Latest news with #StyrianHills
BBC News
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Austrian Grand Prix build-up with Norris on pole
Update: Date: 13:23 BST Title: Piastri 'not planning on finishing third' Content: Oscar Piastri acknowledged in his post-qualifying interview team-mate Lando Norris has been the man in form in Austria. But the championship leader also brought out some of the old fighting talk, stating: "I'm not planning on finishing third, that's for sure." Piastri has been a regular on the podium this year - five wins and three third places - and he came away unscathed from his contact with Norris in Canada to scoop up 12 points to add to his leading tally. With plenty of decent overtaking spots in Spielberg, Piastri added the pace of the McLaren has looked "very strong" so far this weekend, so what will be his strategy from lights out, with Charles Leclerc ahead of him? Update: Date: 13:21 BST Title: What is the Austrian GP weather forecast? Content: The temperature has risen around the Styrian hills and today's Austrian Grand Prix is set to be a scorcher with a high of 31C and zero chance of rain when we go racing shortly. These hot conditions over 71 laps also means tyre degradation will be high on the pit wall agenda across the grid. Pit lane is open. Update: Date: 13:19 BST Title: 'Superb what Norris did' Content: Ben EdwardsF1 commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live It was superb what Lando Norris did [in qualifying], it was the biggest margin we've seen this year on a track where I've seen some of the closest ever times because it's not the longest track and normally the times are very close. Update: Date: 13:16 BST Title: 'To show that we've taken a step forward is what we want' - Norris Content: McLaren polesitter Lando Norris spoke to Sky Sports: "We've got a great car, so it's just a good start and I'll try and control things from there really. "It's not like the car feels a different level but I think it's an improvement on the timesheets and on our performances this weekend and to show that we've taken a step forward is what we want. "It's more than just trying to find that same limit, it doesn't feel different but the main thing is delivering what it should and that's good." On the the drivers behind him in P2 and P3: "I expect a good battle from them both [Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri], I expect them on the first couple of laps to be punchy but that's racing." Update: Date: 13:12 BST Title: Upgrades helping Norris improve Content: Andrew BensonBBC F1 correspondent Lando Norris has felt this year that a lack of feeling from the front axle of the car has been provoking mistakes when he has tried to push to the absolute limit in qualifying. At the last race in Canada, McLaren introduced a revision to the front suspension to reduce what the team have described as a "numbness". Norris has continued with that part in Austria but Piastri feels he does not need it. That added to aerodynamics upgrades to the car to the front wing and suspension introduced in Austria led to the largest margin any pole winner has had in percentage terms all season. Update: Date: 13:09 BST Title: Pole lap 'close to perfection' - Norris Content: Little mistakes in qualifying have cost Lando Norris this season but on a sunny Saturday at the Red Bull Ring, the 25-year-old put in the cleaneast lap of all to beat Charles Leclerc by hefty 0.521 seconds. Norris said his time of 1:03.971 was "as close to perfection as I would probably ask for", adding: "Qualifying has been some of my tough moments so to put in a lap like this is pleasing for myself." The Canada collision with Oscar Piastri last time out, which Norris quickly took responsibility for, saw him lose ground in the title race to the Australian. If the two drivers finish in the same places today, the gap will be reduced from 22 points to 12 points heading into the British Grand Prix next weekend. Update: Date: 13:06 BST Title: No Vasseur for Ferrari Content: Andrew BensonBBC F1 correspondent Ferrari say team principal Frederic Vasseur will not be at the track for the Austrian Grand Prix as he has had to return home for personal reasons. Deputy team principal Jerome d'Ambrosio will stand in for him. Update: Date: 13:03 BST Title: Listen: Austrian GP qualifying review Content: Rosanna Tennant, Ben Edwards, Alice Powell and Andrew Benson look back at yesterday's qualifying in Spielberg. Polesitter Lando Norris, plus Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen are all on there, so have a listen as we go along. This video can not be played Rosanna and the team reflect on qualifying from Austria Update: Date: 13:00 BST Title: Austria: Race day Content: Lorraine McKennaBBC Sport Journalist Hello, folks. Lando Norris was in a class of his own during yesterday's qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, taking pole position by more than half a second. The Briton will share the front row not with his McLaren team-mate - and championship leader - Oscar Piatri, but with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Australian Piastri was thwarted on his final lap by the spinning Alpine of Pierre Gasly, so will start third. Lights out for the Austraian Grand Prix is at 14:00 BST. At Red Bull's home race, four-time world champion Max Verstappen could manage only seventh place, as he was also denied the chance to improve his Q3 time because of the yellow flags for Gasly. All eyes will be on Norris, though, following his Canadian crash out two weeks ago. He's been on pole twice before this season - Australia and Moanco - and converted both into a race victory. Can he do the same again in round 11? Let's find out...
Telegraph
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Live Austrian Grand Prix: Build-up and latest race updates as Norris starts from pole
12:55PM Who will take victory in the Styrian Hills? Lando Norris starts on pole for today's Austrian Grand Prix after a stunning qualifying session yesterday. Norris has been in imperious form all weekend and claimed pole by more than half a second ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc whilst championship leader Oscar Piastri will start third. The Australian was nearly three tenths off Norris after the first runs in Q3 but was not able to set a final flying lap as he was affected by a spin from Pierre Gasly, which brought out a temporary yellow flag. It was a difficult weekend for Norris last time out as he crashed into his teammate Piastri in Canada two weeks ago and had to retire from the race. Norris will be aiming to reduce Piastri's 22-point lead at the top of the drivers' standings and, speaking after qualifying, said he was delighted with his pole position. 'It was a good lap, that is for sure. My Q3 run one was good but I knew there were a few places where, if I just got it right, I could still get quite a bit more time and I did exactly that. I did what I planned to do and when I plan to do something and it goes right, it normally goes very, very well. So very happy. A good day and it has been a good weekend for me so far, so hopefully we can keep it up. It is a long season and I still savour this moment, especially as some of my tougher moments have been in qualifying. So to put in the lap like today, to put in the performance like I had, was pleasing for myself. I am excited. I want to prove to myself over and over again and hopefully this is the beginning of it.' Piastri meanwhile was frustrated that he was not able to set a final flying lap. 'It was the fact I did not get to start it [his final lap], that was the problem I had. [Pierre] Gasly spun at the last corner so I did not even open my second lap. Lando has been very quick all weekend and it would have been a tough challenge, but I think we easily had enough pace in the car this weekend to be on the front row. So always a shame when you do not even get the chance but we can still have a good race from there. It is sometimes just not your day. Our pace this weekend has looked very strong. The Ferrari pace looked good as well, which was a bit of a surprise, but we still have some opportunities tomorrow. I am not planning on finishing third, that is for sure.' The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton will start fourth, with Mercedes' George Russell in fifth and RB's Liam Lawson in sixth. Max Verstappen was also impacted by the late yellow flag in Q3 that affected Piastri after Gasly's spin and starts down in seventh. The four-time world champion was fairly negative about his car after qualifying. 'In qualifying basically everything felt bad. Every corner was a struggle, I just did not have the balance. It was either understeer or oversteer. Even every single lap that I did I had a little bit different behaviour with the car. So yeah, that is not ideal. I did not expect it to be this bad in qualifying, but I think no one did in the team. So, that is something that we have to analyse.' Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) round out the top ten. The race begins at 2pm BST.
Telegraph
28-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Live Austrian Grand Prix qualifying: Latest lap updates after Norris sets pace in practice
2:17PM Top five in the drivers' standings Oscar Piastri (McLaren)- 198 points Lando Norris (McLaren)- 176 points Max Verstappen (Red Bull)- 155 points George Russell (Mercedes)- 136 points Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)- 104 points 2:12PM Wolff admits Mercedes in talks to sign Max Verstappen Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, has reignited talk of Max Verstappen potentially joining his team by admitting that he is having 'conversations' with Red Bull's four-time world champion with regard to a future drive. Wolff's comments came after his driver, George Russell, strongly suggested that Mercedes' pursuit of Verstappen was delaying his own contract talks. Russell has repeatedly said that he is not concerned about signing an extension to his deal, which expires at the end of this season, given his current performance levels. The Briton, 27, is fourth in the drivers' championship, 19 points behind Verstappen in third. But by common consent Russell has extracted everything he possibly could out of his car. 2:06PM Top ten in final practice earlier Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:04.324 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.118 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.210 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.250 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.466 George Russell (Mercedes) +0.694 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.729 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.738 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +0.815 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +0.858 2:01PM Who will take pole in Austria? We are in the picturesque Styrian Hills of Austria and are all set for qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. It has been two weeks since the last race in Canada, won by Mercedes' George Russell, which saw the two McLarens collide, with Lando Norris crashing out and current drivers' championship leader Oscar Piastri finishing fourth. That result means Piastri heads into this weekend 22 points clear of Norris. McLaren, who lead by 175 points in the constructors' standings, have brought an upgraded front suspension to their car this weekend. Friday was a special day for Irishman Alex Dunne, who took part in first practice in Norris' McLaren and impressed finishing fourth, under a tenth off Piastri in the other McLaren. Dunne is currently leading the F2 Championship and did test McLaren's 2023 car in Texas last week in preparation for this run-out. Speaking after second practice yesterday, Norris, who topped the timesheets in both second and third practice, was full of praise for Dunne. 'The car felt good from the off. Alex gave good feedback this morning [yesterday] after FP1 and he was on the pace straight away, so it was good to see. I think they moved the car in the right direction for FP2, and we just need to understand whether we want more of that [on Saturday], or a little bit less, or somewhere in the middle. So good steps in the right direction, but still a little bit more to come hopefully. We have shown a bit more pace than some of the others. I certainly think they are going to catch up. Max is not far behind and they usually improve a lot into Saturday.' After topping second practice yesterday, Norris was also fastest in third practice earlier. Piastri was second, with Max Verstappen in third and Charles Leclerc fourth. McLaren are not the only team to bring upgrades to their car for this weekend; Red Bull have a new floor edge whilst Ferrari have a completely redesigned floor. Friday was a tough day for Lewis Hamilton, who had gearbox issues in practice one before impeding Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in second practice. The seven-time world champion did escape serious punishment, receiving just a warning for 'unnecessary impeding'. A lot of the talk going into the weekend surrounds the futures of Verstappen and George Russell. Verstappen has been linked with a move to Mercedes, with their boss Toto Wolff confirming conversations are being had. The Dutchman is under contract at Red Bull until 2028 but it is believed to have break clauses which Verstappen could use. Verstappen and Russell have come to blows on a number of occasions on and off the track, including as recently as the Spanish Grand Prix where the two collided on track, but Wolff has said he would be happy to pair the two drivers together. Qualifying gets going at 3pm BST.
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
How to watch the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix: Red Bull aims to defend home turf
Formula One heads to the Styrian hills this weekend, where the Red Bull Ring offers short laps, high speeds and zero margin for error. Qualifying sessions have been riddled with red flags, surprise leaders and unpredictable conditions this season. Fans won't want to miss a moment of the action ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix. Advertisement Venue: Red Bull Ring — Spielberg, Austria Dates: June 27-29 Race coverage can also be streamed on ESPN+. Ferrari returns to Austria needing more than luck. In Montreal, the team stumbled from misfortune to mismanagement, poor pit calls, late timing and a damaged floor for Lewis Hamilton, who struck a groundhog early in the race. An animal rights activist, Hamilton later said he was devastated when he learned the groundhog had died. The collision led to his sixth-place finish. Mercedes, by contrast, looked composed. George Russell's win did not shift the standings, but it did validate Toto Wolff's long-standing claim: This car has potential. Still, Austria's quick exits and downhill braking zones could expose the rear-end instability that has plagued them all season. At the front, Red Bull remains the benchmark, but the pack is closing. Russell drew scrutiny for his conduct under the safety car — Red Bull filed a post-race protest after Max Verstappen briefly lost position — but the protest was dismissed after a lengthy steward review, and tensions remain. Verstappen, racing at his team's home base, will want to regain control. For Ferrari, Austria is a test of recovery. For Mercedes, it is a chance to build momentum. As for Red Bull, this is about defending the mountain and reasserting dominance on home soil. Streaming and betting links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Max Verstappen: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images)
Globe and Mail
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Rivalries and collisions hang over F1's Austrian GP
Present rivalries and past collisions hang over Red Bull's home Austrian Grand Prix as Formula One braces for the next round of Max Verstappen v George Russell and more title-chasing drama at McLaren. Russell and reigning champion Verstappen finished first and second in Canada two weeks ago, with Red Bull protesting – in vain – the Mercedes win and accusing the Briton of unsportsmanlike behaviour. It is safe to say the pair are not friends and they are building up quite a track record, colliding in Spain this month in an incident that left Verstappen blamed and on the brink of a mandatory race ban. Two of those penalty points expire after Austria but he still has to stay out of trouble through a weekend in the Styrian hills where his orange-shirted fans will be out in numbers. 'It's always a great weekend there. We've had a lot of great results and, hopefully, we can have another strong weekend there,' said Verstappen, the Austrian GP winner in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Team boss Christian Horner was not about to make any sweeping predictions. 'Probably our weakness at the moment is in the medium-speed type of corner,' he said. 'Austria, that middle sector, there's a bit of medium speed there. So we'll see. I would expect, if it's hot, McLaren to again be stronger. 'There's still a significant points gap between us and them (McLaren). But we don't give up on anything. We're not even at the halfway point yet.' Verstappen and Norris caused a commotion in Spielberg last year when they collided while scrapping for the lead, with Norris chasing. That gifted victory to Russell. Norris will return with the memory of that coming together now overtaken by the one between him and Piastri in Canada that left him 22 points adrift of the Australian after 10 of 24 races. The Briton, who retired in Montreal while Piastri finished fourth, could only blame himself for that error of judgement and knows without too much soul-searching that there can be no repeat. Another question neutrals want answered is whether McLaren will come back strong after a surprisingly low-key Canadian weekend that raised questions about their early domination slipping. Montreal was the first race this season without a McLaren on the podium or front row, and also Mercedes' best so far with Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli third and on the podium for the first time in his F1 career. 'We know that our rivals will likely be much more competitive in Austria this weekend,' said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. 'The track in Spielberg will be a good test of our recent updates and provide another reference point for our progress.' The same track, in 2023, marked a turning point for McLaren and the start of their rise to the top. It was also where Norris took his first podium in 2020, but he will have to wait until Friday's second practice to start work. Ireland's F2 leader Alex Dunne will take Norris's car for first practice while Charles Leclerc steps aside at Ferrari to give Sweden's Dino Beganovic some track time. Dunne will be the first Irish driver to take part in an F1 weekend since Ralph Firman with Jordan in 2003.
