In an exhilarating Austrian Grand Prix, George Russell clinched victory for Mercedes, a triumph made possible due to an unexpected clash between the race leaders, Lando Norris of McLaren and reigning world champion, Max Verstappen. This resulted in Norris being eliminated from the race, and Verstappen slipping down to the fifth position.
Oscar Piastri followed in second place for McLaren, while Carlos Sainz claimed the third spot for Ferrari, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth.
This achievement was a cause for significant jubilation for Russell and Mercedes. The 26-year-old King’s Lynn native secured his career’s second win and Mercedes’ first since their success at Brazil in 2022. This marked their second top finish since the rule revisions in 2022, ending a prolonged rough patch for the team after their eight-year streak of constructors’ titles from 2014.
Yet, the defining narrative of the race was the fierce rivalry between old friends Norris and Verstappen. It reached a climax in the final third of the race at the Red Bull Ring. The hitherto quiet race heated up dramatically after the final pit stops, altering the dynamic of the race significantly.
Verstappen held a slim lead of just short of seven seconds when he pitted on lap 52, closely followed by Norris. The subsequent delay in Red Bull’s left-rear tyre change led to the gap reducing to under two seconds.
Armed with fresh medium tyres, Norris was in a prime spot to challenge Verstappen, who had only a used set, setting the stage for a tight conclusion. Norris wasted no time and quickly narrowed the gap to less than a second in just two laps. He attempted to overtake at turn three on lap 55 but was frustrated with Verstappen’s late intervention. Norris had to maximise the performance of his fresher tyres and kept the pressure high.
The fastest drivers on the track and the ones vying for the championship went head-to-head. Norris took the lead on lap 59 by braking late into turn three, but drifted off the track and consequently, quickly conceded the lead.
In a race tarnished by controversy, Verstappen was alleged to have engaged in risky behaviour, compelling Norris to swerve off the track as they remained in close competition. Later, Norris made a second move at the third turn, which left Verstappen with no choice but to also widen his track to maintain his position.
This led to confusion as both competitors blamed each other for a disastrous incident where their wheels clashed on the 64th lap. Once again, they collided at the third turn, with Norris making an attempt to go round the outer side while Verstappen tried to force him off the track once more. The collision left both with punctured tyres. Norris had to make an unfortunate exit in his pit area, while Verstappen was forced to pit, giving the leading position to Russell.
Verstappen was deemed guilty for the crash and was penalised with a 10-second delay. He made a comeback in the fifth position, his chances of winning significantly reduced. Meanwhile, Norris was left clearly upset as he gloomily observed the race from his garage.
In the end, Russell was successful in preventing Piastri from overtaking him, giving Mercedes a platinum win. This was a victory both Red Bull and McLaren claimed should have been theirs.
Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen placed sixth and eighth respectively, Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez stood at seventh, Daniel Ricciardo from RB secured the ninth spot and Pierre Gasly from Alpine came in tenth. This information is sourced from The Guardian.