Autobayng News Team
Did Lewis Hamilton cost Max Verstappen a chance to win the Austrian Grand Prix?
Jump to: Lap chart – Gaps chart – Lap times – Tyre strategies
The pair crossed swords early in the race after Verstappen passed Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen and Hamilton briefly ‘yo-yoed’ for position but the Red Bull driver was unable to keep the position.
Verstappen was unhappy with Hamilton’s driving, accusing his rival of forcing him off the track, but the stewards took no action. While this was going on, eventual winner George Russell extended his gap over Verstappen by around three seconds.
Once Verstappen got ahead of Hamilton he was able to close on Russell towards the end of the stint. That pattern repeated later in the race, and as the final laps ticked down Verstappen drew within two seconds of Verstappen – more than what he lost to Hamilton. By that point, however, his mirrors were full of Russell’s team mate Antonelli.
Russell may well have been managing his gap over his pursuers, not least as he made his final pit stop six laps before Verstappen and eight laps before Antonelli. However he was already coming under pressure towards the end of his second stint.
There was one other factor which left Verstappen at a disadvantage compared to Russell: his starting position, having lined up only fifth on the grid following his crash on Saturday. But Red Bull will surely take much encouragement from the pace he showed at their home track.
2026 Austrian Grand Prix lap chart
The positions of each driver on every lap. Click name to highlight, right-click to reset. Toggle drivers using controls below:
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2026 Austrian Grand Prix race chart
The gaps between each driver on every lap compared to the leader’s average lap time. Very large gaps omitted. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and right-click to reset. Toggle drivers using controls below:
2026 Austrian Grand Prix lap times
All the lap times by the drivers (in seconds, very slow laps excluded). Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and toggle drivers using the control below:
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2026 Austrian Grand Prix fastest laps
Each driver’s fastest lap:
| Rank | # | Driver | Car | Lap time | Gap | Avg. speed (kph) | Lap no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1’10.374 | 221.3 | 59 | |
| 2 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Red Bull-Ford | 1’10.483 | 0.109 | 220.96 | 57 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’10.595 | 0.221 | 220.6 | 45 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’10.606 | 0.232 | 220.57 | 67 |
| 5 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’10.652 | 0.278 | 220.43 | 55 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’10.683 | 0.309 | 220.33 | 49 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1’10.946 | 0.572 | 219.51 | 45 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull-Red Bull-Ford | 1’10.947 | 0.573 | 219.51 | 42 |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Mercedes | 1’11.466 | 1.092 | 217.92 | 54 |
| 10 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls-Red Bull-Ford | 1’11.547 | 1.173 | 217.67 | 55 |
| 11 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls-Red Bull-Ford | 1’11.587 | 1.213 | 217.55 | 56 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1’11.634 | 1.260 | 217.41 | 55 |
| 13 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine-Mercedes | 1’11.795 | 1.421 | 216.92 | 49 |
| 14 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1’11.866 | 1.492 | 216.7 | 59 |
| 15 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas-Ferrari | 1’12.207 | 1.833 | 215.68 | 54 |
| 16 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Honda | 1’12.501 | 2.127 | 214.81 | 52 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas-Ferrari | 1’12.979 | 2.605 | 213.4 | 37 |
| 18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’13.137 | 2.763 | 212.94 | 43 |
| 19 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams-Mercedes | 1’13.694 | 3.320 | 211.33 | 22 |
| 20 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Honda | 1’13.796 | 3.422 | 211.04 | 30 |
| 21 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac-Ferrari | 1’14.448 | 4.074 | 209.19 | 3 |
| 22 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac-Ferrari | 1’24.016 | 13.642 | 185.36 | 1 |
2026 Austrian Grand Prix tyre strategies
The tyre strategies for each driver:
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2026 Austrian Grand Prix pit stop times
How long each driver’s pit stops took:
| Rank | # | Driver | Team | Complete stop time (s) | Gap to best (s) | Stop no. | Lap no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 21.02 | 2 | 37 | |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 21.204 | 0.184 | 1 | 19 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 21.209 | 0.189 | 2 | 42 |
| 4 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 21.212 | 0.192 | 2 | 38 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 21.221 | 0.201 | 2 | 43 |
| 6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 21.249 | 0.229 | 1 | 18 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 21.25 | 0.23 | 2 | 25 |
| 8 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 21.252 | 0.232 | 2 | 49 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 21.267 | 0.247 | 3 | 42 |
| 10 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 21.268 | 0.248 | 2 | 40 |
| 11 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 21.27 | 0.25 | 2 | 37 |
| 12 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 21.317 | 0.297 | 1 | 18 |
| 13 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 21.369 | 0.349 | 1 | 12 |
| 14 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams | 21.371 | 0.351 | 1 | 14 |
| 15 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 21.408 | 0.388 | 1 | 18 |
| 16 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 21.413 | 0.393 | 1 | 24 |
| 17 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 21.446 | 0.426 | 2 | 46 |
| 18 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 21.502 | 0.482 | 2 | 51 |
| 19 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 21.545 | 0.525 | 2 | 45 |
| 20 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 21.551 | 0.531 | 2 | 46 |
| 21 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 21.561 | 0.541 | 1 | 20 |
| 22 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 21.578 | 0.558 | 1 | 21 |
| 23 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 21.58 | 0.56 | 3 | 51 |
| 24 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 21.585 | 0.565 | 1 | 21 |
| 25 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 21.593 | 0.573 | 1 | 24 |
| 26 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 21.6 | 0.58 | 1 | 13 |
| 27 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 21.731 | 0.711 | 1 | 13 |
| 28 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 21.77 | 0.75 | 1 | 18 |
| 29 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 21.816 | 0.796 | 2 | 47 |
| 30 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 21.877 | 0.857 | 2 | 44 |
| 31 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 21.878 | 0.858 | 1 | 18 |
| 32 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 22.022 | 1.002 | 1 | 19 |
| 33 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 22.044 | 1.024 | 2 | 45 |
| 34 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 22.077 | 1.057 | 1 | 19 |
| 35 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 22.358 | 1.338 | 1 | 24 |
| 36 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 22.591 | 1.571 | 2 | 45 |
| 37 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 22.605 | 1.585 | 1 | 17 |
| 38 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 22.738 | 1.718 | 3 | 59 |
| 39 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 23.522 | 2.502 | 1 | 24 |
| 40 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 25.455 | 4.435 | 2 | 33 |
| 41 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 28.713 | 7.693 | 2 | 49 |
2026 Austrian Grand Prix
- Red Bull “still have too many issues” to fight for title this year – Verstappen
- Russell “needed a lot of resilience” to rebound from win-less spell
- Verstappen “started laughing” after driving new car at Silverstone on simulator
- 2026 Austrian Grand Prix interactive data: lap charts, times and tyres
- Wolff expects Ferrari will ‘run out of cost cap soon’ after ‘throwing things at their car’
Published by
Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 – when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring journalist, Keith began running the site full-time in 2010, achieving a long-held ambition to dedicate his full attention to his passion for motor racing. View all posts by Keith Collantine
