The outcome of the Austrian Grand Prix was only indirectly decided by the team’s strategy calls.
The moment which swung the race was the lap 64 collision between leaders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. That opened the door for George Russell, who had spent most of the race in the third place he started from, to break though for victory.However had it not been for a key strategic decision McLaren made before the race began, Norris and Verstappen might not have come to blows in the first place.
Over the first two stints it looked unlikely Norris was going to be able to challenge Verstappen for victory. The Red Bull driver pulled almost six seconds clear from him over their opening stint when both were on the medium tyre compound. They switched to hards for the second stint, and on lap 39 Verstappen’s lead peaked at 8.1 seconds.
However the two teams faced different options for their final stints: Norris had a new set of mediums left, Verstappen a new set of hards. The hard tyres hadn’t worked as well in the race, and Red Bull appeared reluctant to risk them against McLaren’s superior rubber.
When Red Bull finally took the plunge on lap 51, things got worse. A slow left-rear tyre change cost Verstappen over four seconds compared to the simultaneous stop of Norris. That swung the situation further in McLaren’s favour.
But over the remainder of the stint Norris used the benefit of tyres which were three laps fresher. He immediately took seven-tenths of a second out of Verstappen on them, and was latched onto the Red Bull driver’s tail from then on.
In previous races drivers were only able to attack for a handful of laps before their tyres went off too much to be able to continue. But with his fresher rubber, Norris sustained his tyre advantage for longer, and was able to repeatedly attack Verstappen. From that came the lap 64 clash which gave Russell his chance to win.
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2024 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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2024 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:
2024 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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2024 Austrian Grand Prix fastest laps
Each driver’s fastest lap:
| Rank | # | Driver | Car | Lap time | Gap | Avg. speed (kph) | Lap no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’07.694 | 230.06 | 70 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’07.719 | 0.025 | 229.97 | 68 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’08.016 | 0.322 | 228.97 | 53 |
| 4 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’08.697 | 1.003 | 226.7 | 56 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’09.164 | 1.470 | 225.17 | 48 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 1’09.282 | 1.588 | 224.79 | 56 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’09.562 | 1.868 | 223.88 | 61 |
| 8 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’09.584 | 1.890 | 223.81 | 55 |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | 1’09.609 | 1.915 | 223.73 | 45 |
| 10 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1’09.649 | 1.955 | 223.6 | 45 |
| 11 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’09.694 | 2.000 | 223.46 | 56 |
| 12 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’10.125 | 2.431 | 222.08 | 45 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’10.143 | 2.449 | 222.03 | 54 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | 1’10.215 | 2.521 | 221.8 | 51 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB-Honda RBPT | 1’10.318 | 2.624 | 221.47 | 54 |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’10.364 | 2.670 | 221.33 | 41 |
| 17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | 1’10.406 | 2.712 | 221.2 | 60 |
| 18 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB-Honda RBPT | 1’10.426 | 2.732 | 221.13 | 49 |
| 19 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’10.449 | 2.755 | 221.06 | 48 |
| 20 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’10.470 | 2.776 | 221 | 54 |
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2024 Austrian Grand Prix tyre strategies
The tyre strategies for each driver:
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2024 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 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 20.775 | 2 | 51 | |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 20.903 | 0.128 | 4 | 51 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 20.978 | 0.203 | 1 | 25 |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | 21.093 | 0.318 | 2 | 37 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 21.226 | 0.451 | 1 | 22 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 21.229 | 0.454 | 2 | 46 |
| 7 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 21.231 | 0.456 | 2 | 43 |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 21.25 | 0.475 | 1 | 21 |
| 9 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 21.283 | 0.508 | 2 | 47 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 21.291 | 0.516 | 1 | 21 |
| 11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 21.302 | 0.527 | 2 | 43 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 21.399 | 0.624 | 1 | 20 |
| 13 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 21.411 | 0.636 | 2 | 51 |
| 14 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 21.431 | 0.656 | 1 | 20 |
| 15 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 21.483 | 0.708 | 1 | 11 |
| 16 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | 21.502 | 0.727 | 1 | 10 |
| 17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 21.518 | 0.743 | 1 | 10 |
| 18 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 21.563 | 0.788 | 1 | 21 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 21.594 | 0.819 | 2 | 51 |
| 20 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 21.617 | 0.842 | 1 | 23 |
| 21 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 21.673 | 0.898 | 1 | 22 |
| 22 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 21.685 | 0.91 | 2 | 16 |
| 23 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 21.692 | 0.917 | 2 | 39 |
| 24 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 21.814 | 1.039 | 2 | 39 |
| 25 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 21.832 | 1.057 | 2 | 38 |
| 26 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 21.878 | 1.103 | 1 | 12 |
| 27 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 21.899 | 1.124 | 1 | 23 |
| 28 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 21.918 | 1.143 | 1 | 19 |
| 29 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 21.991 | 1.216 | 2 | 42 |
| 30 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 22.043 | 1.268 | 2 | 42 |
| 31 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 22.093 | 1.318 | 3 | 49 |
| 32 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 22.243 | 1.468 | 3 | 33 |
| 33 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 22.291 | 1.516 | 1 | 19 |
| 34 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 22.355 | 1.58 | 1 | 11 |
| 35 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 22.487 | 1.712 | 3 | 68 |
| 36 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 22.502 | 1.727 | 2 | 20 |
| 37 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 22.729 | 1.954 | 3 | 64 |
| 38 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 23.198 | 2.423 | 1 | 28 |
| 39 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 23.444 | 2.669 | 2 | 44 |
| 40 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 25.841 | 5.066 | 2 | 51 |
| 41 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 27.281 | 6.506 | 2 | 53 |
| 42 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 27.5 | 6.725 | 2 | 51 |
| 43 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 31.722 | 10.947 | 1 | 1 |
| 44 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 31.917 | 11.142 | 1 | 1 |
| 45 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 33.947 | 13.172 | 2 | 35 |
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2024 Austrian Grand Prix
- Austrian GP clash will have taught Norris how to race Verstappen – Ricciardo
- Verstappen was “lucky” tyre damage didn’t force him to retire like Norris
- Pirelli introducing new C6 tyre to improve racing on street tracks next year
- Norris admits ‘overreacting’ but queries why Verstappen avoided track limits penalty
- Norris and Verstappen’s Austrian GP collision “blown out of proportion” – rivals
Mooa42
1st July 2024, 2:43
Piastri nailing those pitstops!
It would be good if you could also see time stationary though.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
1st July 2024, 8:08
Why did Alonso pit for soft tyres at the penultimate lap? The extra point for FLAP was irrelevant for him because he was well outside the top 10. Or did he have a puncture on the debris?
grapmg
1st July 2024, 10:05
They discussed it during the VSC but missed the opportunity. Still the team called him in later for the FLAP because they had the window to stop. But no point so only for the record I guess
Az
1st July 2024, 10:00
Alonso said they wanted to know how fast they were on the softs, but it sounded like an excuse. I don’t know if they wanted the fastest lap just for the record and promotion of Aston Martin brand or Mercedes engines. I wonder if there is a private agreement between teams with same engine for doing that whenever possible.
Edvaldo
1st July 2024, 15:18
Mercedes won the race but the fact that Piastri came home less than 2 seconds behind Russell while having to battle Perez, Hamilton and Sainz whereas Russell just coasted for the whole race shows that despite them saying they got it right now, they’re still somewhat far from the fastest teams.
For them to win they needed Piastri taking a penalty and Max and Norris crashing and still they barely made it.
A long way to go, still.
Honda
1st July 2024, 16:55
This is the 3 races in a row RB have screwed Yuki. In Canada race he had brake issues but different strategy made sense I guess, due to rain so they wanted to cover all possibility. In Spain for some reason they put him on 3stop, he had damaged floor mounting bracket in the race as well so lacking downforce. Here in Austria Ricciardo comes to pits at lap 10 but his team mate in lap 21. It is obvious Haas and Ricciardo had a good strategy and those 3 finished in points. Alpine too had wrong strategy but at least put medium in final stint. Yuki strategy makes no sense whatsoever. He was some 3secs of Gasly at one point and somehow ended up some 20secs behind in the end.
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
1st July 2024, 22:47
Yeah, Yuki’s race wasn’t the best. Probably RB wanted to split strategies with one going early for the undercut and one going long in case of safety car. The obvious one to pit first is the leading car to maximise the number of cars undercut, and the leading driver was DR, and without any safety car his turned out to be the best strategy.
Mooa42
2nd July 2024, 1:02
I think the only reason they pitted Ricciardo so early was to try and undercut KMag, but Kmag came in next lap and Ricciardo got stuck behind him again. Just happened to also be a decent strategy.