'We could've crashed' – Austria sprint winner Verstappen furious after Perez puts him on grass

A fierce battle between the Red Bull drivers in the opening corners of the Austrian GP sprint left both men furious during the race, as thrilling battles unfolded behind in changeable conditions.

“That’s not OK, we could have had a big shunt,” said Max Verstappen at the end of the race.

The Dutchman had been delivering expletives over the radio on the opening lap, when team-mate Sergio Perez got past at the first corner on Lap 1.

Verstappen was pushed onto the grass as he tried to get past on the run up to Turn 3, before the Dutchman locked up off and then forced Perez off, leaving him to exclaim “What’s up with Max man?!”

However a post-race debrief immediately out of the cockpit saw tempers cool.

“The start wasn’t ideal,” said Verstappen. “Bit of wheel spin but after that after once we got back in the lead I was just managing the tyres to make sure that we made it to the end.”

“I think Max was angry that I went into the Turn 2 [and blocked him] but I didn’t see him there,” said Perez.

“I just had a very bad Turn 1, so I tried to protect but once I realised that he was there I opened up the door and gave the place back into Turn 3 – it’s all fine.”

Here’s how the 2023 Austrian GP Sprint race unfolded:

A frantic start saw Perez get a better getaway than Verstapen, as the two traded places in the opening corners.

Nico Hülkenberg took advantage of the squabbling by moving into second, while Lando Norris fell to tenth after accidentally engaging his anti-stall.

Hamilton made up five places on the opening lap to run 13th, as Kevin Magnussen and George Russell diced ahead of him.

Verstappen quickly pulled a gap on the Haas, pulling out a 1.8sec gap after two laps.

“What’s up with Max man?!” complained Perez after an out-of-control Verstappen had pushed him wide in the opening sequence at Turn 3.

Norris and Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel at Turn 5 and 6 on lap 6, but the Ferrari managed to stay ahead.

“Do you think it might dry out?” Aston Martin asked Fernando Alonso, who replied “potentially.”

On lap 10 Russell finally managed to get past Magnussen 9 for 11th, before Hamilton and the Haas got into a fight on the following tour, the Mercedes eventually getting past at Turn 6.

Perez then began to pressure Hülkenberg, who eventually relented on lap 12, the Red Bull sweeping past on the outside of Turn 6.

The Haas then fell behind the Ferrari of Sainz on the following lap, while Ocon and Leclerc almost touched out of Turn 4 as they battled fiercely.

Leclerc then had a lurid moment and went off at Turn 10 on lap 16, allowing Norris through, as Russell pitted for slicks and DRS was enabled – Stroll took advantage by breezing past Hülkenberg for fourth into Turn 3.

Russell set the fastest first sector using slick tyres on lap 18, as Hamilton copied the strategy and ceded a position to his team-mate, struggling to warm his Pirellis.

Hamilton next went wheel-to-wheel with Leclerc, the pair almost connecting Turn 3, but the Mercedes driver managed to get ahead for 12th.

This then developed into a five-car scrap between Albon, Bottas, Leclerc, Hamilton and Piastri.

The two Aston Martins, still on intermediates, were fighting it out for fourth, with dry runners currently 5sec-per lap faster.

Hülkenberg squeezed by Norris for seventh, the McLaren now desperately holding on to the final points-paying position.

Verstappen cruised to the Sprint win, before airing his complaints about the early scrap with Perez. “That’s not OK, we could have had a big shunt.”

Norris would lose out to Russell, before the Mercedes driver engaged in a drag race with Ocon for seventh, missing out by 0.009sec.