McLaren's Norris Leads Stunning 1-2 Finish at Austrian GP; Ferrari Salvages Podium as Red Bull Suffers Meltdown

Lando Norris led a McLaren masterclass at the Austrian Grand Prix, with teammate Oscar Piastri securing a remarkable second place. Ferrari salvaged a podium finish with Charles Leclerc, while Red Bull experienced a disastrous home race.

The race was action-packed from the outset, delivering numerous dramatic moments.

Before the official start, Carlos Sainz's Williams encountered terminal mechanical issues on the formation lap and had to be pushed back to the pit lane. Soon after, flames engulfed the car, forcing Sainz to retire before the race began. The start was subsequently delayed by ten minutes, and the race distance was shortened by one lap.

Mclaren's first and second in Norris and Piastri with Ferrari's Leclerc at third. (Reuters Photo)

The revised grid saw 19 drivers take the start. McLaren capitalized on their starting positions, with Norris taking the lead and Piastri slotting in behind after overtaking Charles Leclerc.

However, the Austrian crowd was left in shock as Max Verstappen retired early, following a collision with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli at Turn 3. Antonelli's misjudged braking sent him crashing into Verstappen, prematurely ending the reigning champion's race.

On Lap 4, former Mercedes teammates George Russell and Lewis Hamilton engaged in fierce wheel-to-wheel combat. Russell voiced his frustration over team radio, accusing Hamilton of aggressive defending.

By Lap 5, with DRS enabled, the gap between the two McLaren drivers was less than half a second. On Lap 11, Piastri briefly overtook Norris at Turn 3, only to see Norris retake the lead at Turn 4.

The Ferrari drivers also found themselves battling closely, with Leclerc ultimately maintaining his position ahead of Hamilton throughout the middle stint. Around Lap 20, another near-miss involving the McLaren cars prompted Norris to pit. Piastri received a warning from his engineer for a risky maneuver at Turn 4.

Red Bull's misfortunes continued on Lap 31, when Yuki Tsunoda collided with Franco Colapinto, resulting in a pit stop and a 10-second penalty for Tsunoda.

On Lap 54, Colapinto's aggressive move to overtake Piastri forced the McLaren driver off the track.

Despite the on-track drama, McLaren maintained their dominance. Norris ultimately secured victory, with Piastri completing a dominant 1-2 finish for the team.

Sauber celebrated their first points of the season with an 8th-place finish. Racing Bulls also had a successful race, with Liam Lawson finishing 6th and Isack Hadjar in 12th.

Williams, however, endured a disastrous weekend, with Sainz's pre-race retirement followed by Alexander Albon's early exit, resulting in a double DNF for the team.

• Lando Norris – McLaren
• Oscar Piastri – McLaren
• Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
• Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
• George Russell – Mercedes
• Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
• Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
• Gabriel Bortoleto – Kick Sauber
• Nico Hulkenberg – Kick Sauber
• Esteban Ocon – Haas