Lando Norris wins Austria Grand Prix to cut Oscar Piastri's advantage in Formula One title race
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 locked in an increasingly private title battle.
Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari with teammate Lewis Hamilton fourth and George Russell, last year's winner in Austria, 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's Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli.
The Dutch driver stayed third overall but is now 61 points behind Piastri.
"Tricky, hot, tiring," said Norris after stepping out of the car at the finish of the 70-lap race on a sweltering Sunday. "A lot of stress but a lot of fun. A nice battle, so well done to Oscar.
"Hopefully it was a nice one for everyone to watch but inside the car it was tough, especially when he was in DRS [drag reduction range]."
Piastri, who seized second place from Leclerc after an aborted first start, set the fastest lap of the race.
He took the lead momentarily on lap 11 in an intense battle but Norris grabbed it straight back in a duel that risked a repeat of the collision between the pair at the previous race in Canada.
Norris caused that one, and came away empty-handed, but this time it was Piastri who had the McLaren bosses shifting uneasily on the pitwall when he locked up with a puff of smoke on lap 20 while seeking to sneak through on the inside.
New Zealander Liam Lawson took a career-best finish in sixth for Racing Bulls with Fernando Alonso seventh for Aston Martin -- the Spaniard finishing ahead of the Brazilian rookie he manages, Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto.
The points were Bortoleto's first in F1 and to make it even sweeter Sauber took a double points finish, with Nico Hulkenberg finishing ninth.
Hulkenberg was the first Sauber driver since Valtteri Bottas in 2022 to score in three races in a row.
Esteban Ocon took the final point for Haas.
McLaren are 207 points clear of Ferrari, who moved back up to second in the absence of team boss Fred Vasseur who had to return home for personal reasons, in the constructors' championship.
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Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Lando Norris holds off Piastri to win Austrian F1 GP after Verstappen crashes out early
Lando Norris won the Austrian Grand Prix after a tightly contested, tense battle with his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. The pair delivered an immense fight but the British driver held the upper hand to take the flag. However world champion Max Verstappen's title hopes took a huge setback when the Dutchman was knocked out of the race on the opening lap, having been struck by the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli. Ferrari enjoyed a strong return at the Red Bull Ring, with Charles Leclerc third and Lewis Hamilton in fourth. George Russell was fifth for Mercedes. Having clashed at the last round in Canada, hearts must have been in mouths at McLaren as Norris and Piastri vied to thrilling effect over the opening third of the race, ducking and diving at one another in what was a bravura display that remained nip and tuck all the way to the flag. However it was Norris who held his nerve and the edge over his team-mate and closed out the win with superb control. No little redemption and an enormously resilient comeback after his misjudgement in hitting Piastri in Montreal. READ MORE He has closed the gap to Piastri to 15 points but for Verstappen, the title now looks to be a monumental mountain to climb. He was unceremoniously smashed into by an over-eager Antonelli at turn three on the first lap, the world champion's race over in seconds as he now trails Piastri by 61 points, a gap that appears all but insurmountable given the pace advantage McLaren already enjoy over Red Bull. The victory is a huge fillip for Norris in what looks likely to be an even more closely-fought title fight with Piastri. Norris badly needs to demonstrate he is still very much in the game and did so emphatically in Austria, with a dominant pole followed by an equally controlled and assured victory, his third of the season and one indicative that he is determined not to allow his team-mate to take charge of the championship battle. More importantly it might suggest something of a turning point for the British driver. He has struggled a little this season, lacking the responsive feel from the front axle of the car he likes to push it to the limit through corners and it has caused him issues, particularly in qualifying. However McLaren brought a major upgrade to Austria with front and rear aero improvements but vitally for Norris, also on his car is a front suspension development they were hoping would give him the feel he requires. In the race he was clearly enjoying a car beneath him that was positively purring as he tickled it beneath the eaves of the Styrian mountains. This was the Norris who entered the season as title favourite and who, on this form, may yet reassert that role over Piastri. Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli crash. Photograph: Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP via Getty Norris led the field away, holding place as Piastri moved up to second past Leclerc through turn one, only for a safety car to be called almost immediately. Antonelli went in far too hot at the tight right-hander of turn three and clattered into Verstappen who had started in seventh, ending both drivers' races. 'I got hit, like crazy. F**king idiots,' was Verstappen's blunt assessment. He had qualified out of position, unlucky with a yellow flag and it left him in a more vulnerable position but he was not at fault and the Dutchman was hugely unlucky to take such a severe blow to his title ambitions. Racing resumed on lap four and Norris held his lead with ease through the restart from Piastri with Leclerc third and Hamilton fourth. Piastri immediately began to pressure Norris as the pair opened a gap out front running line astern and with a huge pace advantage over the field. 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Meanwhile, Ireland's Alex Dunne finished second in the Austrian Grand Prix feature race on Sunday but was later disqualified as his Formula 2 title rival Richard Verschoor claimed victory. Formula 2 issued a statement revealing the DQ over an issue with dimensions on Dunne's car. Dunne will next turn his attentions to F2's British Grand Prix next weekend, the eighth round of 14 in the 2025 calendar. – Guardian
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Australian media reaction: Praise for Lions' Pollock, Russell, kick restart will have Suaalii licking his lips
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Irish Examiner
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Two-horse race – Christian Horner concedes Max Verstappen title bid all but over
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