Norris races past Piastri to win McLaren-dominated Austrian GP
SPIELBERG: Lando Norris resisted vigorous attacks from team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri to claim a masterful McLaren 1-2 in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix.
In torrid heat at the Red Bull Ring, the 25-year-old Briton came home 2.695 seconds clear of the 24-year-old Australian to trim his lead in the title race by 15 points It was Norris's first win in Austria, his third win this year and the seventh of his career. It was McLaren's first win in Austria since David Coulthard triumphed in 2001.
The McLaren pair battled throughout the race to provide thrilling racing for the packed crowd and put behind them their collision in Canada two weeks earlier. Charles Leclerc was third ahead of his Ferrari team-mate seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, their best result of the year, with George Russell finishing fifth for Mercedes.
'It was a tough race,' said Norris. 'Pushing the whole way through... tricky, hot, tiring, but the perfect result for us as a team, a 1-2 again. We had a great battle, that's for sure.' For Piastri, it was equally demanding. 'Intense!' he said. 'I hope it was good watching because from inside the car it was hard work. Yeah, I tried my absolute best.'
Liam Lawson came in a career-best sixth for RB on a desultory day for the senior Red Bull team after four-time champion Max Verstappen retired on the opening lap after being hit by Mercedes' teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli. He is now 61 points behind Piastri.
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was seventh ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto and his Sauber team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, the future Audi outfit showing their huge potential, with Esteban Ocon finishing 10th for Haas.
10-minute delay
After a frantic prelude, during which Carlos Sainz's Williams failed to leave the grid and then caught fire in the pit lane, the race was delayed for 10 minutes – before delivering immediate drama at the second attempt.
Norris made a clean start while, behind him, Piastri passed Leclerc on the outside of Turn One before Antonelli locked up and lost control at Turn Three and hit Verstappen's Red Bull. A safety car was deployed as both drivers retired on lap one ending, for the defending champion a run of 31 races in the points. 'I got hit,' said the Dutchman on team radio. The teenage rookie apologized. 'I locked the rear. Sorry about that,' he told Mercedes.
The race resumed after a two-minute slowdown and Norris was forced immediately to defend as Piastri, looking sharp, attacked as also did Russell on Hamilton for fourth. Both were thwarted by defensive driving. By lap 12, the McLaren duo were four seconds clear and delivering a show of their own.
Unhampered by any embarrassing hangovers from their collision in Montreal, they raced side by side and wheel to wheel, but each time the Australian attacked, the Briton hung on.
In scorching heat of 32 degrees (air) and 55 (track), it was a perfect advertisement for the historic venue in the Styrian Alps which had secured a 16-year contract extension to 2041 before the race.
Norris pitted, taking hards, after surviving another Piastri lunge, at turn four, on lap 20. Piastri then followed suit, emerging fourth until Leclerc pitted. After the leaders out on track also changed tyres Norris led Piastri by 6.5 seconds.
Red Bull's misery intensified on lap 30 when Yuki Tsunoda hit Colapinto, sending both to the pits for repairs. The Japanese rejoined 16th and last of the runners with a new front wing before being handed a 10-second penalty.
As the field settled Norris led Piastri by 3.2s. Russell began the second round of stops on lap 46, followed by the rest of the leaders, leaving Norris to complete a near-perfect day in the Styrian mountains. — AFP
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