Verstappen leads Perez home in Red Bull 1-2 in Spielberg sprint after first lap skirmish

Max Verstappen led teammate Sergio Perez home with a dominant display as Red Bull stormed to a comfortable one-two in Saturday's wet-dry sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The defending double world champion and series leader added eight points to move into a 70–point lead in the drivers' title race as he won by 21.102 seconds.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished third ahead of the two Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and two-time champion Fernando Alonso with Nico Hulkenberg finishing sixth for Haas ahead of Alpine's Esteban ocon.

Mercedes' George Russell took a bold eighth ahead of Lando Norris in his upgraded Mercedes and teammate seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton who had started 18th.

The Red Bull drivers exchanged sharp words after an opening lap battle that saw Verstappen run wide on the grass at one point, but they recovered to triumph.

Max and Checo debrief on their hectic Lap 1 battle ??#AustrianGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/At1iYtgIx2

"Once I got back in the lead, it was a good race," said Verstappen. "I had to manage the tyres, 24 laps is a lot for ‘inters’ and we had a hairy moment out of Turn 1."

Perez said: "I had a good start and a bit of a fight with Max before I lost a position to Nico. I had to fight to get back past him.

"I think Max was angry at Turn Two, but I didn't see him there. Visibility was so bad. I gave him the place back."

Heavy rain showers left the track in semi-wet conditions and everyone except Valtteri Bottas began the race on intermediate tyres, the Finn, starting 19th, gambling on dry mediums. He pitted for intermediates after the formation lap.

Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari started ninth, after taking a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri, before the lights went out and