Latest news with #Austria
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Austrian Grand Prix prediction & F1 betting tips: Bounce-back performance from Norris
Lando Norris is being tipped to perform after a poor show in Canada (The Canadian Press) Austrian Grand Prix betting tips Lando Norris to win - 9/4 Unibet George Russell to finish on the podium - 11/8 William Hill F1 is back in Europe this weekend, with the first race of this stretch taking place in Austria, through the picturesque Styrian mountains. Oscar Piastri goes into the race with 22-point lead in the Drivers' Championship over his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris and 43 ahead of current world champion Max Verstappen. Advertisement Verstappen has a great record at Red Bull's home race, winning five times at the Red Bull Ring, but some betting sites price him at 7/2 to add to his tally as they anticipate a weekend dominated by McLaren. Austrian Grand Prix betting preview: Norris back on top Round 10 was one to forget for Norris, whose mistake during the closing stage of the race in Canada left him admitting he had 'made a fool' of himself. With the McLarens travelling in fourth and fifth with three laps to go, Norris collided with his team mate, and although Piastri was able to continue without any damage, Norris broke his suspension, costing him 10 precious championship points. Advertisement After finishing second to Verstappen in the 2024 Drivers' Championship, Norris is once more in danger of having to the bridesmaid once more behind the more consistent Piastri, who is odds-on for the title on betting apps. Norris has has finished second in three of his last five races, twice to Piastri and once to Verstappen. The 25-year-old also won in Monaco, which was his second victory of the season and first since the season opener in Australia. F1 betting sites are offering 9/4 on him winning in Spielberg, just behind his McLaren teammate, who is the favourite at 13/8. The Red Bull Ring is a tracxk Norris knows well having achieved his first ever podium finish in Austria back in 2020, finishing third behind Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc, while the Brit also clocked the fastest lap time that day. Advertisement He also finished third the following season, behind the winner Verstappen and second placed Bottas and may be capable of delivering the perfect response to his Canada accident. Austrian Grand Prix prediction 1: - Lando Norris to win 9/4 Unibet Austria Grand Prix tips: Russell looking for an Austria repeat Mercedes driver George Russell was victorious last time out at the Canadian Grand Prix, taking the chequered flag ahead of Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli after a controlled drive. The Brit is another driver who has happy memories of this tracck having won last year's race in Austria when he took advantage of Verstappen and Norris colliding while contesting the lead. Advertisement Betting sites are offering 8/1 on him winning at the Red Bull Ring, or you can get F1 odds of 11/8 on him finishing on the podium for the sixth time this season. Austrian Grand Prix prediction 2: George Russell to finish on the podium - 11/8 William Hill Please gamble responsibly When using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium. Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses. Advertisement It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution. You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having: We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Norris Leads McLaren Practice One-Two After Dunne Shines
Lando Norris led Formula One leader Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two in second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday after George Russell went fastest for Mercedes in the opening session. Norris had handed his car to Alex Dunne for an impressive F1 practice debut for the Irish rookie and Formula Two leader, but the Briton was right up to speed as soon as he got back behind the wheel. After Russell's best of one minute 05.542 seconds in the early afternoon, Norris -- 22 points behind Piastri in the title battle after 10 of 24 races -- lapped in 1:04.580 with Piastri 0.157 slower. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, a five-times winner at his team's home circuit, was the only other driver under the five second mark with a 1:04.898. "We've shown a bit more pace than some of the others. I certainly think they're going to catch up. Max is not far behind and they usually improve a lot into Saturday," said Norris. Russell, winner from pole position in Canada two weeks ago after the McLarens collided, was sixth in practice two with Lance Stroll a surprise fourth for Aston Martin and Charles Leclerc fifth for Ferrari. "First practice was definitely a surprise to us," commented Russell. "The McLarens were mighty strong, especially this afternoon. I don't really see that changing. We'll do our best but I don't really think we'll be fighting for pole." Verstappen was without regular race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase for the weekend due to personal reasons with Simon Rennie taking over. "Overall today was quite straightforward and we didn't have any big issues," said Verstappen. "He (Rennie) has a lot of experience so it has been very very good today, he is straight up and it was nice." DUNNE IMPRESSES Dunne, given track time as part of team obligations to give rookie drivers F1 experience, was the talk of the first session when he lapped fourth fastest and only 0.069 slower than Piastri. Still only 19 and the first Irish driver in 22 years to take part in a grand prix weekend, he thanked the team over the radio as the chequered flag fell. "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life," he said. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." McLaren team boss Andrea Stella cautioned not to read too much into the time, however. "Alex has been quite diligent and impressive, and then he also had the chance to show some speed and, no surprise, he is a fast driver," said the Italian. "I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times, because his came later on in the stint when the fuel was down. But I think encouraging and impressive in terms of Alex himself, and also I think a good session for McLaren." Austria has the shortest lap of the year in terms of time and all but 20th-placed Haas driver Oliver Bearman were within a second of Russell in the opening session. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was ninth and 10th respectively in the sessions as Ferrari made a difficult start to their preparations with mechanics working on both cars during practice one. Hamilton was also warned for impeding Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. Leclerc sat out the first session with Swedish reserve Dino Beganovic getting some track time and finishing 18th. Fernando Alonso had a big spin in his Aston Martin but kept the car out of the barriers.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Toto Wolff confirms Mercedes are again considering swoop for Max Verstappen
Toto Wolff has confirmed Mercedes are once more considering a move to tempt the four-time world champion Max Verstappen, with a place potentially available at the team from next season as George Russell has yet to have his contract renewed for 2026. Russell had revealed on Thursday that Mercedes were interested in Verstappen, stating: 'It's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing.' Wolff was then faced with a barrage of questions on the subject when the Mercedes team principal addressed the press at the Austrian Grand Prix and ultimately acknowledged that the team were indeed investigating options with the Dutch driver and suggested that talks were taking place. 'As a team principal responsible for the best car brand in the world it is clear you're exploring what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future,' he said. Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until 2028 but is understood to have performance-related exit options available to him if he is outside the top four by the summer break that falls after the Hungarian Grand Prix. He is currently third. Wolff was open in his previous pursuit of Verstappen until the middle of last season when the Dutch driver committed to staying at Red Bull and Mercedes signed Kimi Antonelli on a multiyear deal. In Austria, Wolff insisted he did not want to hide any negotiations from his drivers. 'What we are trying to do in the team is be transparent,' he said. 'You can choose to hold things under wraps, or do what we've done in the last 20 years I've been here is putting it out there and saying this is the situation. These drivers are clever people and they talk to each other. 'I'm saying it how it is and there's no such thing as saying we are going to sign Max, because it's so far away that it's not realistic at that stage. So with George, we talk about everything.' Verstappen did not deny talks were taking place when asked. 'I don't think we need to talk about that,' he said. 'I don't know, do you want me to repeat what I said last year? I don't know. It's the same answer.' Last year when faced with the same questions at this race, Verstappen emphatically confirmed he would remain at Red Bull. His team have brought upgrades to the Red Bull Ring, hopeful they might improve his fortunes, but it was Russell who was quickest in first practice in Spielberg, while McLaren's Lando Norris, also boasting upgrades, topped the time sheets in the second session in what is something of a big weekend for the British driver. Intensely self-critical, Norris will have subjected himself to no little soul-searching in the two weeks since he climbed disconsolately from his stricken car at the Canadian Grand Prix after hitting his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion The clash was considered inevitable at some point between the two drivers vying for the world championship but its implications have far more import for Norris. The Briton was attempting to pass Piastri in Montreal, clipped the Australian's car and clattered off into the pit wall, his race over. He held his hands up immediately, his contrition clear even, as McLaren had already all but acknowledged it was a matter of when not if the two finally came together, given the team's stance on allowing their drivers to race one another. Yet for McLaren there has been no panic and certainly no sudden imposition of restrictions curtailing their drivers' freedom to compete. Having dealt with it, it is business as usual. For Norris, however, it represents a bruising reminder of quite what is at stake and the intensifying pressure on him to deliver if he is to retain his world championship ambitions. With 10 races gone he trails Piastri by 22 points and while it is far from an insurmountable gap with 14 meetings to go, of more concern is that the form is overwhelmingly with the Australian. Norris had begun as favourite and had taken victory in the season opener in Australia, where Piastri made his only major mistake thus far, spinning off in sudden, treacherous rain in Melbourne. Since when and until Canada, the Australian enjoyed a run of eight consecutive top-three finishes including five wins. Norris's performances in contrast have been peppered with minor errors and some more costly, including Canada and crashing out of qualifying in Saudi Arabia. 'Lando himself will have to show his character to overcome this kind of episode,' said the team principal, Andrea Stella, and Austria is a chance for Norris to reset and reassert at a key moment for the 25-year-old.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Liam Lawson again battling to make gains in F1
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Racing Bulls during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 27, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. Photo: GUENTHER IBY Lando Norris has led Formula 1 leader Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two in the second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix, after George Russell went fastest for Mercedes in the opening session. Norris had handed his car to Alex Dunne for an impressive F1 practice debut for the Irish rookie and Formula Two leader, but the Briton was right up to speed as soon as he got back behind the wheel. After Russell's best of one minute 05.542 seconds in the early afternoon, Norris - 22 points behind Piastri in the title battle after 10 of 24 races - lapped in 1:04.580 with Piastri 0.157 slower. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, a five-times winner at his team's home circuit, was the only other driver under the five second mark with a 1:04.898. Russell, winner from pole position in Canada two weeks ago after the McLarens collided, was sixth in practice two with Lance Stroll a surprise fourth for Aston Martin and Charles Leclerc fifth for Ferrari. Verstappen was without regular race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase for the weekend due to personal reasons with Simon Rennie taking over. Dunne, given track time as part of team obligations to give rookie drivers F1 experience, was the talk of the first session when he lapped fourth fastest and only 0.069 slower than Piastri. Still only 19 and the first Irish driver in 22 years to take part in a grand prix weekend, he thanked the team over the radio as the chequered flag fell. "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life," he said. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." New Zealand F1 driver Liam Lawson. Photo: MPS AGENCY / PHOTOSPORT New Zealand's Liam Lawson meantime, posted the 15th fastest time in the first session, and then the 12th fastest time in the second session. Lawson's Racing Bulls boss, teamn principal Laurent Mekies, says Lawson's getting there. "I think we now all agree that jumping into a car mid-season is going to be difficult regardless of where you are on the pit lane and I think we have to give him time to get used to the car. "But what we see is that the speed is there. He may not yet be putting it together when it matters but we are trying everything we can to support him," Mekies said. The final practice session is late tonight New Zealand time, with qualifying to follow early in the morning. The race will be at 1am on Monday. - Reuters
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
Is Austria F1's most beautiful track? Plus, Norris leads early at the Red Bull Ring
Prime Tire Newsletter | This is The Athletic's twice-weekly F1 newsletter. Sign up here to receive Prime Tire directly in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday. Welcome back to Prime Tire, where today we're going to celebrate something wonderful in Formula One. I'm Alex, and Luke Smith will be along later. The hills are alive with the sounds of Styria. F1 sounds, in fact, as the current V6 hybrid engines make their final appearance at this glorious track. The deeper, flatter engine notes the current cars produce compared to previous eras may not be one of every F1 fan's favorite things, but the sights of the Austrian Grand Prix venue are surely up there. Advertisement There's just something great about the Red Bull Ring, or the Österreichring, as it was, or even the A1-Ring for F1 fans of the 1990s and early 2000s. It mainly comes down to the track's stunning location in central Stryia, where the undulating topography has the drivers feeling like they're climbing (and descending) a mountain every lap. Ringed by proper peaks, here fans can see the cars at multiple places around the track from just a single vantage point. It's a stunning location for a race track. Now then, all together… 🎶 Doe — deer have made famous appearances at this place (nearly tragically for Stefan Johansson in 1987 and more amusingly for Juan Pablo Montoya in 2001). 🎶 Ray — the track gets plenty of golden sun during the summer months, but the altitude can have rain coming down thunderously very quickly. 🎶 Me — I've been twice, to cover Formula Two in 2017 when Charles Leclerc ran riot for Prema Racing and again in 2023, when Max Verstappen did likewise for the home F1 team. 🎶 Fa-r — over 120 miles from the Austrian capital Vienna, to be precise. But it's a lovely drive down the Autobahn, in and out of many mountain-hewn tunnels. 🎶 Sew — I guess those lederhosen outfits Red Bull and Mercedes wheel out fairly regularly here? 🎶 La — the vociferous voices of Verstappen's orange army, which camps out en masse every year at the Red Bull Ring. 🎶 Tea — no, really just Red Bull here, and Madeline Coleman tells me iced gummy bear flavor is on offer this year. 🎶Do-n't worry, I won't break out into full 'Edelweiss,' and it must be noted here that there have been several high-profile negative incidents at this track even in recent years. The 2022 Austrian GP, for example, was marred by appalling harassment of female fans, as well as instances of homophobic and racist slurs being hurled from some out-of-control 'fans'. F1 issued a statement, but all-around good egg Sebastian Vettel said something that was actually worth listening to. Advertisement 'There should be zero tolerance,' said the then Aston Martin driver. 'If people have a good time and drink too much, that's OK, but it doesn't justify or excuse wrong behavior.' But at least the setting for the Austrian GP is magical, and the racing tends to back that up. Think Michael Schumacher versus Montoya here in 2001, Schumacher versus everyone and briefly on fire in 2003, and Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg colliding on the last lap in 2016. Or Verstappen's thrilling battle with Leclerc in 2019, and of course, that Lando Norris clash for the Dutchman in 2024. Did you also know that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who hails from Vienna, also worked here as a driving instructor in the mid-1990s? 'I was working for a racing school and I was living in the farmhouse,' Wolff explained in Friday's team principals' FIA news conference in Austria. 'There were lovely people — egg and bread in the morning, a glass of milk. And then I was teaching people to drive Formula Ford cars around the old Österreichring. The highlight of the day was shaking those cars down in the evening and making them ready for the next day.' This place just seems to breed stories, so over to Luke to reveal the lovely view they tend to get written alongside in Austria. I am writing today's Inside the Paddock from the media center at the Red Bull Ring, which offers what is unquestionably the best view of the season from our 'offices' for any F1 weekend. The incredible glass structure alongside the main straight has the media center at the very top, offering views of the majority of the circuit. I've got Turn 1 right ahead of me, Turn 3 to my right in the distance, plus the left-handers of Turn 6 and 7. It's hard when the race is ongoing to keep an eye on the screens in the media center and not watch the actual cars out on the track! Advertisement It's a funny thing to explain to reporters in other sports, often watching in stadiums that offer a total view of an entire field. It's actually quite rare for us to get any kind of view of the track in F1 media centers nowadays (some don't even have windows!), so we're making the most of it this weekend. The only tiny drawback is we're not actually inside the paddock — the title of this section is a lie! — meaning it requires taking an elevator down the back of the track's main grandstand and then walking through a tunnel under the main straight to get up to the paddock for interviews and chats with sources. But, overall, this has to be one of the best facilities of the season. Oh, and to Alex's point about the beauty of this race, I've been loving the drive to and from the track each day through the mountains. Way to go, Austria. Swapping you for Milton Keynes next week, where we're staying for the British GP, will bring me rather back down to earth… Here are the main takeaways from today's on-track action in Austria: Final practice in Austria takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 a.m. UK on Saturday, with qualifying to follow at 11 a.m. ET and 3 p.m. UK. Follow it all with us. 📫 Love Prime Tire? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
