Motor racing-Russell gifted Austrian win after Verstappen, Norris collide
Verstappen extends overall lead despite finishing fifth
Piastri second for McLaren, Ferrari's Sainz third
Norris retires in the pits with damaged car
Adds details
June 30 (Reuters) - Mercedes'George Russell celebrated a surpriseAustrian Grand Prix winon Sunday afterRed Bull's triple world championMax Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris collided late in the race while fightingfor the lead.
Oscar Piastri finished second for McLaren, 1.906 seconds behind, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz taking third at Spielberg's scenic Red Bull Ring.
The gifted victory was a first for once-dominantMercedes since November 2022, when Russell alsotriumphed in Brazil 33 races ago, and onlythe second of the Briton's Formula Onecareer.
"It's not over until it's over," said a jubilant Russellafter a race that saved its excitement for the last 20 laps, when the simmeringbattle between Verstappen and Norris suddenlyboiled over.
"The team have done an amazing job to put us in this fight. You've got to be there at the end to pick up the pieces and that's where we were," added Russell.
"I knew it (the collision) was a possibility. You are always dreaming."
Verstappen, who finished fifth, still extended his championship lead to 81 points over Norris.
Russell had started third, with Verstappen on pole and Norris alongside the Red Bull on the front row, but the win was handed to the Mercedes driver after 64 of the 71 laps.
Verstappen was more than seven seconds clear of Norris when a slow 6.5 seconds finalpitstop on lap 52 allowed Norris, who stopped at the same time in 2.9, to comeright back at his rival.
The ensuing duel, with Norris on new medium tyres to Verstappen's used ones, saw the Briton repeatedly challenging for the lead.
Norris passed Verstappen on lap 59 but ran wide and collected a five second penalty for exceeding track limits after earlier warnings.
After more thwarted attempts, with Norris complaining that Verstappen was moving illegally while braking and the Red Bull driver accusing the Briton of 'dive-bombing' him, the pair made contact at Turn Three.
Both had punctures, Norris to the rear-left and Verstappen on his front-right.
TYRE FLAILING
The McLaren limped back to the pits, tyre flailing, to retire while Verstappen held on to fifth despite a 10 second penalty for causing the collision.
While Russell took over at the front, Piastri -- demoted from third to seventh in Saturday's qualifying -- swept past Sainz at turn six on lap 65 before a virtual safety car was deployed due to debris on the track.
That created some more nervous tension but in the end Russell's win was safe.
"I know it’s only my fourth podium in F1 but so close to a win, it hurts a little bit," said Piastri.
Mercedes' seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth, despite a five second penalty for crossing the white line at the pit lane entry.
Nico Hulkenberg wassixth for Haas, 16.8 behind Verstappen after the penalty was applied, ina major boost for that team while Red Bull's Sergio Perez finished seventh and Kevin Magnussen eighth for Haas.
Daniel Ricciardo gave Red Bull-ownedRB two preciouspoints in ninth, a day before his 35th birthday, and Pierre Gasly took the final point for Renault-owned Alpine after a lively earlier battle with team mate Esteban Ocon.
Red Bull now have 355 points to Ferrari's 291, McLaren's 268 and Mercedes' 196.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished 11th after having to pit for a new front wing following a squeeze with Piastri and Perez into the first corner.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso set the fastest lap but without taking a bonus point as the Spaniard finished 18th.
After the most dominant season in F1 history last year, with Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races, four different teams have now won in 2024.
Verstappen has won seven of the 11 but Ferrari and McLaren have also celebrated success with Silverstone next week likely to be another close battle.
Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Ken Ferris
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
