Norris Claims Austrian GP Victory After Thrilling McLaren Teammate Duel With Piastri

Lando Norris emerged victorious at the Austrian Grand Prix, securing a crucial win after a captivating on-track duel with teammate Oscar Piastri.

Norris successfully defended his lead against Piastri during a thrilling 20-lap segment early in the race. He then resisted late-race pressure to clinch his third victory of the season.

This win comes two weeks after a collision between the two McLaren drivers at the Canadian Grand Prix, reducing Piastri's lead in the title race from 22 to 15 points.

"Well done everyone, beautiful one-two," Norris exclaimed over the team radio after crossing the finish line. In a post-race interview, he added, "We had a great battle, that's for sure. It was a lot of fun. For me, a lot of stress! But a nice battle."

"Well done to Oscar. Hopefully it was a nice one for everyone to watch. But it was tough, especially when he was in the DRS."

Reigning champion Max Verstappen's chances for the title suffered a major setback after a first-lap incident with Kimi Antonelli. However, McLaren demonstrated superior performance throughout the entire weekend.

Norris and Piastri quickly distanced themselves from the Ferrari drivers at the start, maintaining a close formation for the initial phase of the race.

Piastri briefly overtook Norris at Turn 3, but Norris swiftly reclaimed the lead at the following corner.

Jump to: Race results

Championship contender Piastri almost collided with Norris on lap 20 before pit stops gave Norris the advantage he needed to secure the win.

"Sorry for the move in Turn 4," Piastri admitted after the race. "My bad."

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" data-text-contract="-" data-text-expand="+" data-fix-cols="0" data-behavior="responsive_table" class="inline-table"><thead><tr><th>Driver</th><th>Team</th><th>Time</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td>1. Lando Norris</td><td>McLaren</td><td>1:23:47.693</td><td></td></tr><tr class="last"><td>2. Oscar Piastri</td><td>McLaren</td><td>+2.695</td><td></td></tr><tr class="last"><td>3. Charles Leclerc</td><td>Ferrari</td><td>+19.820</td></tr><tr class="last"><td>4. Lewis Hamilton</td><td>Ferrari</td><td>+29.020</td></tr><tr class="last"><td>5. George Russell</td><td>Mercedes</td><td>+62.396</td></tr><tr class="last"><td>6. Liam Lawson</td><td>Racing Bulls</td><td>+67.754</td></tr><tr class="last"><td>7. Fernando Alonso</td><td>Aston Martin</td><td>+ 1 lap</td></tr><tr class="last"><td>8. Gabriel Bortoleto</td><td>Sauber</td><td>+ 1 lap</td></tr><tr class="last"><td>9. Nico Hulkenberg</td><td>Sauber</td><td>+ 1 lap</td></tr><tr class="last"><td>10. Esteban Ocon</td><td>Haas</td><td>+ 1 lap</td></tr></tbody></table>

The race solidified the idea that 2025 could be a battle between two drivers, especially after Verstappen's retirement and George Russell's distant fifth-place finish.

Charles Leclerc secured a podium finish for Ferrari, trailing the second-place finisher by 17 seconds, while Hamilton finished fourth.

Liam Lawson, who was replaced as Verstappen's teammate earlier in the season, delivered an outstanding performance for Racing Bulls, finishing sixth with an effective one-stop strategy.

Yuki Tsunoda, who took Lawson's seat, finished last, adding to Red Bull's ongoing struggles.

Fernando Alonso finished seventh for Aston Martin utilizing a similar strategy to Lawson, while holding off Gabriel Bortoleto in a late-race duel.

Bortoleto secured eighth place, earning his first points in his rookie season. Sauber teammate Nico Hülkenberg continued the team's improved form, finishing ninth. This marked the first time Sauber had both cars finish in the top 10 since 2018.

Esteban Ocon of Haas claimed the final points-paying position, finishing in 10th.

Williams had a disastrous race. Carlos Sainz failed to start due to a brake fire on the formation lap, delaying the race by 15 minutes.

Sainz's teammate, Alex Albon, later retired in the pit lane.