--- title: "Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc Back in the Title Hunt After F1 Austrian Grand Prix Victory" description: "Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won the Austrian Grand Prix, marking his first race win without starting from pole position." date: "2022-07-10" modified: "2022-07-10" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/ferraris-charles-leclerc-back-in-the-title-hunt-after-f1-austrian-grand-prix-victory" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" tags: - "Ferrari" --- # Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc Back in the Title Hunt After F1 Austrian Grand Prix Victory ![]() *SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JULY 10: Race winner Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 10, 2022 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Lars Baron - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)* Ferrari's Charles Leclerc had never won an F1 grand prix without starting from pole position until today, at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. He started in second, behind rival Red Bull driver[ Max Verstappen](), but thanks to aggressive driving and proper tire management from the Ferrari team, Leclerc was able to win his first race since the Australian Grand Prix back in April. Verstappen finished in second place, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton taking third. The Austrian Grand Prix was a bit of a messy one, with several drivers being penalized for exceeding track limits. There were also a couple of minor collisions, which sent some drivers spinning off the track, such as Red Bull's Sergio Perez, whose car was damaged so badly he had to retire from the race just a few laps afterward. But the main story was Ferrari's successful successful strategy, after weeks of critical mistakes. For the past five weeks, Ferrari—and Charles Leclerc specifically—suffered a combination of [strategic mistakes]() and[ bad luck](), which cost both the team and its drivers precious points. However, Leclerc managed to fight back hard, even while battling a malfunctioning throttle pedal, and win his first-ever non-pole position grand prix today. ![]() *Charles Leclerc leading in the final laps of the Austrian GP | (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)* Unfortunately, Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz suffered catastrophic engine failure in lap 58. His car suddenly began to slow down, spewing smoke and debris from the back of the car, and even some body work exploded as he pulled off the track, as if a hand grenade went off in the engine compartment. As Sainz came to a stop, he struggled to get out, as his car actually caught fire while rolling backward toward the track. Thankfully, he was able to escape as the flames grew larger, engulfing the entire body of Ferrari, and he was uninjured. However, Sainz's engine failure did cost Ferrari a potential double podium finish, as it seemed Sainz would have either come in second or third otherwise. Lewis Hamilton had himself quite a good day. The Mercedes driver started eighth on the grid but managed to fight back to a third place podium finish, thanks to some expert driving. Hamilton continues to be hamstrung by his car this season, as he seemed to be slower than some of his fellow driver's in the straights today. It seems during each race, Hamilton's car struggles to match the straight line speeds of the Red Bull, Ferrari, and even Haas cars. Still, Hamilton's veteran driving snagged him a podium finish for the second week in a row. ![]() *Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)* The win for Leclerc, along with a DNF from Red Bull's Sergio Perez, puts the Ferrari driver in second place in the driver's standings, ahead of Perez but behind Verstappen. While Verstappen still has a commanding lead, Leclerc is back in the hunt after having just one podium finish in the last five weeks. ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()