Lando Norris secured a significant win at the Austrian Grand Prix, triumphing over his McLaren teammate and championship competitor, Oscar Piastri, following an exciting head-to-head battle. This vital victory marks Norris`s third of the season.
Norris successfully defended his position against Piastri during a tense 20-lap duel in the race`s initial phase and later managed pressure towards the end to maintain his lead. The win comes two weeks after their incident at the Canadian Grand Prix and effectively narrows Piastri`s lead in the championship standings from 22 points down to 15.
Expressing his satisfaction over the radio after crossing the finish line, Norris congratulated the team on a “beautiful one-two.” In his post-race interview, he described the battle with Piastri as “a great battle,” adding that it was “a lot of fun” but also involved “a lot of stress,” particularly when Piastri had the advantage of DRS.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen`s already slim title hopes faced a potential decisive blow when he was forced out of the race on Lap 1 following contact with Kimi Antonelli. Meanwhile, McLaren demonstrated exceptional pace throughout the weekend, clearly operating in a class of their own.
Right from the start, Norris and Piastri pulled away from the chasing Ferrari cars. Piastri briefly managed to get ahead with a move at Turn 3, but Norris immediately retaliated and reclaimed the lead at the subsequent corner. On lap 20, Piastri made another aggressive lunge, nearly running into the back of Norris before pit stops provided Norris with the necessary space to see out the race.
Piastri later apologized for his move at Turn 4. The outcome of the race solidified the emerging championship picture, suggesting a two-horse race primarily between the McLaren drivers, especially with Verstappen`s retirement and Montreal winner George Russell finishing a distant fifth.
Charles Leclerc secured a podium position for Ferrari, although he finished significantly behind the leading McLarens. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth. Liam Lawson delivered a superb performance for Racing Bulls, finishing in sixth place using an effective one-stop strategy, while his teammate Yuki Tsunoda had a difficult race, finishing last.
Fernando Alonso took seventh place for Aston Martin, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto in eighth, marking the reigning Formula 2 champion`s first points in his rookie season. Sauber teammate Nico Hülkenberg continued the team`s recent strong form by finishing ninth, resulting in both Sauber cars scoring points for the first time since 2018. Esteban Ocon completed the top ten for Haas.
Williams faced a challenging day. Carlos Sainz could not even start the race after his brakes caught fire on the formation lap, causing a 15-minute delay. His teammate, Alex Albon, later retired in the pit lane.
Rupert Caldwell 
Tristan Blackwood