AUSTRIAN GP: MCLAREN'S FOURTH ONE-TWO OF THE YEAR, BUT NORRIS IS AHEAD

McLaren sealed another dominant 1-2 finish, their fourth of the season—but for the first time, it was Lando Norris who took the checkered flag ahead of Oscar Piastri. After wins in Shanghai, Miami, and Monaco—all with the Australian on top—this time it was the Brit who rose to the occasion in one of the toughest races of his career. Constant pressure from his teammate kept him on edge. Even when Oscar launched a bold move that nearly ended in contact—his front wing just inches from Lando’s rear tire—Norris responded immediately, holding his ground with grit and poise.

Piastri didn’t back off. After falling six seconds behind following his second pit stop, he clawed his way back to within two seconds by the final laps. Norris, though, stayed calm and brought it home. As he admitted post-race, this was one of the hardest-fought wins of his career. A brilliant pole, a relentless drive, and a weekend run with the kind of urgency that comes after a painful mistake—like the one in Montreal. He needed to prove he could bounce back, that he wasn’t living in Piastri’s shadow. In Austria, mission accomplished.

McLaren, meanwhile, looked untouchable again. In their previous 1-2 finishes, the third-place finisher crossed the line well adrift: Russell at +11s in Shanghai, +37s in Miami, Leclerc at +10s in Barcelona. This time, Leclerc was 20 seconds behind—less than in Miami, but still a clear gap. Credit goes to a fresh round of upgrades: a new front wing, revised suspension geometry, and sharp aerodynamic tweaks. The MCL39 continues to evolve—and improve.

Ferrari, to be fair, maximized what was possible. Leclerc scored his fourth podium of 2025 (three thirds and a second in Monaco), managing his race rather than attacking. After losing position at the start to Piastri, he maintained third, buffered from behind by Hamilton. The Brit, after fending off Russell early on, found himself in no-man’s-land—no one to chase, no one threatening. Another fourth-place finish—his best result yet in a full-length race for Ferrari.

With Fred Vasseur absent from the pit wall, deputy team principal Jérôme D’Ambrosio oversaw a clean, straightforward weekend. A new floor was introduced, though its impact was minimal. Ferrari remains second-best, but the 20-second deficit to McLaren is a harsh reality check.

Over at Mercedes, things went downhill fast. After grabbing pole and winning in Canada, the team melted under the Austrian heat. Russell, fifth in qualifying, tried to overtake Hamilton early on but failed, then faded, finishing 32 seconds behind Leclerc. Worse still was Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Fresh off his first podium in Montreal, he ruined his race with an overambitious move into Turn 3, locking up and hitting Lawson before careening into Verstappen. A costly mistake, earning him a three-place grid penalty for Silverstone—and further evidence of the up-and-down nature of his rookie season.

Verstappen, taken out in the chaos, was done by Turn 1. A nightmare weekend that had already started badly in qualifying, when a yellow flag from Gasly’s spin ruined his final lap. The Dutchman later admitted he’d already written off the race, convinced McLaren was too strong. Still, the DNF hurts: he now trails Piastri by 61 points. With Max out, Red Bull scored zero. Tsunoda once again contributed nothing—for the fourth race in a row.

That opened the door for Liam Lawson’s quiet revenge. The Kiwi, quickly written off by Horner and Marko after just two races last year, answered with a brilliant sixth place—matching his qualifying position. After a shaky start to his return with Racing Bulls, Lawson’s found his rhythm. The team’s bold one-stop strategy paid off. With better luck, Isack Hadjar might’ve scored too, if not for a puncture on lap one.

With Antonelli, Verstappen, and Albon all out, the midfield got its moment. Fernando Alonso secured a second straight seventh place, this time after a spirited duel with Gabriel Bortoleto—his own protégé via the A14 management program. The two shared a great post-race embrace after Bortoleto claimed his first career points, capping off a standout weekend for the Brazilian and the Sauber-Ferrari camp.

Nico Hülkenberg also impressed once again. Starting from dead last, he clawed his way into ninth—his third top-10 finish of the year after P5 in Barcelona and P8 in Montreal. Solid, dependable, classic Hülkenberg. Esteban Ocon rounded out the points, delivering a clean, efficient race to grab tenth for Haas.

On the flip side, it was another rough outing for Pierre Gasly—never truly in the mix—and even worse for his Alpine-Renault teammate Franco Colapinto. The rookie engaged in multiple questionable moves, including pushing Tsunoda wide and dangerously forcing Piastri off-track during a blue flag situation. Colapinto looks more lost than ever, a reflection of the overall confusion inside the Alpine camp.

And Williams? Another weekend of regression. Carlos Sainz didn’t even make the start, and Albon’s race ended after just a few laps—possibly due to the same mechanical issue that sidelined him in Montreal. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll remains missing in action—figuratively and, increasingly, literally.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.