the leader.

The Race Settles Down

The order at the front remained unchanged for several laps. Leclerc was managing the race effectively, establishing a comfortable lead that safeguarded him against the undercut.

The most surprising aspect of the race at that point was that the Mercedes duo was unable to match the Monegasque's pace, let alone surpass it. They were not the class of the field as they had been in the majority of the previous rounds. Reason being: the cars were overheating. After the race Bottas stated that they had lifted and coasted from early on and hadn’t use better engine modes.

In 2019, engine mode changes during the race were still permitted; however, the FIA banned them the following year.

Another rule that was in effect in the past but is no longer present in F1, was the requirement to start the race on the tires that set the fastest lap time in Q2. The Ferraris were on softs, The Mercedes and Verstappen were on mediums. Hypothetically, as the stint progressed, the Silver Arrows and the Dutchman should’ve gained the upper hand; however, just before the first pit stops, the difference was barely noticeable.

Strategic Divergence

Bottas boxed first on lap 21. Vettel followed him into the pits, but Ferrari weren’t ready for their driver. They brought the tires out too late. The German lost a few valuable seconds waiting and emerged behind slower cars, but he made quick work of them.

Leclerc responded to the undercut on the following lap by choosing fresh hards, just like Bottas and Vettel.

Mercedes attempted an overcut with Hamilton, instructing their star driver to push once he had a clear track ahead. He increased his pace and set 5 really quick laps. However, while pushing, he damaged his front wing and reported a loss of downforce on lap 27. He pitted 3 laps later for new tires and a replacement nose. He came out 5th.

Verstappen stayed on the track one lap longer than the Mercedes driver. Red Bull bet on a tire offset, hoping it would benefit them as the race unfolded. The Dutchman exited the pits less than 13 seconds behind the leader, on 9 laps younger tires.

On lap 32, the top positions were as follows: Leclerc, Bottas, Vettel, Verstappen, and Hamilton. The race had carefully set up a visually pleasing sequence of dominoes. Now, with 39 laps remaining, it was time for the pieces to fall.

The Chase Mode

Verstappen and Vettel were separated by 3.5 seconds. The Dutchman, aware that the long game was in his favor, methodically closed the gap.

On lap 47, Verstappen activated the DRS. The Dutchman launched an attack over the next two laps, but Vettel expertly positioned his Ferrari. However, on lap 50, Verstappen got a fantastic exit out of Turn 3. He took a tighter line through the corner, gained nearly a car length on his rival, and positioned his Red Bull closely behind Vettel’s rear wing.

The exit and tire offset, specifically 10 laps, diminished the engine advantage that Ferrari enjoyed in 2019 over the competition. (Thanks to some fuel sensor sorcery, but that’s a long story.) Verstappen overtook Vettel before the braking zone of Turn 4.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Officially, the race was named the Austrian Grand Prix, but with the stands filled with spectators dressed in orange, one might have thought it was actually taking place in the Netherlands. Zandvoort returned to the F1 calendar two years later, so the Orange Army had to temporarily select a different location for their home race.

Vettel pitted for soft tires at the end of the lap, resulting in him falling behind Hamilton.

Bottas was the next target. An easy one, I must add. The Mercedes driver was focused on lifting and coasting instead of racing. He was a wounded animal. Didn’t pose a challenge. The overtake was a formality. Verstappen got him on lap 56 in Turn 3.

The Final Target

Now, the Dutchman was only 5 seconds behind Leclerc. He had 15 laps to finish the job. He went for it, setting times on average half a second faster than the leader. With each lap, he closed the gap like a cheetah pursuing a gazelle.

While chasing the Monegasque, Verstappen not only earned an extra point for the fastest lap, a feature reintroduced in 2019, but also lapped his teammate, who had briefly been ahead of the Dutchman on the opening lap. Gasly spent the entire race stuck behind slower cars that he should have been able to overtake, which was essentially the story of his short adventure at Red Bull.

With 5 laps to go Verstappen got into the DRS range. The stage was set. The crowd rose to their feet, and fans around the world were on the edge of their seats.

Round One

On lap 67, Leclerc indicated that he would cover the inside line before Turn 3; however, he positioned his car roughly in the middle of the straight and the braking zone. A lap later, he repeated the tactic. The Dutchman was much closer this time and dived on the inside. Leclerc left the Red Bull driver enough room to make the corner, but not enough to take the optimal line.

Verstappen was half a car length ahead at the exit, leaving enough room for Leclerc to stay on the track. Despite the Dutchman having a significant tire advantage and the Red Bull generally being gentler on tires than the Ferrari, the Monegasque, thanks to an excellent exit and a superior power unit, out-dragged his rival on the straight leading to Turn 4. Even the DRS didn’t help Verstappen. Leclerc breezed past the Red Bull, covered the inside line before the corner, and maintained the lead.

Round Two: The Inchident

Lap 69, Turn 3 again. This time Ferrari driver left inside wide open and chose the conventional line in the braking zone. Verstappen braked deeper than the lap prior. He missed the kerb by a meter or more. They banged wheels on the exit and Leclerc made a short off track expedition. Verstappen forced his way into the lead.

Immediately after the contact, the Dutchman said on the radio that his Ferrari counterpart had turned in on him. Leclerc expressed his displeasure with simple: “What the hell is that?!”

When their heads cooled down a bit, during the press conference, they expressed their views more clearly.

Verstappen:

I think the second one I braked a bit deeper into the corner. We had a little contact of course, mid to exit of the corner but yeah, from my side I think it’s racing. We all know there is a crest in that corner as well. If you take the crest wrong – because we both went a bit straight on – at one point you run out of room but it’s hard racing, it’s better than just following each other and have a boring race, isn’t it?

Leclerc:

As I said, I’ve done exactly the same thing from the first to second lap, so I did not expect any contact on the second lap. Yeah, as Max said, I think he braked a little bit deeper. I don’t know if he lost it or not but then there was the contact. I felt I was quite strong in traction, from the first attempt I managed to have a better traction and I kept my position. On the second one I couldn’t do that because I was off track.

The stewards decided to investigate the contact.

A Hard Nut to Crack

Strict adherence to the rules indicated that it was a penalty.

The driver who is ahead at the apex is entitled to take the racing line at the exit; this has been a general rule of thumb for a long time. For example, this year in Miami, Carlos Sainz was unhappy with Oscar Piastri for forcing him off the track after he attempted to overtake him on the outside. The stewards didn’t see anything wrong with the Aussie’s driving, because he was ahead at the apex. Had the Ferrari been in front of the McLaren, Piastri would have been required to leave space.

Leclerc and Verstappen were essentially equal, so technically the Dutchman should have left space, as he had done on the previous lap. However, he forced his way through.

If you’re feeling generous, you might argue that the Red Bull driver was minimally, marginally ahead and let it slide. And that’s what the fans gathered at the circuit, most of whom were Dutch, wanted. The Sky Sports commentators called it hard racing and expressed hope that there would be no penalty.

Plus, Red Bull sent Toyoharu Tanabe of Honda to the podium to celebrate their first victory with the new engine supplier, which they chose over their long-time partner, Renault. And the win occurred at their home race. It couldn’t have been better.

Who would dare to ruin such a wonderful party?

There was a lot of pressure on the stewards. Probably the phantom of Canada also loomed in their room. Just like the notion that, after a relative drought of good racing the fans had finally witnessed something extraordinary. If a penalty were to “ruin” another race, it would not bode well for viewership.

After extensive deliberation, the stewards ruled the collision a racing incident. You might say “they swallowed the whistle” in Red Bull’s home race. Leclerc is a smart guy and later in the season at Monza, he also used that “home court advantage” against Hamilton.

And since more rough and tumble was allowed in wheel to wheel combat, in the very next race at Silverstone, the Monegasque showed Verstappen that he’s not a pushover. He fought aggression with aggression. And their duel was simply lovely. In the eyes of those who like rough and tumble racing, including yours truly.

Grumpy’s Prism

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