George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix for Mercedes, inheriting the lead and the win after an intense, fractious but thrilling battle between leaders McLaren’s Lando Norris and the world champion Max Verstappen ended with a clash that put Norris out of the race and Verstappen dropping to fifth.
Oscar Piastri was in second for McLaren, Carlos Sainz third for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton fourth for Mercedes.
For Russell and Mercedes this was a hugely celebratory moment. The 26-year-old from King’s Lynn securing the second win of his career and Mercedes’ first since he took the flag at Brazil in 2022. It is only the second time they have taken the top step since the regulations changed that year in what has been a long struggle for the team after their run of eight consecutive constructors’ titles since 2014.
However the race was defined by the battle between Verstappen and Norris, long since old friends, a relationship that may have been tested to breaking point by the final third of the race at the Red Bull Ring. What had been a pedestrian affair, Verstappen in control until the final third, came alive to visceral effect as the final set of stops changed the face of the battle.
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Verstappen had a lead of just under seven seconds when Red Bull pitted Verstappen on lap 52 and Norris followed him in. Red Bull were slow with the left-rear tyre change and as they left the gap was down to just under two seconds.
Norris had the advantage on new medium tyres, with Verstappen only having a used set, setting up a tense finale. Norris charged on fresh tyres and had the gap down to under a second within two laps. He edged at him on lap 55 at turn three but was aggrieved Verstappen had moved to defend late into the corner. Norris knew he had to make the most of his tyres while he had an advantage and pressured hard.
It was the two quickest drivers on track and the two in the championship fight going wheel to wheel, no quarter given. On lap 59 Norris braked late into turn three and took the place but in doing so went off track and he surrendered the lead swiftly.
Norris accused Verstappen of dangerous driving in forcing him to go wide as the pair continued nose to tail, Norris trying again at turn three four laps later again up the inside, this time Verstappen went wide to maintain the place.
The pair threw the blame at each other on the radio as they went wheel to wheel again to calamitous effect on lap 64. They clashed at turn three once more as Norris looked to go around the outside and Verstappen once more moved to squeeze him wide, both took a puncture, Norris was forced to retire in his pit box and Verstappen to pit, handing Russell the lead.
Verstappen was adjudged to have been at fault and given a 10-second penalty for causing a collision. He rejoined in fifth, the win long gone as an aggrieved Norris stared stonily at the monitors in his garage.
Their battle was done as Russell held off a charge from Piastri for the win, which Mercedes will gleefully take but one which both Red Bull and McLaren believe had belonged to them.
Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were in sixth and eighth for Haas, Sergio Pérez in seventh for Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo was ninth for RB and Pierre Gasly tenth for Alpine. Guardian
