As the Formula 1 calendar shifts its focus to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, the excitement from the recent Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring remains vivid, especially following Lando Norris‘ Austrian GP win. This victory not only delivered a captivating on-track battle but also intensified the Drivers’ Championship race, with McLaren teammates Norris and Oscar Piastri locked in a fierce contest for supremacy.

Epic McLaren Battle Sees Norris Secure Crucial Victory

The Austrian Grand Prix delivered one of the season’s most intense duels, as McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri contested the top positions throughout the race. Unlike their skirmish in Montreal for fourth place, this time the stakes were higher, with the race winner’s laurels on the line. Norris ultimately edged out Piastri after a clean and gripping on-track battle, clinching his third victory of the year and extending McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship advantage.

This win catapulted Norris back into title contention, reducing the gap to teammate Piastri to just 15 points, with nearly half the season remaining. Norris now prepares for his home race at Silverstone, where a grandstand has been named in his honor beside Stowe Corner—a fitting tribute for the British driver celebrating his renewed title credentials.

The intensity of the contest was amplified by the recent tensions from the Canadian Grand Prix, where questions loomed over Norris’ response to his teammate’s pace. His commanding performance in Austria, including a dominant pole position earned by a superb final qualifying lap, silenced doubts as he held off Piastri through the race’s crucial final laps. Commentator Alex Jacques suggested this race could be remembered as a pivotal moment that reshaped the Drivers’ Championship chase.

Sauber’s Breakthrough Weekend with Rookie and Veteran on Point Scoring Form

Sauber emerged as one of the weekend’s standout performers, thanks to a strong showing from both rookie Gabriel Bortoleto and seasoned driver Nico Hülkenberg. Bortoleto claimed his first-ever Formula 1 points with an impressive eighth-place finish after qualifying eighth, marking a significant career milestone. During the race, he showcased competitive pace, running as high as fifth and engaging in a late battle for seventh position with Fernando Alonso, a moment that underscored his rapid development in the sport.

Hülkenberg’s performance was equally commendable, delivering a remarkable recovery drive from the back of the grid to score points in ninth place. His early pit stop on lap 12 proved a wise strategic call, allowing him to climb through the field and secure Sauber’s first double-points finish of the season. Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley expressed his pride in these results, highlighting their rarity in Sauber’s 32-year history and praising the team’s efforts:

“A fantastic result for the team here in Austria. Nico becomes the first Sauber driver since Valtteri in 2022 to score points in three consecutive races – and it’s only the eighth time in our 32-year history that a driver has climbed from 20th or lower to finish in the top nine. We hadn’t finished in the top eight here since 2001 – so this result is something very special for the team,” —Jonathan Wheatley, Sauber Team Principal

“Gabriel was on a medium – medium – hard strategy and showed strong pace but, unfortunately, got caught in traffic and lapped by the McLarens near the end – otherwise, I think he could have finished higher. He’s shown impressive pace and consistency all weekend and truly deserves his first points in Formula One. With Nico, we took a bold approach on a soft – medium – medium strategy, and his smart, measured drive delivered our first double points finish of 2025,” —Jonathan Wheatley, Sauber Team Principal

“Huge credit to everyone at the factory – Mattia and the whole team have done an outstanding job bringing these upgrades. The tools are correlating well, the car is responding, and the team is executing to increasingly high standards. We leave Austria energised for Silverstone and ready to fight for every place and for every point.” —Jonathan Wheatley, Sauber Team Principal

Red Bull Faces Setbacks amid Race Day Challenges

While Sauber celebrated their success, Red Bull endured a weekend they would rather forget. Max Verstappen, the defending Drivers’ Champion, experienced misfortune early in the race after a promising start. Beginning seventh on the grid, Verstappen was involved in a collision at Turn 3 caused by rookie driver Kimi Antonelli’s lockup, bringing his race to an unfortunate halt almost immediately.

Yuki Tsunoda was left as the only Red Bull driver competing, but his struggles began with a poor qualifying session that relegated him to the back of the grid. His efforts to recover were hampered by a collision with Franco Colapinto that damaged his front wing, forcing an additional pit stop and resulting in a mandatory 10-second penalty. Tsunoda ultimately finished out of the points in 16th place.

Team Principal Christian Horner expressed his frustration after the race, lamenting the bad luck that befell both drivers:

“It was a horrible race for us and desperately unlucky for Max to be taken out at turn 3 when he had done nothing wrong, he had a good start and made good progress,” —Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal

“It’s a shame, I don’t think we would have been racing the McLarens today but we would have been racing the Ferraris pretty hard. With Yuki it was again not a great race, he had damage to the front wing, a penalty and so on, unfortunately for us it was a weekend to forget.” —Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal

Liam Lawson Shines with Strategic Drive for Top Six Finish

Visa Cash App Racing’s Liam Lawson enjoyed a standout performance at the Austrian Grand Prix, marking his best showing so far this season. The driver secured sixth place on the grid with a strong qualifying session and maintained a solid race pace, finishing sixth. Lawson was one of only two drivers—including Fernando Alonso—to execute a one-stop strategy, switching from medium to hard tires on Lap 32 and maintaining competitive speed to the end.

Reflecting on the weekend, Lawson shared his satisfaction with the race execution, highlighting the difficulty of the season and the importance of the team’s decisions:

“It was a great weekend, and it feels good to execute everything well,” —Liam Lawson, Driver

“It’s been a tough season so far, with a lot of potential, and in this race, we were quick where it mattered and managed to see it through. After the first lap, I thought it might be over, but the team made a brave call with the one-stop strategy, it worked out perfectly. Full credit to them, they’ve been working incredibly hard behind the scenes, and I’m super proud.” —Liam Lawson, Driver

“The car was really fast all weekend, we’re constantly pushing and making small adjustments to make it more comfortable. The goal now is to carry this momentum through the rest of the season. We need to take the positives, keep fighting, and keep scoring points.” —Liam Lawson, Driver

Team Principal Laurent Mekies praised Lawson’s rapid improvement and the solid race pace he demonstrated throughout the Grand Prix:

“Today’s race began with Liam starting from the third row in P6, thanks to an exceptional performance yesterday that showcased his speed. It’s never easy to start in a new team midseason, and he needed time to get used to our car. Yesterday’s great laps show the progress he is doing, together with the team,” —Laurent Mekies, Racing Bulls Team Principal

“The pace and the race execution were brilliant, Liam was unstoppable and defended for 70 laps to Fernando.” —Laurent Mekies, Racing Bulls Team Principal

Ferrari Capitalizes on Competitors’ Struggles to Strengthen Championship Position

Despite McLaren’s strong performances, Ferrari managed to claim critical points at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc finishing on the podium in third place for the fourth time this season. Leclerc’s consistent run over the last four races highlights Ferrari’s progress, aided by strategic upgrades that helped them challenge more effectively. Lewis Hamilton, racing with Mercedes, finished just behind Leclerc in fourth place, benefiting from a generally troubled weekend for Red Bull and Mercedes rivals.

Leclerc described the weekend positively, noting that Ferrari made gains but that McLaren remained a formidable barrier:

“I rate our weekend as a team really well. We brought some upgrades which helped us to take a step forward and start closing the gap to McLaren. Unfortunately, they were just faster today,” —Charles Leclerc, Ferrari Driver

“In the first corner, I wanted to close in on Lando (Norris), but that left the door open for Oscar (Piastri) who was able to pass me for second place. I pushed a lot on the first stint and had quite a bit of degradation, but that’s part of the game. We don’t have any regrets today. We gave it everything and extracted the maximum from our race. We will continue to work hard to make more progress with the aim of getting back onto the top step of the podium. That’s our main priority and the whole team deserves it.” —Charles Leclerc, Ferrari Driver

Hamilton noted some strategic miscommunications but remained optimistic about Ferrari’s trajectory heading into his home race at Silverstone:

“It’s been a solid weekend for the team – we continued to improve our qualifying pace and the team did a great job throughout. We didn’t have the race pace we expected, but still, we came away with some solid points and a podium, which is something we can be proud of,” —Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes Driver

“We’ll analyze the data carefully to understand where improvements can be made. Thank you to everyone at the track and at the factory for their hard work and commitment. We remain focused and I’m looking forward to my first home Grand Prix with Ferrari.” —Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes Driver

Williams Endures Another Difficult Weekend Amid Reliability Issues

Williams faced ongoing challenges at the Austrian Grand Prix, reinforcing the team‘s struggles with consistency and reliability. Carlos Sainz Jr. experienced a rare setback at the race start when he was unable to leave his grid position during the formation lap. After eventually moving off, he returned to the pits with rear brake issues as officials called for an aborted start. His race was over before it truly began.

Alex Albon also had an early exit, retiring after completing only 15 laps. This marked his third consecutive race retirement for the team, underscoring ongoing operational issues. Team Principal James Vowles acknowledged the disappointment but stressed the need to address problems and build toward future success:

“A very disappointing day. We had the pace today to comfortably finish sixth, and yet we walk away with a double DNF,” —James Vowles, Williams Team Principal

“We had two different issues that need to be understood to make sure we rectify them going forward. We’re on a good journey towards building a fast car but we’re not complete yet in terms of operation and reliability.” —James Vowles, Williams Team Principal

“We [have] 13 races in front of us this season and they’re key races to build this muscle and this capability to make sure that, as we move up the grid and we get faster and faster, we’re able to fight at the front with the very best.” —James Vowles, Williams Team Principal

Looking Forward to Silverstone and Beyond

Lando Norris’ commanding victory in Austria has undeniably shifted momentum in the Drivers’ Championship, setting up a compelling second half of the season where McLaren’s teammates remain the primary protagonists. Sauber’s breakthrough double-points finish signals their growing competitiveness, while Red Bull faces a critical juncture to regain momentum after a rare weekend of misfortune.

Ferrari’s steady climb and Mercedes’ solid points position them well as potential challengers, but reliability concerns at Williams emphasize the challenges that remain for some teams. With the British Grand Prix now in sight, expectations are high for another intense showdown where every point will matter in this tightly contested championship battle.