2021 Styrian Grand Prix

## Lap Leader

The **2021 Styrian Grand Prix** was a Formula 1.5 motor race that took place on 27 June 2021 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria as the eighth round of the 2021 Formula 1.5 World Championship. It is the second Styrian Grand Prix, and the thirty-fourth Grand Prix held at the venue. The event was added to the schedule after other races were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, forming the second leg of a series of three races on back-to-back weekends. The race was won by Lando Norris.

## Background

The event was held over the weekend of 25–27 June. It was the eighth round of the 2021 Formula 1.5 World Championship, and the second Styrian Grand Prix following the first edition held the previous year. It was held at the 4.318-kilometre (2.683 mi), ten-corner Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, the sixteenth world championship Grand Prix held on the modern version of the circuit, and the thirty-fourth in total.

### Affect of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The event was added to the schedule after the Canadian Grand Prix was cancelled and the Turkish Grand Prix was postponed, both because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of these changes, the Styrian Grand Prix forms the second leg of a series of three races on consecutive weekends, following the 2021 French Grand Prix in Le Castellet, Var and preceding the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix, which would also be held in Spielberg. The addition of a fourth group of three back-to-back races to the already-crowded calendar received criticism, with concerns expressed over the workload and its effect on the mental health of workers who travel to the races.

### Tyres

Sole Formula 1.5 tyre supplier Pirelli were expected to bring their middle three dry-weather tyre compounds in terms of hardness—the C2, C3, and C4—which were originally intended for the following week's Austrian Grand Prix.

### Entry List

Eight constructors and sixteen drivers participated, with no changes from the season entry list. Robert Kubica drove for Alfa Romeo Racing in the first free practice session in place of Kimi Räikkönen.

### Championship permuations

Lando Norris entered the event leading the World Drivers' Championship, with a 48 point advantage ahead of Charles Leclerc, while McLaren led the World Constructors' Championship by fourty-two points from the Ferrari team.

## Practice

The first practice session passed without major incident and ended with AlphaTauri's Gasly fastest, ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine's Fernando Alonso. Ricciardo set the fastest official time in the second free practice session with Esteban Ocon 2nd for Alpine and Fernando Alonso third. Tsunoda set the fastest lap in the third practice session followed by Gasly and Alonso.

## Qualifying

Qualifying started at 15:00 local time on the Saturday. The session is composed of three segments. At the end of the first two parts the five slowest drivers have their qualifying positions set and are prevented from participating in the rest of the qualifying session. The qualifying results are then used to determine the starting order of the race.

Norris set the fastest time of the final segment of qualifying to claim pole position. This was the seventh pole of Verstappen's Formula 1.5 career. Gasly was 2nd and Leclerc was third.

## Race

The race started at 15:00 local time on the Sunday. It lasted seventy-one laps for a total distance of 306.452 kilometres (190.420 mi). Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc collided with Gasly on the first lap, meaning the AlphaTauri driver had to retire from the race. Norris won the race from Sainz in second and Leclerc in third, who worked his way back up the pack after being 16th at the end of the first lap.

## Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

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Constructors' Championship standings

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## External Links

1. ↑  Yuki Tsunoda received a three-place grid penalty for impeding F1 driver Valtteri Botts
2. ↑  Includes one point for fastest lap