His afternoon centre stage with a win at the Austrian Grand Prix was as complete a demonstration of dominance as he has shown this season, while in his wake there was only frustration and almost discord for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes amid the trying times of understudying the champion elect.
As the 2023 season's extended, celebratory parade for Verstappen and Red Bull continued, the orange-clad swathes of fans in Austria were revelling in the success. This was another masterclass of the kind Verstappen is making look commonplace and sadly as a result somewhat uninspiring.
The superior pace of the Red Bull and his undoubted innate touch and ability combine with a fearsomely strong operational execution by his team to create a flawless whole. While the England cricket team brought hearts to mouths and fans dared to dream the impossible at Lord's, Austria was an altogether more prosaic affair. Not so much dreaming as another strong dose of the reality of this season; for Verstappen's fans this is nectar, for the neutral an increasingly predictable concoction. There was no suggestion of an upset. Instead there was Verstappen, cool and in command, untroubled and on this form unbeatable.
Denne historien er fra July 03, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra July 03, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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