Verstappen wins hands down in Austria. The news is that Leclerc finished second

He won, pardon, Max Verstappen swept and this may also appear to be non-news. On the Red Bull home circuit, the Dutchman did everything, pole and victory both in the sprint and in the real race. He also indulged in the whim of doing the fastest lap and taking the additional point by taking it away from teammate Perez by making an extra pit stop despite the fact that the garage advised him against taking an unnecessary risk. A bravado that at least allowed him to be framed for a few minutes by television since his overwhelming power often makes him “forget” by those who decide who and what to broadcast.

The real news of the weekend this time concerns Ferrari and it is good news. First podium of the season, on a circuit where it should be remembered that Leclerc won last year and historically the Reds are always good, and a solid overall performance. Of Leclerc, who put the sprint race mess behind him and built a flawless performance and of Sainz, a true lion in hand-to-hand battles penalized by 5 seconds for having exceeded the track limits and capable of giving the feeling of having even more than his teammate. At Ferrari, the decision to rethink the car appears convincing and places the Scuderia in a mood decidedly better than the teams that will compete for the second final place, the only contendable given the unrivaled level of Red Bull. Vasseur’s choice to help Charles Leclerc feel like a guide is confirmed. Sainz also seemed to be able to attack and pass in Austria, but indications always came from the box not to put the Spaniard in competition with the Monegasque. In this separate championship that the teams that are not called Red Bull are forced to compete in, we are witnessing a repositioning.

However, it is too early to say that Ferrari will become second force but some annotations seem to consolidate.

The first concerns Mercedes, too fluctuating in performance and never really competitive for the podium. A weekend which was very difficult for the grey-blacks and which leads one to think that the much-heralded corrections that Toto Wolff presented as a turning point are in reality nothing more than hot cloths unable to restore competitiveness to Mercedes (for victory) further and further away. Another team in decline is Aston Martin. The period in which, especially with Alonso, the English were the real rivals of Red Bull seems over. Despite dad Stroll’s rich expenses, the project, which started very well, had nothing in terms of development. On the other hand, McLaren’s moment is of another sign. Here instead the developments, brought to the car of a newfound Lando Norris, seemed convincing and if a historic team returns to good levels of competitiveness it is certainly very good news for all of Formula 1. Last chapter: the track limits. The rules when there are must be applied, there is no doubt about this. Just as there is no doubt about the fact that there have been pilots who were able to never leave the track, incurring warnings and penalties. But all this has harmed the show, has generated a sense of bewilderment in those who followed the race on TV or from the circuit and above all has severely limited the talent of the pilots. Mainly because no one was able to realize whether or not they were within the limits. Unthinkable for someone like Hamilton to take the black and white flag after a dozen laps for having gone over the lines three times. It is evident, since this also occurred in qualifying, that if you want to prevent the riders from leaving a line, you have to put sand or gravel. So that it’s not a sensor that cancels a time or generates a 5-second penalty but an actual loss of grip or even a stop. Appointment at Silverstone next Sunday to understand, at Ferrari, if it was true glory.