The updated classification comes after Aston Martin lodged a protest over the provisional results following multiple penalties for exceeding track limits during the race at Red Bull Ring. In response to this protest, stewards conducted a reconciliation of all deleted laps with penalties applied. As a result, additional penalties were imposed on several drivers.
Max Verstappen's dominant victory remains unchanged, followed by Charles Leclerc in second place and Sergio Perez finishing third for Red Bull Racing.
Carlos Sainz drops from his original fourth place to sixth, while Lando Norris moves up to P4 and Fernando Alonso takes fifth position. Lewis Hamilton falls from seventh to eighth place as his teammate George Russell is elevated one spot higher.
Pierre Gasly slips down one position to tenth, allowing Lance Stroll to rise up into ninth place. Esteban Ocon suffers a significant drop from twelfth overall to fourteenth following multiple time penalties imposed on him during the race. Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant retain their respective eleventh and thirteenth positions without any changes.
Nyck de Vries endures a double demotion as he goes from fifteenth originally down two places further back while Yuki Tsunoda falls from eighteenth initially but now occupies nineteenth position on account of their respective time penalties.
These retrospective time penalties have been applied based on specific criteria set by stewards: four infringements result in a five-second penalty; five infringements equate to a ten-second penalty. Once the limit is reached, a reset occurs, and another set of four infringements bring about an additional five or ten-second penalty.
Furthermore, stewards have taken this opportunity to stress the urgent need for a resolution to be found regarding track limits at the Spielberg circuit.
The full list of penalties imposed after the race includes:
- Carlos Sainz - 10-second time penalty
- Lewis Hamilton - 10-second time penalty
- Pierre Gasly - 10-second time penalty
- Alex Albon - 10-second time penalty
- Esteban Ocon – 30 second-time penalty in total
- Logan Sargeant – 10 second-time penality
- Nyck de Vries – 15 seconds added to his final race result
- Yuki Tsunoda – 5 second-time penality.
The revised results for the Austrian Grand Prix are as follows:
1. Max Verstappen
2. Charles Leclerc
3. Sergio Perez
4. Lando Norris (up from P5)
5. Fernando Alonso (up from P6)
6. Carlos Sainz (demoted from P4)
7. George Russell (up from P8)
8. Lewis Hamilton (demoted from P7).
9. Lance Stroll (up from P10).
10. Pierre Gasly (demoted from P9).
11. Alex Albon
12. Zhou Guanyu (up from P14).
13. Logan Sargeant
14. Esteban Ocon (demoted from p12)
15. Valtteri Bottas (up from P16)
16. Oscar Piastri (up from P17)
17. Nyck de Vries (demoted from P15)
18. Kevin Magnussen (up from P19)
19. Yuki Tsunoda (demoted from P18)
The revised classification may come as a disappointment for drivers who have been demoted, particularly Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton. However, it highlights the importance of adhering to track limits to ensure fair competition and prevent any potential advantages gained through exceeding the boundaries.
As the season progresses, teams and drivers will undoubtedly take note of these penalties and strive towards cleaner races with fewer infringements. It also puts pressure on circuit organizers to address track limit issues promptly, ensuring consistent enforcement across various Grand Prix venues.
Ultimately, this revision in the final classification adds another layer of excitement to what was already an eventful Austrian Grand Prix. While Max Verstappen's victory remains unchallenged at the top, changes further down the grid provide additional intrigue for fans as they analyze how these adjustments might impact both individual driver championships and constructors' standings.
The Austrian Grand Prix offered thrilling wheel-to-wheel action throughout its duration but now serves as a valuable lesson about respecting track limits in Formula 1. As drivers prepare for upcoming races on different circuits worldwide, they must remember that each lap is measured not only by speed but also by precision within designated boundaries – anything beyond could result in retrospective time penalties that can significantly alter final positions.
