Lando Norris has claimed his third win of the 2025 Formula 1 season with a superb drive at the Austrian Grand Prix.
He overcame McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, while championship rival Max Verstappen retired on the opening lap following a dramatic clash with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.
The Red Bull Ring delivered yet another action-packed spectacle on Sunday, as Norris returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since his Monaco Grand Prix victory last month.
Starting from pole position, the Briton was immediately under pressure from Piastri, who made it clear early on that he was not settling for second best. Norris initially held the lead into Turn 1, but Piastri piled on the pressure in the opening laps.
The Australian made several daring overtaking attempts, one of which saw him briefly wrestle the lead away before Norris fought back immediately to retake control of the race.
A heart-stopping moment at Turn 4 saw Piastri lock up heavily and nearly rear-end his teammate.
A Twig In Strategy
In response, McLaren opted for a slightly offset strategy, keeping Piastri out longer on his opening set of tyres in hopes of gaining an advantage in the latter stages.
While the Australian produced blistering pace during the second and third stints, Norris’s consistent rhythm and control over tyre degradation ultimately allowed him to stay ahead.
The 25-year-old crossed the line just 2.3 seconds ahead of Piastri to seal his third win of the season and strengthen his title bid.
“It’s never easy when it’s your teammate behind you, especially someone as quick and aggressive as Oscar. We kept it clean, pushed each other to the limit, and that made this win even more satisfying”
Lando Norris
The biggest story of the day came just moments after the lights went out. Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli, making only his tenth Grand Prix start, collided with Verstappen under braking into Turn 3.
The Dutchman’s Red Bull was sent into a spin and beached in the gravel, ending his race instantly. Antonelli too suffered terminal damage, bringing a premature end to his afternoon and triggering a safety car.
With Verstappen and Antonelli sidelined, it was up to the rest of the field to capitalise. Charles Leclerc brought some relief to Ferrari fans by securing a podium finish in third, despite team principal Fred Vasseur being absent for “personal reasons.”
Leclerc’s performance was a measured one, keeping out of trouble and managing tyre wear effectively.
Lewis Hamilton came home fourth for Ferrari. George Russell followed in fifth, rounding out a top-five finish for Mercedes despite a weekend of mixed pace.
Rookie sensation Liam Lawson once again impressed for Red Bulls, converting his P6 grid slot into a sixth-place finish. He was followed by Fernando Alonso, who put in a vintage defensive display to fend off Gabriel Bortoleto in the final laps.
Bortoleto, however, had plenty to celebrate, scoring his maiden Formula 1 points in just his fifth race for Kick Sauber after an enthralling battle with the two-time world champion.
Behind them, Nico Hulkenberg produced a remarkable recovery from the back of the grid to finish ninth, helping Sauber secure a valuable double points haul. Esteban Ocon rounded out the top 10 for Haas, narrowly beating teammate Ollie Bearman in 11th.
Red Bulls’ Isack Hadjar brought his car home in 12th, just ahead of an ailing Pierre Gasly, whose Alpine struggled with balance issues throughout the race, eventually relegating him to 13th.
Lance Stroll, who had shown strong pace in practice, failed to convert that into points and ended up 14th, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto finished 15th despite being handed a five-second penalty for impeding Piastri during a blue flag phase. The penalty did not affect his finishing position.
Yuki Tsunoda was the final classified finisher in 16th, also receiving a time penalty – a 10-second sanction – for spinning Colapinto earlier in the race.
Joining Verstappen and Antonelli on the sidelines were the two Williams drivers. Alex Albon retired mid-race with mechanical issues, while teammate Carlos Sainz failed to even start, his car getting stuck on the grid in a bizarre pre-race incident.
With his win, Norris closes the gap in the Drivers’ Championship and makes himself as a serious title contender heading into the British Grand Prix next week.
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