The F1 weekend in Austria comes to a close with a sensational victory signed by Lando Norris, who crosses the line ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, completing a dominant McLaren one-two.
It was a dramatic race marked by a shocking double retirement for Williams, and the DNF list also included Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, both forced to retire after an early incident.
Exactly five years after his first-ever career podium, Lando Norris brings victory back to Woking by winning the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg. The Brit leads a stunning McLaren one-two, finishing ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. Completing the podium is Charles Leclerc, who started on the front row but lost second place to car #81 at the start. Also putting in a strong performance was Lewis Hamilton, who crossed the line in fourth place.
It was a nightmare weekend for Williams, with a double DNF: both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon were forced to retire due to technical issues with their cars. And things didn’t go much better for Max Verstappen at the Red Bull Ring — the Dutchman’s race ended prematurely following contact with Andrea Kimi Antonelli. On the flip side, Gabriel Bortoleto impressed once again: the young Brazilian scored his first career points, finishing in eighth place.
LIVE Race Coverage – Austrian GP
16:42 – LANDO NORRIS WINS THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX!
Behind the Brit, it’s Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc on the podium. Lewis Hamilton secures fourth place. Here are the top ten finishers:
16:41 – Final lap begins! Fernando Alonso lets Lando Norris through as he prepares to fend off the charging Brazilian.
16:40 – Gabriel Bortoleto overtakes his manager Fernando Alonso for P7, but the Spaniard strikes back and regains the spot.
16:29 – Esteban Ocon moves into the points after overtaking Isack Hadjar for P10. Ten laps to go.
16:27 – Franco Colapinto handed a 5-second penalty for an incident involving McLaren’s #81.
16:21 – Drama as Oscar Piastri runs off into the grass after backmarker Franco Colapinto forces him wide. The stewards take note. Meanwhile, George Russell overtakes Liam Lawson to grab P5.
16:18 – Charles Leclerc pits for medium tyres, swapping positions with teammate Hamilton. The seven-time world champion is now P3 behind Norris and Piastri. Meanwhile, Sauber’s Brazilian re-enters the track in P10 after his stop. Hamilton follows Leclerc into the pits.
16:16 – Lewis Hamilton locks up the rears but manages to hold on to P4. Behind the two Ferraris is Gabriel Bortoleto, continuing his strong weekend in Spielberg.
16:00 – Standings after 35 laps:
15:56 – Contact between Franco Colapinto and Yuki Tsunoda at Turn 4 — both continue. Tsunoda receives a 10-second penalty.
15:50 – Leclerc is called into the pits, handing the lead to Lewis Hamilton. Norris and Piastri follow closely. Hamilton then pits on Lap 27, and Norris regains the lead.
15:48 – Oscar Piastri also pits, allowing Charles Leclerc to temporarily take the lead, followed by Hamilton. Both Ferraris still need to pit.
15:43 – LAP 21: Oscar Piastri attempts another overtake on Norris but locks up. Norris pits for hard tyres immediately afterward.
15:39 – Shocking double retirement for Williams: Alex Albon steps out of the car on Lap 17.
15:35 – First pit stops: Pierre Gasly opts for hard tyres, Nico Hulkenberg chooses mediums. Albon and Colapinto also pit.
15:32 – Oscar Piastri briefly takes the lead, but Norris strikes back after a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle. Leclerc trails +4.094s behind. Ferrari instructs Leclerc to lift & coast through every corner.
15:31 – Albon overtakes Gasly to put the #23 Williams in P6. Meanwhile, Piastri opens the DRS again, but Norris defends and holds the lead.
15:27 – Another Piastri attack on Norris. The gap between the two McLarens is now just +0.592s.
15:24 – The Safety Car pulls in and Lap 4 begins. George Russell attempts to overtake Hamilton into Turn 6 but can’t get past. Further back, contact between Colapinto and Bearman causes no damage.
15:19 – Major twist in Spielberg: Max Verstappen is OUT after a crash with Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver reportedly locked up and couldn’t avoid the Dutchman.
15:17 – Lights out at the Red Bull Ring! Norris keeps the lead, fending off Leclerc who drops to third as Piastri moves up. In the midfield, Antonelli collides with Verstappen. Safety Car deployed!
15:16 – Second formation lap underway!
15:05 – Disaster for Carlos Sainz! His car bursts into flames after returning to the pit lane. He’s out before the race even begins — a weekend to forget for the Madrid-born Williams driver. The second formation lap is rescheduled for 15:15.
15:01 – Formation lap begins! Most drivers are on medium tyres. But chaos strikes early: Sainz gets stuck on the grid with a gearbox issue. Start aborted. He will now begin the race from the pit lane, after qualifying P19.
14:15 – Forty-five minutes to go until lights out at the Austrian GP. In the meantime, news breaks that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur will miss race day due to undisclosed reasons. Jerome D’Ambrosio steps in.
10:10 – Good morning from GPKingdom! Live coverage of the race begins at 15:00 CET.
It’s race day at Spielberg, home of the Bulls! Yesterday, Lando Norris claimed a spectacular pole position, clocking a 1:03.971. The British driver heads into Sunday with a chance to close the gap in the championship to teammate Oscar Piastri, who leads him by 22 points.
It wasn’t just the papaya squad shining in Austria — Ferrari also brought updates, including a new floor, and the results were immediately visible in qualifying. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will line up second and fourth respectively, giving the Scuderia a real shot at their first win of the season.
As for strategy, Pirelli suggests a two-stop race, due to the high degradation and soaring track temperatures expected today.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP, McLaren.
