Lando Norris targets a much-needed win from pole at the Austrian Grand Prix
SPIELBERG, Austria (AP) — Lando Norris is targeting a win to boost his Formula 1 title hopes Sunday after qualifying on pole for the Austrian Grand Prix, his first race since colliding with teammate Oscar Piastri in Canada.
Norris was
fastest
by more than half a second in qualifying Saturday in a dominant display which seemed to come as a relief to the British driver, who's often struggled to show his best pace in qualifying this year.
Charles Leclerc starts second for Ferrari, with teammate Lewis Hamilton fourth after an unexpectedly competitive day for the Italian team.
Piastri leads Norris by 22 points in the standings and will be right behind his teammate on the grid after the Australian qualified third. Piastri had to abandon his last lap when Alpine's Pierre Gasly spun in front of him and said he was confident of having the pace to challenge on Sunday.
Defending champion Max Verstappen, who's third in the standings, starts seventh on the grid after
complaining of a lack of grip
in qualifying.
___
AP auto racing:
https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Max Verstappen Turns His Back On F1 Championship Amid Red Bull Struggles
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sitting 43 points behind the Drivers' Championship lead heading into the Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen doesn't feel great about his title chances. Verstappen qualified P7 in Austria - marking one of the worst qualifying sessions for the Dutch driver in a while. Several factors impacted the Red Bull car since the track was windy and faced high temperatures. Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing speaks of frustration in the media pen during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 28, 2025... Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing speaks of frustration in the media pen during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 28, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. More Photo byThe car is known for struggling with these conditions, and Verstappen doesn't have much hope for better results in the race. "So far this year, we've never really been more competitive in the race than qualifying as well. We'll see what we can do tomorrow," Verstappen said. "The hotter conditions, for sure, are not that good for our car." His two championship rivals are starting the race P1 and P3 - looking poised to further distance themselves from Verstappen in the standings. The four-time World Champion said he isn't focused on the standings in the championship. "I don't look at it. I don't look at the championship. I just do my thing every single race and just go from there," Verstappen told reporters. His statement shows the maturity and growth that he went through over the past couple of seasons, but it also highlights the tough position Red Bull is in. Verstappen continues to drive at an all-time level - extracting pace from non-optimized machinery and finding ways to fight for a win. Despite his level remaining high after four consecutive title victories, Red Bull's RB21 is limiting Verstappen's chances at winning a fifth straight title. The team needs to squeeze performance from the car over the weekend, and when there are no more gains, the Red Bull car falls down the order. To make matters worse, Red Bull brought an upgrade package to Austria, though nothing notable has changed regarding its consistency. If Verstappen is already dismissing his chances to win the title, then it looks like the champion is either the McLaren drivers to lose. Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying results Lando Norris - McLaren Charles Leclerc - Ferrari Oscar Piastri - McLaren Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari George Russell - Mercedes Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls Max Verstappen - Red Bull Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes Pierre Gasly - Alpine Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin Alex Albon - Williams Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls Franco Colapinto - Alpine Ollie Bearman - Haas Lance Stroll - Aston Martin Esteban Ocon - Haas Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull Carlos Sainz - Williams Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber More F1 news: How Lewis Hamilton Made the F1 Movie Production More Expensive For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Hamilton Spectator
38 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Carlos Alcaraz loves playing on grass and is trying to win a third Wimbledon title in a row
LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz's first match on a grass court came just six years ago. He's obviously a quick study. When Wimbledon gets started Monday, the 22-year-old from Spain will play in the first Centre Court match of this fortnight, an honor reserved for the previous year's men's champion . The contest against Fabio Fognini will open Alcaraz's a bid for a third consecutive championship at the place. That's something only four men have achieved in the Open era, which began in 1968: Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic . Not bad company. Alcaraz already is 5-0 in Grand Slam finals, which includes going 2-0 at the French Open — which he won three weeks ago via a comeback from two sets down against No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final — and 1-0 at the U.S. Open. Last year, the No. 2-ranked Alcaraz became the youngest man to win a major trophy on each surface: grass, clay and hard courts. But he's got a fondness for the green stuff. 'The most beautiful tennis that we can watch is on grass. The style that the people bring to the court when they play on grass. ... The sound of the ball,' said Alcaraz, who will go into Monday on a career-best 18-match winning streak, including a title at the Queen's Club tournament last weekend. 'The movement is really tough, but when you get it, it's kind of (as though) you're flying.' He loves that it allows him to show off the variety in his game and all of the skills he possesses. Few players smile as much as Alcaraz does while in the thick of things, no matter what challenges might be presented by the foe across the net or the tension of the moment. He is as creative as it gets with a racket in hand, sometimes to his own detriment, and admits enjoying seeing replays on arena video screens after some of his best deliveries (that technology isn't used at the All England Club, but perhaps it should be). 'I really want to hit slices, drop shots, going to the net all the time, playing aggressively,' said Alcaraz, who said he lost to two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray during a round of golf early in the week. 'I think on grass it's the style that you have to play, so that's what I like the most.' It's instructive to hear what Djokovic had to say about Alcaraz after a straight-set loss in last year's final at the All England Club. 'He just was better than me in every aspect of the game,' Djokovic said. 'In movement, in the way he was just striking the ball beautifully, serving great. Everything.' Those words carry weight. Djokovic has won seven of his men's-record 24 Grand Slam trophies at Wimbledon but was the runner-up to Alcaraz in 2023 and 2024. When it comes to the idea of joining an elite group by completing a three-peat in two weeks' time, Alcaraz insisted that isn't the sort of thing he really cares about or spends time considering. He wants the title, yes. But where it would place him in history? Leave that to others. 'I really want to lift the trophy,' Alcaraz said. 'But right now, I'm not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: . More AP tennis:
New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
F1 Austrian Grand Prix live updates: Follow latest from today's race with Lando Norris on pole
Those who want to step back from the corporate labelling might like a little history lesson here. This former airfield was soon remodelled into a racing track, hosting its first action as the Osterreichring in 1969 and holding its first grand prix a year later. After a decade-long absence following numerous crashes and a Hermann Tilke redesign, the A1 ring was back on the calendar from 1997. Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz then bought the track in 2004 after another impending absence from the calendar — and the renamed Red Bull Ring has been an F1 mainstay since 2014. In that 11-race run, Red Bull (well, Max Verstappen) has won the Austrian Grand Prix four times. There were also two Styrian Grands Prix held at the circuit in 2020 and 2021 — named after the province in Austria — as F1 looked to work around the COVID pandemic. Verstappen also won one of those. The track is relatively short, comes with just 10 corners (if you're generous to the kink labelled Turn 2) and plenty of gradient changes, both uphill and down. Only Spa-Francorchamps has a greater elevation change through a lap. The highlight is Turn 9, also known as Rindt, as the cars tear through the high-speed right hander in the midst of a roaring trip downhill. Here are the key circuit facts: Circuit length: 4.326 km (2.688 miles) (2.688 miles) Laps: 71 Lap record: 1:05.619 (Carlos Sainz, 2020) (Carlos Sainz, 2020) First GP: 1970 You can take a trip around the delights of the Red Bull Ring with Madeline Coleman 's circuit breakdown, which is linked below. GO FURTHER Austrian GP track breakdown: F1's mountain sprint at the mighty Red Bull Ring
