Sports


Norris wins F1 Austrian GP from Piastri to narrow title gap

Vienna, June 30 (UNI) McLaren's Lando Norris shrugged off the heartache of retirement last time
out in Canada to beat teammate Oscar Piastri to victory in F1 Austrian Grand Prix, as Red Bull's
Max Verstappen failed to finish after being hit by Kimi Antonelli on lap 1.
Starting from pole position in searing heat at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, Norris was made to work hard for the win.
Piastri started third but immediately overtook Charles Leclerc at the first corner, and kept relentless pressure on the Briton throughout the race.
The first potential flashpoint came on lap 11, when Piastri capitalized on a DRS opportunity to briefly snatch the lead into Turn 3. But Norris struck back almost immediately, reclaiming the position later
in the lap.
From there, Norris maintained a slender but crucial advantage, managing the gap while negotiating backmarkers and battling minor front wing damage in the closing stages.
Despite Piastri's pace and several moments where the Australian appeared poised to launch another attack, McLaren made clear over team radio that both drivers were free to race, but with the understanding that both cars needed to come home cleanly.
Norris ultimately crossed the line 2.7 seconds ahead of Piastri to take his third victory of the season and reduce his points deficit to the Australian to just 15.
The win marked an emphatic turnaround for Norris after his Canadian Grand Prix ended with him crashing into the back of Piastri during a late-race battle for fourth position. That incident, which Norris admitted was his fault, not only cost him a points finish but also handed Piastri momentum in their championship fight.
Sunday's victory allowed Norris to trim Piastri's lead in the standings to 15 points, breathing new life into the title race ahead of Norris's home Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend.
The Austrian race began in chaotic fashion. Carlos Sainz's Williams stalled on the formation lap, forcing an aborted start and reducing the race distance from 71 to 70 laps. When the lights finally went out, Mercedes' Antonelli misjudged his braking point and collided with Verstappen at Turn 3, taking both cars out of the race.
The collision ended Verstappen's 31-race points streak, disappointing the legions of fans who had thronged to support him at the Red Bull-owned circuit. Behind the dominant McLarens, Ferrari's Leclerc emerged as best of the rest, finishing a distant third for his fourth podium finish of the season.
Teammate Lewis Hamilton followed in a lonely fourth place, with Mercedes' George Russell rounding out the top five. Further down the order, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso both maximized one-stop strategies to score valuable points in sixth and seventh.
Gabriel Bortoleto finished a strong weekend to score his first ever F1 points in eighth, ahead of Sauber teammate Nico Hulkenberg, while Esteban Ocon delivered the final point for Haas in tenth.
In the updated Drivers' championship standings, Piastri leads with 216 points, with Norris closing in on 201 and Verstappen remaining on 155.
In the Constructors' standings, McLaren's total now stands at 417 points, with Ferrari moving up to second on 210, one point ahead of Mercedes.
F1 now heads to Silverstone for next weekend's British Grand Prix - a race that neither Norris nor Piastri has previously won.
UNI/XINHUA BM
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