F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Verstappen pockets third Driver of the Day Award

Red Bull rising star Max Verstappen has won his third Formula One Driver of the Day Award after securing a strong second-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman made a difficult one-stop strategy work in Spielberg, as he completed a mammoth 56-lap second stint on the soft tyre in his team’s home event.

Lining up eighth on the grid, Verstappen enjoyed a solid getaway and made quick work of his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo before moving past Force India's Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren-Honda’s Jenson Button.

The 18-year-old then leapfrogged Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen in the pits before Sebastian Vettel’s tyre failure promoted him to third. Verstappen then drove a steady race to resit a late charge from Raikkonen and ended up gaining one position on the final lap following a collision between the two Mercedes ahead of him.

Verstappen’s first Driver of the Day accolade came after the teenager became the youngest F1 race winner by taking victory in Spain in early May. He then picked up a second award at the Canadian Grand Prix, where he defended superbly from Nico Rosberg in the final laps.

The Red Bull ace is the first racer to pocket three ‘Driver of the Day’ trophies. Other awardees are Haas’ Romain Grosjean in Australia and Bahrain, Daniil Kvyat, then racing for Red Bull, in China, Renault’s Kevin Magnussen in Russia, and Force India’s Sergio Perez in Monaco and Baku.

The Driver of the Day award has been introduced this season, as F1 bosses seek to try and increase fan engagement.

Austrian Grand Prix - F1i Driver ratings

REPORT: Hamilton snatches dramatic victory on final lap from Rosberg

Breakfast with ... Alexander Rossi

F1i Classic: Penske's emotional Austrian GP win

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Formula 1 and teams lock in future with new Concorde Deal

Formula 1’s future has been set in stone, with the announcement that all 11 teams…

6 hours ago

Frustrated FIA implements stricter rear wing tests for Chinese GP

In the wake of mounting frustration over F1 teams pushing the boundaries of aerodynamic regulations,…

7 hours ago

Red faces at Ferrari: Vasseur admits to botched strategy call

Ferrari endured in Melbourne a challenging start to its 2025 F1 campaign, with team principal…

8 hours ago

A picture-perfect St. Patrick's Day!

Bring out your green, for it's St. Patrick's Day, which is all the excuse we…

10 hours ago

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2025 Australian GP

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls (Did Not Start): 3/10 Hadjar failed to even get through the…

11 hours ago

Doohan expects more home GPs, despite media speculation

Jack Doohan, despite intense media scrutiny and a crash at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix,…

12 hours ago