Whereas the complete System 1 grid heads to Silverstone this week for the British Grand Prix, there are nonetheless some hours remaining till we have to flip the web page.
That offers us simply sufficient time to take a last take a look at the Austrian Grand Prix.
As with the dramatic Canadian Grand Prix, as soon as towards McLaren teammates had been preventing for place on the monitor. Nonetheless, in contrast to in Montreal the place Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had been preventing for P4, this time a win — and momentum within the title race between the pair — was at stake.
Norris got here out on high as each drivers got here residence after a clear, and thrilling, battle. That allowed McLaren to increase their Constructors’ Championship whereas closing the hole between the pair within the Drivers’ title race.
It additionally made Norris one in every of our winners from the Austrian Grand Prix. Listed below are some extra groups and drivers who can depart Crimson Bull Ring with a smile on their face, in addition to two groups that most likely couldn’t wait to board their flights residence.
Winner: Lando Norris
A number of occasions this season Lando Norris entered Q3 because the prohibitive favourite for pole place, solely to see one in every of his rivals take P1.
That was not the case Saturday, as Norris delivered a thunderous last lap to take pole place in dominant vogue.
Nonetheless, the job was not executed, not till Norris fought off teammate Oscar Piastri in an exhilarating opening stint that had followers and McLaren administration alike on the sting of their seats. Whereas Piastri fought laborious to get again to Norris’ rear win within the closing laps, the British driver had sufficient tempo to fend him off over the ultimate levels, taking his third win of the season.
A win that put him proper again within the thick of the Drivers’ Championship race.
Norris now sits simply 15 factors behind Piastri, with virtually half of the season remaining. He now will get to move to his residence race, the place a grandstand in his honor now sits alongside Stowe Nook on the historic Silverstone circuit.
Saturday’s qualifying session, in addition to the race itself, took on an air of significance given what occurred on the Canadian Grand Prix between Piastri and Norris, and the questions over how the British driver would reply.
He responded in dynamic vogue, and as Alex Jacques questioned through the broadcast Sunday, this can be a day we glance again on in December as one that actually reworked the title chase.
Winners: Sauber
What per week it was for Sauber on the Austrian Grand Prix.
Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto started the week looking for his first factors in F1. However the younger driver received off to a robust begin at Crimson Bull Ring, posting the sixth-fastest time in FP1, and superior to Q3 for the primary time in his profession on Saturday, finally qualifying eighth.
That’s the place he completed on Sunday, on a day that noticed him working within the high 5 at one level, and battling for seventh with a member of his administration staff, Fernando Alonso, within the closing laps. Whereas Bortoleto didn’t win that struggle, he nonetheless introduced residence his first F1 factors, and it was Alonso who was the primary to greet him when the rookie parked on pit lane:
That end result alone would have made Sauber winners on Sunday, however Nico Hülkenberg delivered a stellar restoration drive to complete ninth, after qualifying in the back of the sphere on Saturday. Hülkenberg was among the many first drivers to make a pit cease, coming in on Lap 12, however the technique labored because the veteran driver labored up into the highest ten earlier than the day was via.
Group Principal Jonathan Wheatley hailed the outcomes.
“A unbelievable end result for the staff right here in Austria. Nico turns into the primary Sauber driver since Valtteri in 2022 to attain factors in three consecutive races – and it’s solely the eighth time in our 32-year historical past {that a} driver has climbed from twentieth or decrease to complete within the high 9. We hadn’t completed within the high eight right here since 2001 – so this result’s one thing very particular for the staff,” stated Wheatley.
“Gabriel was on a medium – medium – laborious technique and confirmed sturdy tempo however, sadly, received caught in visitors and lapped by the McLarens close to the tip – in any other case, I feel he may have completed increased. He’s proven spectacular tempo and consistency all weekend and actually deserves his first factors in System One. With Nico, we took a daring method on a mushy – medium – medium technique, and his good, measured drive delivered our first double factors end of 2025,” added the Sauber boss.
“Big credit score to everybody on the manufacturing unit – Mattia and the entire staff have executed an excellent job bringing these upgrades. The instruments are correlating properly, the automobile is responding, and the staff is executing to more and more excessive requirements. We depart Austria energised for Silverstone and able to struggle for each place and for each level.”
Losers: Crimson Bull
Whereas it was per week to recollect for Sauber and Wheatley, his former staff can not wait to show the web page to the British Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen’s race ended earlier than it started, because the defending Drivers’ Champion began seventh and was worn out at Flip 3 shortly after the beginning, left sufferer to a lockup from rookie driver Kimi Antonelli.
Yuki Tsunoda was the only real Crimson Bull driver left within the struggle, however he began in the back of the grid after a tough qualifying session and couldn’t struggle his method via the sphere. Whereas a end within the factors appeared potential for him, a collision with Franco Colapinto not solely required him to cease for a brand new entrance wing but additionally noticed the stewards hand down a ten-second penalty.
When the checkered flag flew, Tsunoda was again in P16.
“It was a horrible race for us and desperately unfortunate for Max to be taken out at flip 3 when he had executed nothing flawed, he had a great begin and made good progress,” stated Group Principal Christian Horner after the race. “It’s a disgrace, I don’t assume we’d have been racing the McLarens at this time however we’d have been racing the Ferraris fairly laborious. With Yuki it was once more not an awesome race, he had injury to the entrance wing, a penalty and so forth, sadly for us it was a weekend to overlook.”
Winner: Liam Lawson
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Photograph by Kym Illman/Getty Photographs
Whereas Liam Lawson’s former staff struggled, the Visa Money App Racing Bulls driver loved his finest day in F1.
Lawson superior to Q3 for simply the second time this season on Saturday, qualifying sixth for the Austrian Grand Prix. He backed up that efficiency with the same drive on Sunday, preventing inside the highest ten for many of the day and coming residence with a sixth-place end.
Lawson was additionally one in every of simply two drivers who made a one-stop work, the opposite being Fernando Alonso. He started the day with only one set of medium tires, and one set of laborious tires, and after stopping on Lap 32 to make the swap to laborious tires, he noticed them via to the tip.
“It was an awesome weekend, and it feels good to execute all the things properly,” stated Lawson. “It’s been a tricky season thus far, with lots of potential, and on this race, we had been fast the place it mattered and managed to see it via. After the primary lap, I believed it may be over, however the staff made a courageous name with the one-stop technique, it labored out completely. Full credit score to them, they’ve been working extremely laborious behind the scenes, and I’m tremendous proud.
“The automobile was actually quick all weekend, we’re continuously pushing and making small changes to make it extra snug. The aim now could be to hold this momentum via the remainder of the season. We have to take the positives, preserve preventing, and preserve scoring factors.”
Group Principal Laurent Mekies praised Lawson’s efficiency.
“At the moment’s race started with Liam ranging from the third row in P6, because of an distinctive efficiency yesterday that showcased his velocity. It’s by no means straightforward to begin in a brand new staff midseason, and he wanted time to get used to our automobile. Yesterday’s nice laps present the progress he’s doing, along with the staff,” described Mekies.
“The tempo and the race execution had been sensible, Liam was unstoppable and defended for 70 laps to Fernando.”
Winners: Ferrari
The McLaren duo of Norris and Piastri might have completed up the highway from them, and as is commonly the case there are some technique selections that the staff and their followers might need to revisit. However when the checkered flag flew Charles Leclerc was on the rostrum for the fourth time this season — and the third time in 4 races — and Lewis Hamilton was simply behind him in fourth.
On a day when each Crimson Bull and Mercedes struggled, Ferrari took benefit within the struggle for second behind McLaren. The outcomes had been sufficient to propel Ferrari into P2 within the Constructors’ Championship race, only one level forward of the Silver Arrows.
“I fee our weekend as a staff rather well. We introduced some upgrades which helped us to take a step ahead and begin closing the hole to McLaren. Sadly, they had been simply quicker at this time,” described Leclerc. “Within the first nook, I needed to shut in on Lando (Norris), however that left the door open for Oscar (Piastri) who was capable of cross me for second place. I pushed rather a lot on the primary stint and had fairly a little bit of degradation, however that’s a part of the sport. We don’t have any regrets at this time. We gave it all the things and extracted the utmost from our race. We are going to proceed to work laborious to make extra progress with the intention of getting again onto the highest step of the rostrum. That’s our essential precedence and the entire staff deserves it.”
Regardless of some frustration over the radio from Hamilton, significantly on the finish of 1 stint the place the veteran driver needed to remain out however the staff known as him in to pit, the seven-time champion described the Austrian Grand Prix as a “stable weekend” for Ferrari.
“It’s been a stable weekend for the staff – we continued to enhance our qualifying tempo and the staff did an awesome job all through. We didn’t have the race tempo we anticipated, however nonetheless, we got here away with some stable factors and a podium, which is one thing we might be pleased with,” stated Hamilton. “We’ll analyze the info fastidiously to know the place enhancements might be made. Thanks to everybody on the monitor and on the manufacturing unit for his or her laborious work and dedication. We stay centered and I’m trying ahead to my first residence Grand Prix with Ferrari.”
Losers: Williams
One other staff looking forward to the flight residence?
Williams.
Shortly after the race started a pricey buddy and fellow F1 fan despatched me a textual content that learn partly: “[f]eels like Williams is bouncing between legitimately pushing for fifth and looking out like previous Williams.”
It’s laborious to disagree with that evaluation.
After a tricky qualifying session on Saturday left him in the back of the grid, Carlos Sainz Jr.’s day by no means received began. When the primary try at a formation lap started Sainz couldn’t get out of his beginning spot on the grid, and when he lastly received rolling he got here again to pit lane after race officers known as for an aborted begin, together with his rear brakes on hearth.
His day was over.
Issues weren’t a lot better for Alex Albon. Whereas he was capable of get underway, Albon retired after simply 15 laps.
It’s his third consecutive DNF.
“A really disappointing day. We had the tempo at this time to comfortably end sixth, and but we stroll away with a double DNF,” stated Group Principal James Vowles. “We had two completely different points that must be understood to verify we rectify them going ahead. We’re on a great journey in the direction of constructing a quick automobile however we’re not full but when it comes to operation and reliability.
“We [have] 13 races in entrance of us this season they usually’re key races to construct this muscle and this functionality to ensure that, as we transfer up the grid and we get quicker and quicker, we’re capable of struggle on the entrance with the easiest.”
