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The Independent
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Lando Norris heads to Silverstone reenergised – with trusted engineer his guiding light
For Lando Norris, so despondent this season at so many junctures, this is exactly what the doctor ordered. At one of his most successful circuits, the Briton breathed new life into his title challenge in the Styrian mountains. The challenge now is to keep the momentum rolling into his home race at Silverstone this weekend. Eager to bounce back after his horrid error in colliding with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in Canada, Norris dominated every Austrian Grand Prix session he participated in. While he stepped back for Irish rookie Alex Dunne in FP1, Norris topped the timesheets in FP2 and FP3. No doubt, he was a man on a mission. Thankfully, and in contrast to a plethora of races so far in 2025, he also maintained his composure at the end of qualifying, setting a table-topping time more than half a second quicker than Charles Leclerc in second. In F1 spiel, that's a sizable gap. It was Norris's best lap of the season. But the opening to the 70-lap grand prix was met with a robust challenge from Piastri, who leapt up to second at the start. The Australian spent at least 15 laps right on the gearbox of his teammate. Lap 12 saw the lead momentarily change hands before Norris came swooping back. It was tremendous race-craft and, ultimately, Norris came out on top. In fact, this time it was Piastri who pushed the limits too much, locking up his tyres and almost hitting his teammate at turn 4. Piastri was promptly told by his engineer Tom Stallard, over team radio, that the move was 'too marginal.' He added: 'We can't do that again.' Yet throughout this early-race battle, and towards the end of the grand prix when Piastri looked to launch a second attack, Norris was guided – almost coached – by the trusted man in his ear. Will Joseph, Norris' long-term race engineer, was a key cog in Norris' third win this season. 'Make turn 6 apex, it makes it harder for the other car,' Joseph said, amid the heat of battle at the start. With data and timing screens unavailable to the driver in the cockpit, Joseph and the rest of the McLaren pit-wall were vital sources of information. And while the advice may seem blatantly pinpoint, in a sport of marginal gains, that can make all the difference. Towards the end of the race, Piastri had halved the gap to his teammate from four to two seconds. Clearly anxious, Norris issued a plea on the radio: 'I need some pace, please help.' This time, Joseph seemed unconcerned: 'The main pace difference is high speed, hopefully linked just to traffic.' Indeed, with Fernando Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto fighting for top-10 positioning up ahead – but a lap down – the traffic in the end thwarted any potential Piastri move. Norris negotiated the two cars with ease, and took the chequered flag. TOP-10 - WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Norris thanked his right-hand man and the rest of the team over team radio. Joseph's underlying message was clear: 'Follow the process.' Norris undoubtedly had a guiding light throughout his victory and while such precise coaching over radio is rare to hear for a frontrunning driver, the Briton acknowledged afterwards he is willing to digest as much helpful information as possible. "As much as I like to not have any radio and just do my own thing and concentrate, when you've got some quick guys behind you or ahead of you, there's nothing wrong with asking for a bit of guidance and a bit of help every now and then,' Norris said afterwards. "I'm just trying to utilise the guys I've got around me. My engineers, my performance engineers, they're looking at a lot more data than I can see. 'Obviously, I'm the one in the car, but when you've got a guy catching you and there are some corners where you can improve, then I want to know those things. I would say that's nothing more than just general improvements, but also me trying to be a bit more accepting of some help sometimes." So to Silverstone we go, with the gap at the top now down to 15 points from 22. The British Grand Prix will represent the halfway stage of the season and, with Max Verstappen's retirement on Sunday, it is increasingly looking like a two-horse race for the world championship Cheered on by having his own group of 10,000 supporters – the 'Landostand ' – at Stowe corner this weekend, Norris has the perfect opportunity to find some consistency. He should be the favourite for a first home victory; as long as he can handle the pressure. 'It's a place I want to win more than anywhere else,' Norris said of Silverstone. 'But it doesn't change anything. It just puts a bit more of a smile on my face every morning when I wake up. "There's pressure in every race. There's pressure to win today, to be on pole yesterday. I don't think I can put myself under any more pressure."
BreakingNews.ie
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- BreakingNews.ie
Lando Norris triumphs in Austria to cut Oscar Piastri's advantage in title race
Lando Norris won the battle of the McLarens to land a morale-boosting victory in Austria which breathes fresh life into his world championship charge. Norris kept his nerve in a thrilling duel with Oscar Piastri to take his third triumph of the season, reducing the title deficit to his team-mate to 15 points from 22. Advertisement A fortnight after Norris ran into the back of Piastri in Canada, the two McLaren men came within centimetres of another collision on lap 20 of 70. LANDO NORRIS WINS THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX! — McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 29, 2025 Piastri momentarily lost control of his car as he attempted a lunge at turn four, before he was warned not to attempt a similar move – a clear sign McLaren had called off the fight. Norris took the chequered flag 2.7 seconds clear of Piastri, with Charles Leclerc finishing third. Lewis Hamilton was fourth with the seven-time world champion's wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours extending to his home race at Silverstone next weekend. Max Verstappen's race lasted three corners after he was taken out by Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli. The first-lap retirement leaves him 61 points off the championship pace. George Russell took fifth for Mercedes. Advertisement Norris departed Montreal with his championship hopes hanging in the balance after a collision with Piastri which the British driver said made him look like a fool. But Norris has been a driver reborn here in the Styrian mountains, securing an emphatic pole position before holding off Piastri with a statement victory. Respect between these two after an unfortunate collision on Lap 1 in Austria 🤝 #F1 || #AustrianGP 🇦🇹 — Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) June 29, 2025 Norris nailed his getaway to keep Leclerc behind on the run 200-metre charge to turn one with Piastri then launching his McLaren around the outside of the Ferrari and into second place, providing him with clear sight of his team-mate. Verstappen had called his car 'undriveable' in qualifying on his way to taking a lowly seventh grid spot. And his torrid weekend was over on the first lap when Antonelli arrived like a torpedo at the third corner to T-bone the four-time world champion. Advertisement 'I'm out, got hit, like crazy,' Verstappen said. 'F****** idiots.' In the other Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda was penalised for crunching Franco Colapinto and would finish 16th and last. A desperate weekend for Red Bull at their home event. Back to the front, and the safety car – released following the first-lap drama – came in at the end of lap three. For the next 16 laps, Norris would never be more than a second clear of Piastri. Oscar Piastri congratulates Norris (Darko Bandic/AP) And on the 11th lap, Piastri made the first move when he overtook Norris on the entry to turn three. Norris did not challenge knowing that a clean exit would provide him with a slingshot on the downhill drag to the next corner, and his wily decision worked when he got his man back on the inside of the right-hander. Clean racing from both, and the gap remained at half a second. Advertisement Norris then ran wide on the exit of the final bend on lap 15 allowing Piastri a chance to close, but the Australian resisted a challenge. It was nip-and-tuck before Piastri attempted a banzai dive at turn four on lap 20. Piastri locked his front-right tyre and came agonisingly close to sliding into Norris' car. Lewis Hamilton's wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours continued (Darko Bandic/AP) McLaren promptly hauled in Norris for his first of two tyre changes. Piastri, perhaps as punishment, was left out on track with a flat-spotted tyre for four additional laps and was losing time – a signal that McLaren had seen enough. By the time Piastri emerged from his stop, Norris was six seconds up the road. Advertisement 'The feedback from the pit-wall was that the move into turn four was too marginal and we can't do that again,' Piastri was told by his race engineer, Tom Stallard. Norris came in for his second stop with 18 laps remaining with a three-second lead. Piastri would stop the next time around and was then forced to take to the grass as he attempted to lap Colapinto in 14th. THE TOP 10 FINISHERS 🤩 #F1 #AustrianGP — Formula 1 (@F1) June 29, 2025 Piastri continued his charge and with 10 laps to go was back within two seconds. 'I need some pace,' Norris said. 'Please help.' But Piastri would not get a sniff as Norris took the chequered flag for his seventh career win – a perfect tonic as a pre-cursor to next weekend's British Grand Prix. 'We had a great battle, that's for sure,' Norris said. 'It was a lot of fun, a lot of stress, but a nice battle. It was tricky, hot and tiring, but the perfect result as a team.' Piastri said on the radio: 'Sorry for my move at turn four, that was my bad.' He added: 'I tried my absolute best and I probably could have done a better job when I momentarily got ahead. It was a bit on the edge, and I might have pushed a bit too far, but it was a good race and that is what we are here to do, to race each other and fight for wins.'
The National
29-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
Lando Norris bounces back from Canadian catastrophe to win Austrian Grand Prix
Lando Norris bounced back from his Canadian catastrophe in style by winning the Austrian Grand Prix ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri at Red Bull Ring on Sunday. Last time out in Montreal, Norris crashed out of the race late on after colliding with Piastri attempting to pass his title rival with four laps to go. The distraught Briton apologised to his team and teammate, who went on to finish fourth – but made up for the error by taking the chequered flag 2.7 seconds ahead of Piastri to seal his third triumph of the season. It was a dominant McLaren 1-2 at the front as Norris closed the gap on Piastri in the drivers' championship to 15 points after 11 of 24 rounds, with the two drivers increasingly locked in a battle of their own for the title. The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton took third and fourth while Max Verstappen crashed in the early stages after a collision with Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes when the young Italian rookie's tyres locked up. Seven-time world champion Hamilton's wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours has now been extended to his home race at Silverstone next weekend. Norris, meanwhile, has been a driver reborn in the Styrian mountains, securing an emphatic pole position before holding off Piastri with a statement victory. 'It was a tough race, pushing all the way through, it was tricky, hot and tiring,' said the 25-year-old. 'It was a perfect result for the team, a one-two is exactly what we want and we did it again so I'm very happy. 'We had a great battle that's for sure, it was a lot of fun and stress. A nice battle so well done to Oscar, hopefully it was a nice one for everyone to watch.' Piastri insisted he 'tried my absolute best but could have done a better job' against his victorious teammate. 'It was a good battle, bit on the edge at times,' said the Australian. 'Probably pushed the limit a bit far but it was a good race and that's what we were here to do, race each other and try to fight for wins. That's what we did today, it was close for me but not quite enough.' Leclerc was happy with his team's performance but admitted the Ferrari's where simply lack in speed. "I ra'e our weekend as a team really well but unfortunately the pace today was just not enough," sai' the Monegasquen driver. 'In the first corner I was thinking about going but Lando closed the door and then that left the door open for Oscar, I lost the second place there. 'They were too fast anyway for us to stay in second, so third was the best we could do, I don't regret much of what we've done today, I think we've done our maximum, just not enough pace. 'We've brought some upgrades this weekend and they've definitely helped us to take a step forward. We need to keep pushing in that direction to close the gap to the McLarens that for now are too quick. 'I will give it my all to try to get back on the top step of the podium, obviously this is our main priority, the whole team deserves it.' Four-time world champion Verstappen's race lasted three corners after the Dutchman was taken out of the running by the Mercedes of Antonelli. Verstappen stayed third overall but is now 61 points behind Piastri. The Italian teenager revealed that he 'apologised straight away' to Verstappen after the collision. 'I didn't brake necessarily too late, when I braked I locked the rears and I lost the car and I lost the rear,' said the 18-year-old. 'I had to then avoid [Liam] Lawson and I was just trying to slow down the car because obviously I had a big moment and I then locked up the front-left. 'I tried as much as possible to slow down the car, but unfortunately it was Max and I hit him, I am sorry t 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.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lando Norris triumphs in Austria to cut Oscar Piastri's advantage in title race
Lando Norris won the battle of the McLarens to land a morale-boosting victory in Austria which breathes fresh life into his world championship charge. Norris kept his nerve in a thrilling duel with Oscar Piastri to take his third triumph of the season, reducing the title deficit to his team-mate to 15 points from 22. Advertisement A fortnight after Norris ran into the back of Piastri in Canada, the two McLaren men came within centimetres of another collision on lap 20 of 70. Piastri momentarily lost control of his car as he attempted a lunge at turn four, before he was warned not to attempt a similar move – a clear sign McLaren had called off the fight. Norris took the chequered flag 2.7 seconds clear of Piastri, with Charles Leclerc finishing third. Lewis Hamilton was fourth with the seven-time world champion's wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours extending to his home race at Silverstone next weekend. Max Verstappen's race lasted three corners after he was taken out by Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli. The first-lap retirement leaves him 61 points off the championship pace. George Russell took fifth for Mercedes. Advertisement Norris departed Montreal with his championship hopes hanging in the balance after a collision with Piastri which the British driver said made him look like a fool. But Norris has been a driver reborn here in the Styrian mountains, securing an emphatic pole position before holding off Piastri with a statement victory. Norris nailed his getaway to keep Leclerc behind on the run 200-metre charge to turn one with Piastri then launching his McLaren around the outside of the Ferrari and into second place, providing him with clear sight of his team-mate. Verstappen had called his car 'undriveable' in qualifying on his way to taking a lowly seventh grid spot. And his torrid weekend was over on the first lap when Antonelli arrived like a torpedo at the third corner to T-bone the four-time world champion. Advertisement 'I'm out, got hit, like crazy,' Verstappen said. 'F****** idiots.' In the other Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda was penalised for crunching Franco Colapinto and would finish 16th and last. A desperate weekend for Red Bull at their home event. Back to the front, and the safety car – released following the first-lap drama – came in at the end of lap three. For the next 16 laps, Norris would never be more than a second clear of Piastri. Oscar Piastri congratulates Norris (Darko Bandic/AP) And on the 11th lap, Piastri made the first move when he overtook Norris on the entry to turn three. Norris did not challenge knowing that a clean exit would provide him with a slingshot on the downhill drag to the next corner, and his wily decision worked when he got his man back on the inside of the right-hander. Advertisement Clean racing from both, and the gap remained at half a second. Norris then ran wide on the exit of the final bend on lap 15 allowing Piastri a chance to close, but the Australian resisted a challenge. It was nip-and-tuck before Piastri attempted a banzai dive at turn four on lap 20. Piastri locked his front-right tyre and came agonisingly close to sliding into Norris' car. Lewis Hamilton's wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours continued (Darko Bandic/AP) McLaren promptly hauled in Norris for his first of two tyre changes. Piastri, perhaps as punishment, was left out on track with a flat-spotted tyre for four additional laps and was losing time – a signal that McLaren had seen enough. Advertisement By the time Piastri emerged from his stop, Norris was six seconds up the road. 'The feedback from the pit-wall was that the move into turn four was too marginal and we can't do that again,' Piastri was told by his race engineer, Tom Stallard. Norris came in for his second stop with 18 laps remaining with a three-second lead. Piastri would stop the next time around and was then forced to take to the grass as he attempted to lap Colapinto in 14th. Piastri continued his charge and with 10 laps to go was back within two seconds. 'I need some pace,' Norris said. 'Please help.' But Piastri would not get a sniff as Norris took the chequered flag for his seventh career win – a perfect tonic as a pre-cursor to next weekend's British Grand Prix. Advertisement 'We had a great battle, that's for sure,' Norris said. 'It was a lot of fun, a lot of stress, but a nice battle. It was tricky, hot and tiring, but the perfect result as a team.' Piastri said on the radio: 'Sorry for my move at turn four, that was my bad.' He added: 'I tried my absolute best and I probably could have done a better job when I momentarily got ahead. It was a bit on the edge, and I might have pushed a bit too far, but it was a good race and that is what we are here to do, to race each other and fight for wins.'
The Independent
29-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Lando Norris triumphs in Austria to cut Oscar Piastri's advantage in title race
Lando Norris won the battle of the McLarens to land a morale-boosting victory in Austria which breathes fresh life into his world championship charge. Norris kept his nerve in a thrilling duel with Oscar Piastri to take his third triumph of the season, reducing the title deficit to his team-mate to 15 points from 22. A fortnight after Norris ran into the back of Piastri in Canada, the two McLaren men came within centimetres of another collision on lap 20 of 70. Piastri momentarily lost control of his car as he attempted a lunge at turn four, before he was warned not to attempt a similar move – a clear sign McLaren had called off the fight. Norris took the chequered flag 2.7 seconds clear of Piastri, with Charles Leclerc finishing third. Lewis Hamilton was fourth with the seven-time world champion's wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours extending to his home race at Silverstone next weekend. Max Verstappen's race lasted three corners after he was taken out by Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli. The first-lap retirement leaves him 61 points off the championship pace. George Russell took fifth for Mercedes. Norris departed Montreal with his championship hopes hanging in the balance after a collision with Piastri which the British driver said made him look like a fool. But Norris has been a driver reborn here in the Styrian mountains, securing an emphatic pole position before holding off Piastri with a statement victory. Norris nailed his getaway to keep Leclerc behind on the run 200-metre charge to turn one with Piastri then launching his McLaren around the outside of the Ferrari and into second place, providing him with clear sight of his team-mate. Verstappen had called his car 'undriveable' in qualifying on his way to taking a lowly seventh grid spot. And his torrid weekend was over on the first lap when Antonelli arrived like a torpedo at the third corner to T-bone the four-time world champion. 'I'm out, got hit, like crazy,' Verstappen said. 'F****** idiots.' In the other Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda was penalised for crunching Franco Colapinto and would finish 16th and last. A desperate weekend for Red Bull at their home event. Back to the front, and the safety car – released following the first-lap drama – came in at the end of lap three. For the next 16 laps, Norris would never be more than a second clear of Piastri. And on the 11th lap, Piastri made the first move when he overtook Norris on the entry to turn three. Norris did not challenge knowing that a clean exit would provide him with a slingshot on the downhill drag to the next corner, and his wily decision worked when he got his man back on the inside of the right-hander. Clean racing from both, and the gap remained at half a second. Norris then ran wide on the exit of the final bend on lap 15 allowing Piastri a chance to close, but the Australian resisted a challenge. It was nip-and-tuck before Piastri attempted a banzai dive at turn four on lap 20. Piastri locked his front-right tyre and came agonisingly close to sliding into Norris' car. McLaren promptly hauled in Norris for his first of two tyre changes. Piastri, perhaps as punishment, was left out on track with a flat-spotted tyre for four additional laps and was losing time – a signal that McLaren had seen enough. By the time Piastri emerged from his stop, Norris was six seconds up the road. 'The feedback from the pit-wall was that the move into turn four was too marginal and we can't do that again,' Piastri was told by his race engineer, Tom Stallard. Norris came in for his second stop with 18 laps remaining with a three-second lead. Piastri would stop the next time around and was then forced to take to the grass as he attempted to lap Colapinto in 14th. Piastri continued his charge and with 10 laps to go was back within two seconds. 'I need some pace,' Norris said. 'Please help.' But Piastri would not get a sniff as Norris took the chequered flag for his seventh career win – a perfect tonic as a pre-cursor to next weekend's British Grand Prix.
