Motor racing-Norris fastest in final Austrian GP practice
Formula One F1 - Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria - June 28, 2025 McLaren's Lando Norris REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki
SPIELBERG, Austria (Reuters) -McLaren wrapped up practice for the Austrian Grand Prix with Lando Norris leading Formula One leader Oscar Piastri in another one-two at the top of the timesheets ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Norris, second overall and 22 points behind Piastri after 10 of the season's 24 races, lapped the Red Bull Ring with a best time of one minute 04.324 seconds and 0.118 quicker than the Australian.
Verstappen was 0.210 off the pace, with a big spin at the last corner at the end of the session, and was followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in fourth and fifth.
McLaren have topped two of the three sessions, with Mercedes' George Russell fastest in the opening one on Friday but sixth on a much warmer Saturday and getting hotter.
"That's why it went a little bit belly-up for us. We were quite competitive until the end and then you can see really it goes above a certain threshold of temperature and we lose performance," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told Sky Sports television.
"The McLarens in high-speed (corners) is going to be very difficult to match.
"We changed the balance a bit yesterday and that was in a direction that wasn't so perfect. It came back more today but then the track temperature developed so drastically during the session, we went from 33 degrees to 42 and that makes a big difference."
Mercedes had Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli seventh, ahead of Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda and Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto completing the top 10.
Norris was also fastest in Friday's second session and is looking determined after drawing a blank in Canada two weeks ago when he collided with Piastri.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Motorcycling-Angry Marc Marquez slams critics questioning brother Alex's racing hunger
MotoGP - Grand Prix of Netherlands -TT Circuit Assen, Assen, Netherlands - June 29, 2025 Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez celebrates after winning the Grand Prix of Netherlands REUTERS/Yves Herman ASSEN, Netherlands (Reuters) -Ducati's Marc Marquez launched a spirited defence of his younger brother Alex on Sunday, condemning critics who have questioned whether his sibling is deliberately avoiding challenging him for victories in sprints and races this season. Marc, who has dominated the season with 15 victories across sprints and Sunday races, bristled when discussing social media comments and journalists' questions suggesting his brother might be holding back during their frequent one-two finishes. Alex has finished second 14 times and he came in for criticism for not being aggressive enough to overtake his older brother, with the Gresini Racing rider sitting 68 points behind Marc. "I was a bit angry because people must respect the other riders. Yesterday, many people I saw on social media and even some journalists asked me and told me that 'No, your brother is not attacking you as the others'," Marquez told TNT Sports. "People started to say that and I was angry at that time because Alex is defending his colours, he has the ambition, for that reason he's second in the championship, because he's riding in a very good way. "He's trying to manage his situation. But as we see today, another rider with another brand, with another nationality wanted to win, but he can't attack me, because if the front rider defends well, nobody can attack you." Alex did not score points at the Dutch Grand Prix race on Sunday following a crash where he broke his hand, which requires surgery. To drive the point home, Marc described how Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi finished second behind him at Sunday's race at Assen despite the Italian trying his very best to overtake him, eventually finishing less than a second behind the Ducati rider. "And today Marco Bezzechi, why didn't he attack me? I was defending and I know that my weak point was at turn 11-12, that is the fastest area, it's a very narrow circuit and if you defend there, nobody can attack me," Marc added. "So I was defending there, just trying to attack on the brake points. "But I just want to say that people must respect the other riders and just enjoy the show. Everybody is defending his colours and everybody wants to win." Victory in the sprint and race meant more to Marc after a bruising practice session on Friday when he crashed twice. "Adrenaline is the best painkiller that exists, this is always my medicine," he said. "But now I will rest for two or three days to recover, especially the ribs, the finger, the arm -- the whole body. Big crashes are not the same (at) 20 years old as (when you are) 32!" (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Norris holds off Piastri as McLaren dominate in Austria
SPIELBERG, Austria: Lando Norris won the Austrian Grand Prix from Oscar Piastri for a dominant McLaren 1-2 at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday. The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton took third and fourth as Norris closed the gap on Piastri in the drivers' championship to 15 points. This was in-form McLaren's first success at the Spielberg track since David Coulthard way back in 2001. Norris set off from pole and despite being constantly pressed by his teammate held on to notch up his third win of the season. The Briton also put behind him his Canadian catastrophe last time out when he collided with Piastri's car in the closing stages, failing to finish in Montreal. "It was a tough race, pushing all the way through," said Norris. He added: "Pretty hot, tiring, but perfect result, a 1-2. "We had a great battle (with Piastri), that's for sure, a lot of fun, and a lot of stress." Four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull crashed in the early stages after a collision with Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes when the young Italian rookie's tyres locked up.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Norris cuts Piastri's lead with Austrian win
Formula One F1 - Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria - June 29, 2025 McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates after winning the Austrian Grand Prix REUTERS/Gintare Karpaviciute SPIELBERG, Austria (Reuters) -Lando Norris won the Austrian Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two on Sunday after fending off championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri. The Briton's third victory of the season cut Australian Piastri's Formula One lead from 22 to 15 points after 11 of 24 rounds, with the two McLaren drivers increasingly in a battle of their own. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari with teammate Lewis Hamilton fourth and George Russell fifth for Mercedes. Red Bull's four-times world champion Max Verstappen suffered his first retirement of the season, in his team's home race, after a first lap collision with Mercedes' Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli. (Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge)
