Spielberg bei Knittelfeld (Austria) (AFP)

Winner without appeal on the Red Bull Ring, the circuit of his team, Max Verstappen increases his lead in Formula 1 over Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), second but powerless at the Styrian Grand Prix, 8th round of the year.

In Austria, the Dutchman is at home: Verstappen won for the third time on the Red Bull Ring after 2018 and 2019. Starting from pole position, he won the 14th Grand Prix of his career, at 23 years old.

Neither his pursuer in the championship Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), nor his teammate in the German team Valtteri Bottas, who completed the podium, could not catch up with him.

Will they be able to slow down his flight to the championship?

At the third of the season (8 races out of 23 planned), the duel at the top turns in any case in favor of Verstappen (156 pts), who now has 18 lengths ahead of Hamilton (138 pts).

The Dutchman is aiming for his first world crown.

Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) and Lando Norris (McLaren) took 4th and 5th places in this Styrian GP, ​​added during the season to a calendar turned upside down by the pandemic.

Formula 1 remains on the Red Bull Ring next week, with the Austrian Grand Prix.

- Change of era?

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In front of partially filled stands (due to restrictions related to the health situation) but totally committed to his cause on the circuit of his team, Verstappen won his 4th victory this season.

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“Amazing, the car was on fire today!” Shouted Verstappen, still in his car, before stepping onto the podium and waving to the crowd.

Is this his clearest victory this year?

"Looking at the gap in the end, yes (35.7 seconds). But above all, the overall balance of the car was the best so far," said Verstappen.

Winner in France last week, he continues for the first time two successes in a row.

And it allows Red Bull to chain four consecutive victories, for the first time since 2013, the year of its last double driver-manufacturer in the world championship.

Result, Red Bull (252 pts) logically dominates Mercedes (212) among manufacturers.

In a dynamic diametrically opposed to Red Bull, Mercedes has just finished four Grands Prix in a row without a win for the first time since 2013. Because since 2014 and the start of the hybrid era, Mercedes has gleaned all the world titles by outrageously dominating .

- "Unable to compete" -

"It was impossible to compete, they were much faster (...) and they have been for two or three races," Hamilton reacted at a press conference, after letting out a grin revealing his impotence on the track .

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In terms of revolutions, we have to go back to 2016 to find traces of such a black series in the same season for Hamilton - he had failed five races in a row to clinch a victory.

However, in 2016 the seven-time world champion was beaten by his teammate Nico Rosberg.

The only year not won by the Briton since 2014.

Behind, the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc took 6th and 7th places, reassuring themselves after a pointless Grand Prix in France.

Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) completed the top 10.

For the French, on the other hand, it's a Sunday to forget.

Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) could not finish the first lap, the fault of a collision from the first corner with Leclerc.

As for Esteban Ocon (Alpine), who started from a distant 17th place, he did not do better than 14th.

© 2021 AFP