Austrian GP Race Report
After a blip in Canada that saw Lando Norris crash out and Oscar Piastri finish only fourth McLaren hit back in the Austrian GP.
A second stage of the upgrade package first seen in Montreal gave the MCL39 and Norris in particular a boost, and the Englishman put the earlier disappointment behind him with a spectacular performance throughout the weekend from pole position to the top step of the podium.
Piastri pushed him hard, and the pair fought on track for the lead before Norris edged clear to win, and close the points gap to 15. It was a great response from Norris after the Montreal incident, which inevitably led observes to question his focus.
The weekend also saw the team give a first FP1 outing to rookie Alex Dunne, with the Irishman impressing by being as high as fourth. The team’s two seats are filled for years to come, but the F2 star made teams up and down the grid take note.
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have been calling for upgrades for some weeks, and in Austria the team finally brought a brand new floor. It seemed to help, with the team clearly second fastest over the weekend.
Leclerc pipped Piastri to second on the grid and finished third, while Hamiton was as happy with the car as he has been all season, qualifying fourth and securing the same position in the race after an early tussle with George Russell.
Having won in Canada Mercedes slipped back in Austria, the car not suiting the circuit or the hot conditions. Russell admitted fifth was as good as he could get in qualifying, and he maintained that position in the race after losing that early tussle with Hamilton. It wasn’t ideal, but Russell continues to log decent points and maximise his potential on a given day.
However his rookie team mate Kimi Antonelli had a bad weekend. He started only P9 after missing his final Q3 lap, and then lost control under braking on the first lap and slammed into Max Verstappen, putting both men out of the race. The Italian admitted fault as his steep learning curve continues.
The irony of a Mercedes/Red Bull clash was not lost on observers as talk about Verstappen’s future ramped up over the weekend. Russell noted that his contract discussions were being delayed by Toto Wolff’s hopes of stealing the Dutchman from Red Bull in 2026 – how that scenario would impact the two incumbents at Mercedes remains to be seen.
Verstappen’s first lap retirement was a disaster for Red Bull at the team’s home race, but the car was off the top pace all weekend and he’d only qualified seventh, albeit after his final lap was aborted by a yellow flag. Meanwhile his team mate Yuki Tsunoda had another disastrous weekend, finished 16th and last and picking up a penalty for causing a collision. Red Bull clearly needs to find some performance.
The chase of the top teams was led by Racing Bulls. The Italian car has shown solid form everywhere of late, and Liam Lawson had his best F1 outing to date and sent to signal to Red Bull as he started and finished sixth, using a one-stop strategy that was only employed by himself and Fernando Alonso. Isack Hadjar was quick during the weekend, but he slipped back in qualifying, and finished out of the points after being hampered by floor damage in the race.
Alonso wasn’t happy with his Aston Martin prior to qualifying, the AMR25 again proving inconsistent and not responding to changes. The Spaniard surprised himself by still qualifying a decent 11th, and then his one-stop strategy helped him to a solid seventh, and his third points finish in three races. Lance Stroll was quick at times in practice, but the Canadian started only 16th and had another dire race as he was again outclassed by his veteran team mate.
Sauber has shown a resurgence in recent weeks as preparations for Audi’s 2026 debut continue, and another package of upgrades gave the team a further boost in Austria. Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto was on great form throughout the weekend, figuring in the top 10 in practice, and qualifying eighth.
The Brazilian secured the same position in the race after just failing to dislodge mentor Alonso after an impressive all-round performance. Nico Hulkenberg made a mistake in Q1 and started at the back, but he had a strong race to ninth, scoring points for the third race in a row. The Swiss team now has momentum that was lacking earlier in the year.
Haas had a relatively low key weekend at a venue where lack of straightline speed proved costly. However Esteban Ocon had a solid race to claim 10th and the final point, while admitting that the team needs to work on its one-lap form. Oliver Bearman finished just behind him in 11th.
For the remaining two teams Austria was a disaster. Alex Albon was en encouraging ninth for Williams in qualifying, but he retired early with a PU issue, a possible legacy of overheating suffered in Canada. Carlos Sainz meanwhile didn’t even make it to the race, suffering a brake issue on the grid that prevented him from making the start. The team had a great start to the season, but it clearly needs to get on top of its recent reliability issues.
Alpine looked set for a good result when Pierre Gasly progressed through the first stages of qualifying in P4 and P6 before a spin in Q3 left him 10th on the grid. In the race he struggled for grip and finished a frustrated 13th, while team mate Franco Colapinto was two spots behind.
The team is languishing at the bottom of the championship in 10th place, and Flavio Briatore – potentially left exposed with the departure of the man who hired him, Renault CEO Luca de Meo – urgently needs some points.
Colapinto’s future remains in doubt. Intriguingly Briatore has loaned reserve driver Paul Aron to Sauber in order to give the Estonian extra FP1 miles at Silverstone and Budapest by way of possible preparation for a graduation, while Mercedes reserve Valtteri Bottas has also been mentioned as a potential replacement.
Attention now turns to Silverstone, which will mark the halfway point in the championship. The track favours cars that perform well in high-speed corners, but with rain possible on race day there could be a curveball.
