Lando Norris has emerged victorious at the Austrian Grand Prix, claiming his seventh career Formula 1 win and significantly boosting his title aspirations.
The British driver skillfully held off a determined challenge from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, ultimately crossing the finish line 15 points ahead in the championship standings. Norris’s impressive performance underscores McLaren’s strong form this season.
The race was marked by an intense battle between Norris and Piastri, with the Australian briefly seizing the lead before Norris reclaimed the top spot.
Piastri’s aggressive maneuver nearly resulted in a collision, prompting him to later apologize to the team for the near-miss incident. Despite losing ground during the pit stops, Piastri managed to close the gap to Norris but couldn’t quite get close enough to attempt an overtake.
After the race, Norris praised the team’s performance, calling it a “beautiful one-two” finish. “We had a great battle, that’s for sure,” Norris said. “A lot of stress but a lot of fun. A nice battle, so well done to Oscar.”
Piastri, reflecting on his own performance, acknowledged that he could have done a better job when he briefly took the lead. “I hope it was good watching because it was pretty hard work from the car,” Piastri said.
” I tried my absolute best and probably could have done a better job when I just got ahead momentarily. It was a good battle, a bit on the edge at times.”
The title fight has effectively become a two-horse race between the McLaren duo, following Max Verstappen’s early exit from the race due to a collision with Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli.
Piastri currently leads Norris by 15 points, while Verstappen trails 61 points behind the leader. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured third place, marking his third podium finish in four races, followed closely by his teammate Lewis Hamilton in fourth.
McLaren holds a commanding 207-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. Ferrari moved up to second place in the standings, despite team boss Fred Vasseur’s absence due to personal reasons. The next round of the F1 World Championship takes place at the British Grand Prix.