Credited from: INDIATIMES
Lando Norris clinched victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, delivering an impressive performance to fend off his teammate Oscar Piastri, who is leading the championship. Starting from pole position, Norris showcased his speed throughout the race, overcoming Piastri's early challenge where the Australian briefly seized the lead on lap 11. This win not only marks Norris's third of the season but also narrows Piastri's championship lead from 22 to 15 points with 11 rounds completed, according to BBC and Channel News Asia.
The McLaren duo faced intense competition throughout the 70-lap race, with Norris managing to hold off Piastri, who set the fastest lap but struggled to close the gap in the closing laps. Despite the pressure, Norris finished with a comfortable margin of 2.695 seconds over Piastri, who acknowledged the tight battle. “A lot of stress but a lot of fun. A nice battle,” Norris expressed post-race, highlighting the competitive nature of their team dynamics, as noted by Dawn and Al Jazeera.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium in third place, 17 seconds behind the McLaren pair, while Lewis Hamilton secured fourth. This performance helped Ferrari close in on McLaren in the Constructors' Championship standings, which McLaren leads by a solid 207 points, according to India Times and Channel News Asia.
The race also marked a significant disappointment for Max Verstappen, who retired on the first lap following a collision with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. This incident has severely impacted Verstappen's title defense, placing him 61 points behind Piastri in the championship standings. Verstappen's misfortune further strengthens the narrative of the internal McLaren battle for the championship, as highlighted by multiple sources including BBC, Channel News Asia, and Dawn.