Austrian Grand Prix – Race: Norris triumphs over Piastri

Does fiction inspire reality?

In the film F1 by Joseph Kosinski, the character Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) deliberately starts his formation lap at Silverstone very late so his competitors have colder tires than his at the lights out. Did Carlos Sainz get inspired by the film for this start of the Austrian Grand Prix? The Williams driver, after a dreadful Saturday during which he complained about an undrivable car, was stuck on his grid spot for long seconds. He eventually managed to set off, but when stopping at the end of the pit lane, his rear tires caught fire. The Spanish driver’s abandonment delayed the start by 15 minutes.

Following the aborted start and the need for a new formation lap, the race has lost one lap. Therefore, the 19 drivers will complete 70 laps of the Red Bull Ring instead of 71.

Catastrophe for Max Verstappen

As often on the Austrian track, the start was lively. For the third time this season, after Bahrain and Monaco, Charles Leclerc started from third position. With a better impulse than Lando Norris, the Monegasque driver was squeezed inside the first corner by the McLaren. This benefited Oscar Piastri, who was able to overtake the Ferrari and draw level with his teammate directly.

Unlucky in qualifying, Max Verstappen was even more so on Sunday. By the third corner, he was hit by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes. The young Italian rookie didn’t correctly judge his braking. The collision between the two drivers was strong enough to force both to retire. It’s another heavy blow, both for the Red Bull driver who lost many points to his competitors and for Red Bull, as Yuki Tsunoda was eliminated in Q1 during qualifying and doesn’t seem to have the pace to climb back into the points.

Due to the Mercedes and Red Bull immobilized on the track, the race management decided to deploy the safety car.

Showdown at the Summit Between Norris and Piastri

The commotion in the middle of the pack benefited Pierre Gasly, who moved from 10th to 6th position. With his soft tires, compared to his rivals who started the race with yellow-banded tires, the French driver was unable to defend his position for long and was consecutively overtaken by Alexander Albon and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Higher up in the standings, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri enlivened the race. After their unfortunate contact in Canada, it was crucial for both drivers not to touch each other. This did not prevent the Australian from appearing very dangerous in his garage mate’s rearview mirrors as soon as the race resumed. Their first real exchange occurred on the 11th lap. Despite the DRS pressure, Lando Norris was very strong in executing excellent third sectors and keeping his rival behind him.

Despite the seemingly simplistic layout of the Red Bull Ring, choosing the right moment to overtake requires real strategic thinking. Thus, despite a small mistake by Lando Norris on the 14th lap in the last corner, Oscar Piastri refused to take advantage of it to overtake directly. He knew that taking the lead right from the first corner would directly expose him in the DRS zones before turns 3 and 4.

Piastri has accustomed us to a driving style that is all about control this season. It was therefore original to see the world championship leader lock his tires while trying to intimidate his rival approaching the fourth corner on the 20th lap. Andrea Stella probably had a little fright when he saw the front wing of car number 81 pass within a few centimeters of the rear of number 4.

Their direct duel on the track was interrupted during the respective pit stops of the two men. Thanks to the undercut, Lando Norris gained a little over 5 seconds on his teammate.

Norris perfectly in control

Norris stopped a second time on lap 53. He was directly followed the next lap by his teammate, who had the misfortune of rejoining right in the middle of a duel between Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto. The Argentine, too focused on the Red Bull, didn’t see that the McLaren was right next to him. Piastri then put his wheels in the grass, losing even more time on his teammate.

The two men then set an ultra-impressive race pace. On one of his favorite tracks, Lando Norris gave the impression of staying in control in all circumstances, even when he had to navigate through the backmarkers.

It was therefore the Briton who came out on top. This new victory is his third in 2025. Oscar Piastri did not manage to take the win, but he minimized the number of points lost with his solid second position. He leaves Austria with a 15-point lead over his teammate and a 9th podium in 11 races.

Ferrari climbed to second place in the Constructors’ Championship thanks to Charles Leclerc’s third position and Lewis Hamilton’s fourth. The Canadian Grand Prix winner, George Russell, rounded out the Top 5.

Finally, a brilliant move for Bortoleto

The reigning F2 world champion has had a quiet season since Australia and never seemed able to showcase his full potential. Fortunately for him, the improvements made by Sauber in recent weeks have allowed the Hinwil team to gradually make their way back. Bortoleto didn’t hesitate to finally have a single-seater capable of fighting for points and finally reveal himself.

After a brilliant Saturday, the Brazilian led a perfect race to secure four points in the eighth position. He also had to battle with his manager in the final moments of the race. The Spaniard used his experience and cunning to keep his protégé behind him despite much more worn tires.