Lando Norris cuts Oscar Piastri’s lead with Austrian GP win

McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates on the podium with a trophy after winning the Austrian Grand Prix. PHOTO: REUTERS

UPDATED Jun 30, 2025, 03:01 AM

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SPIELBERG – Lando Norris resisted vigorous attacks from teammate and championship leader Oscar Piastri to claim a masterful McLaren one-two in the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29.

In torrid heat at the Red Bull Ring, the 25-year-old Briton came home 2.695 seconds clear of the 24-year-old Australian to trim his lead in the title race from 22 to 15 points.

Said Norris: “It was a tough race, pushing all the way through, it was tricky, hot and tiring. It was a perfect result for the team, a one-two is exactly what we want and we did it again.”

For Piastri, it was equally demanding.

“Intense!” he said. “I hope it was good watching because from inside the car it was hard work. Yeah, I tried my absolute best.”

It was Norris’ first win in Austria, his third victory in 2025 and the seventh of his career.

It was McLaren’s first win in Austria since David Coulthard triumphed in 2001.

The McLaren pair battled throughout the race to provide thrilling racing for the packed crowd and put behind them their collision in Canada two weeks ago.

Charles Leclerc was third ahead of his Ferrari teammate seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, their best result of 2025, with George Russell fifth for Mercedes.

Said Leclerc: “I rate our weekend as a team really well but unfortunately the pace today was just not enough.”

Liam Lawson came in a career-best sixth for RB on a desultory day for the senior Red Bull team after four-time champion Max Verstappen retired on the opening lap after being hit by Mercedes’ teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli. He is now 61 points behind Piastri.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was seventh ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto and his Sauber teammate Nico Hulkenberg, the future Audi outfit showing their huge potential, with Esteban Ocon finishing 10th for Haas.

After a frantic prelude, during which Carlos Sainz’s Williams failed to leave the grid and then caught fire in the pit lane, the race was delayed for 10 minutes – before delivering immediate drama at the second attempt.

The damaged cars of Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen (left) and Mercedes’ Italian driver Kimi Antonelli after their crash at the race track. PHOTO: AFP

Norris made a clean start while, behind him, Piastri passed Leclerc on the outside of turn 1 before Antonelli locked up and lost control at turn 3 and hit Verstappen’s Red Bull.

A safety car was deployed as both drivers retired on lap 1, ending for the defending champion a run of 31 races in the points.

“I got hit,” said the Dutchman on team radio.

The teenage rookie apologised. “I locked the rear. Sorry about that,” he told Mercedes.

The race resumed after a two-minute slowdown and Norris was forced immediately to defend as Piastri attacked, as did Russell on Hamilton for fourth. Both were thwarted by defensive driving.

By lap 12, the McLaren duo were four seconds clear and delivering a show of their own.

Unhampered by any hangovers from their collision in Montreal, they raced side by side and wheel to wheel, but each time the Australian attacked, the Briton hung on.

In scorching heat of 32 deg C (air) and 55 (track), it was a perfect advertisement for the historic venue in the Styrian Alps, which had secured a 16-year contract extension to 2041 before the race.

Norris pitted, taking hards, after surviving another Piastri lunge, at turn 4, on lap 20.

Piastri then followed suit, emerging fourth until Leclerc pitted.

McLaren’s Lando Norris leads at the start of the race ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. PHOTO: REUTERS

After the leaders out on track also changed tyres, Norris led Piastri by 6.5 seconds.

Red Bull’s misery intensified on lap 30 when Yuki Tsunoda hit Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, sending both to the pits for repairs.

The Japanese rejoined 16th and last of the runners with a new front wing before being handed a 10-second penalty.

As the field settled, Norris led Piastri by 3.2sec.

Russell began the second round of stops on lap 46, followed by the rest of the leaders, leaving Norris to complete a near-perfect day in the Styrian mountains.

McLaren are 207 points clear of Ferrari, who moved back up to second in the constructors’ championship, in the absence of team boss Fred Vasseur, who had to return home for personal reasons. AFP, REUTERS

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