Austrian Grand Prix: Norris is back in the championship race!
Lando Norris won the Austrian Grand Prix, demonstrating with flawless driving and repelling all attacks that he should not be counted out in the battle for the 2025 World Championship!
The formation lap was not without incident, as Carlos Sainz got stuck on the grid, leading to a restart and the usual procedures being repeated. At the front, Lando Norris held onto the first place, but Charles Leclerc, coming from the inside line, got a much better start, only for Oscar Piastri, who also started well behind him, to take the position away. The field did not complete a full lap, as Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli got into a misunderstanding in the upper section of the track and collided with each other, resulting in three retirements after Sainz's technical issue just a short while later.
It goes without saying how much opportunity and psychological advantage Verstappen's retirement gave to McLaren, who led the race in a smooth one-two. Behind them, the two cars of Scuderia Ferrari tried to keep up with the pace – with little success. By lap 12, the front had solidified, but not for the top two: Norris and Piastri engaged in a great battle, overtaking each other back and forth, but ultimately no position change occurred, with the Brit remaining in the lead. Soon, the first pit stops began, with Norris brought in on lap 22, enjoying a significant positional advantage. The driver with the #4 on his car switched to hard tires and had already won another tussle against his main challenger, who had also properly locked up the medium compound Pirelli tires.
The standings did not change further, but excitement and battles were mostly seen only in the rear regions, as Norris and Piastri occupied the leading positions. However, Fernando Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto showcased a great fight! The standings, however, did not change, with Lando Norris achieving a practically easy start-to-finish victory ahead of Oscar Piastri, while Charles Leclerc managed to squeeze onto the podium. Let's not forget Lewis Hamilton, who delivered an excellent performance and finished fourth, as well as sixth-placed Liam Lawson.
Photo: AP Photo / XPB Images
