Verstappen crashes out pursuer Norris - and is penalized
Before the finish line, Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen engages in an exciting duel with Lando Norris during the Grand Prix in Austria. Norris attempts multiple overtaking maneuvers - but collides with Verstappen. Norris is out, Verstappen is penalized, George Russell wins.
After a collision between World Champion Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Mercedes-Pilot George Russell clinched the thrilling Grand Prix of Austria. World Champion Verstappen limped to the finish in fifth place after causing a late crash during Red Bull's home race in Spielberg. For his McLaren rival, the race was prematurely ended in eleventh place. Verstappen extended his championship lead to 81 points over Norris.
Russell scored his first surprise Grand Prix win since Brazil 2022. Second place went to Norris' McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who put on an awe-inspiring performance in the final stages of the race. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz finished third. Haas veteran Nico Hülkenberg earned sixth place and scored points.
Unlucky again for Leclerc
With high summer temperatures of 30 degrees and above, Verstappen defended his top position at the start and easily pulled away in the first few laps. Just 21 hours prior, he had faced issues during the sprint race and had to fend off Norris and Piastri's attacks using his maneuvers. Despite this, the three-time champion won the sprint race over 100 kilometers and earned eight championship points.
In the main race, no one could keep up at the beginning, and it was particularly difficult for Ferrari star Charles Leclerc. The Monaco Grand Prix winner had to pit after a collision with Piastri in the first lap and change his front wing. Leclerc fell to the back of the field and worked his way back up, while Norris didn't get significantly closer to Verstappen.
Verstappen had complained of minor tuning issues at the start of the weekend on his home track. However, his team apparently found the perfect settings during the qualifying session for the Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon, allowing them to pull away from the competition once again. The Red Bull Ring is one of Verstappen's declared favorite tracks. He had already won multiple races on this track before this year.
It gets turbulent in the final phase
The fans were treated to an exciting race at the front, with thousands traveling from the Netherlands to witness it, a rare sight. Norris was the only one able to keep up, trailing by about six seconds after 20 of the 71 laps. However, 30 laps later, the situation had not changed - but then it became chaotic.
Twenty laps before the end, Verstappen reported over the radio that his tires were heavily worn out. His team then struggled to get him back on track, taking a long 6.5 seconds. Suddenly, Norris was only 1.3 seconds behind and briefly managed to overtake. After the overtake in lap 59, Verstappen quickly regained the lead. The racing continued to be intense - too intense. In lap 64, there was a devastating collision between the two teammates, resulting in both losing their positions at the front.
Norris had to end the race subsequently. However, Verstappen managed to get back to the pit and continued, but he received a time penalty for the crash he was at fault for. Russell took the lead in the turbulent final phase, overtaking Piastri and Sainz. Verstappen did everything to achieve a better result, but he only managed to finish in fifth place.
In the aftermath of the collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had an opportunity to close in on the leaders, finishing in a respectable third place. Despite Red Bull Racing's home race being disrupted, Max Verstappen still managed to extend his lead in the Formula 1 championship, now boasting a 81-point advantage over Norris' McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Dutch fans, who had traveled in large numbers to watch the race, were left breathless as the final phase of the Grand Prix in Austria became extremely turbulent.
