Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc passed title rival Max Verstappen three times on his way to a commanding victory in the Austrian Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz was on course to make it a Ferrari one-two before he suffered an engine failure with 14 laps to go – the latest in a series for Ferrari.
Leclerc faced a tense final 10 laps with a sticking throttle, as Verstappen came back at him, but he held on.
Leclerc cut Verstappen’s championship lead to 38 points, to revive his hopes.
And it moves him back ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez to second in the standings.
Lewis Hamilton took third for Mercedes after starting eighth for his third podium finish in a row as his season finally begins to come together. Team-mate George Russell followed him home in fourth place.
The end of the race was far tougher for Leclerc than it had looked like being for much of the afternoon as for the first time since the Australian Grand Prix back in April the Ferraris had definitely stronger race pace than Verstappen’s Red Bull.
The Ferrari’s sticking throttle – the accelerator was not returning to zero when Leclerc lifted off – was also affecting the gearbox, as it refused to make some shifts because of the initial problem.
But Leclerc managed the problem well, despite expressing nerves and concern over the radio, to take his first win since Melbourne.
Since then, he has faced a brutal run of results, featuring two engine failures and two victories lost to strategy errors, as well as a start from the back, allowing Verstappen to build a significant advantage.
But this was Ferrari’s most convincing result for two months and their pace in the race, although unexpected, will increase their confidence that they can come back at the Dutchman over the remainder of the season.
The relief was palpable in Leclerc’s voice after the race, as he exhaled deeply, before saying: “Yes. Yes. I was scared. I was so scared.”
Once out of the car, he added: “I definitely needed that one. The last five races have been incredibly difficult for me but also for the team, and to finally show we have the pace in the car and can do it was incredibly important.”
