Norris holds off Piastri for McLaren 1-2 at the Red Bull Ring

Lando Norris claimed victory at the Red Bull Ring, fending off a relentless charge from McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win the 2025 Formula 1 MSC Cruises Austrian Grand Prix. It marked a dominant one-two finish for McLaren, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completing the podium in third.

"It was a tough race, pushing all the way through. Tricky, hot, tiring, but the perfect result for us as a team. A 1-2 is what we wanted and we did it again, so I'm very happy," said Norris.

Reflecting on his on-track battle with Piastri, Norris added: "For me, it was a lot of stress but a lot of fun. A nice battle, so well done to Oscar. Hopefully it was a nice one for everyone to watch. Inside the car it was obviously tough, especially when he was inside the DRS. The DRS was so powerful around here and it's hard to get him out of the gap, but once I did, I could manage pretty well. He was still quick, it was good fun."

At the start, Leclerc made a strong getaway, but Norris defended hard, blocking the Ferrari and allowing Piastri to position himself for a better run out of Turn 1, moving up to second as Leclerc dropped to third.

"In the first corner I was thinking of going for it but Lando closed the door and that left the door open to Oscar," said Leclerc, giving his take on the move that cost him position. "I lost second place there, but anyway I think they [McLaren] were too fast for us to stay in second, so third was the best we could do. I don't regret much of what we've done today, I think we've done our maximum, just not enough pace."

Further back, Mercedes' George Russell briefly passed Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton, though Hamilton swiftly reclaimed the position. Behind them, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was hit by Mercedes' rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, forcing both out of the race and bringing out the safety car.

"It was just bad luck. It is what it is. I spoke to Kimi and I think every driver has made a mistake like that. No one does that on purpose, so to me it's not a big deal," said Verstappen.

On Lap 3, the race resumed with the two McLaren drivers engaging in a close contest. By Lap 11, Piastri briefly edged ahead into Turn 3, but Norris held back strategically to claim DRS and swiftly retook the lead into Turn 4. Piastri continued to apply pressure, but nothing sticked.

Norris made his first pit stop on Lap 21, handing a clear track ahead to Piastri, who pitted on Lap 24. Leclerc followed on Lap 25. Hamilton inherited the lead but pitted at the end of Lap 26, rejoining the race in sixth.

By Lap 36, Norris had built a five-second gap to Piastri. However, by Lap 41, that advantage was reduced to three seconds. Hamilton was forced into a second stop at the end of Lap 51, despite telling his engineer he did not want to pit and felt he could continue on his tyres. Norris and Piastri made their second stops on Laps 52 and 53 respectively.

With five laps remaining, Piastri had reduced the gap to under two seconds, but Norris managed to keep him at bay to secure his seventh career win.

"I hope it was good watching because it was pretty hard work from the car," said Piastri. "I tried my absolute best and I probably could have done a better job when I just got ahead momentarily, but it was a good battle. A bit on the edge at times and probably pushed the limits a bit far, but it was a good race. That's what we're here to do, try and race each other and try to fight for wins, and that's what we did today. It was close for me, but not quite enough. Thanks to the team for giving us the kind of pace we had while battling each other. It was very impressive. I can't thank the team enough for the car we've got."

Team Principal Andrea Stella praised the approach taken by McLaren in allowing their drivers to race freely.

"We are here to race. We let them race and try to achieve their own ambitions and aspirations, as long as we do that within our principles and approach."

Hamilton finished fourth for Ferrari, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell in fifth. Visa Cash App RB’s Liam Lawson took sixth, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in seventh. Kick Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto recorded his first points and best Formula 1 finish to date in eighth, followed by teammate Nico Hülkenberg in ninth. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon rounded out the top ten.

"This builds everyone's confidence. I think everyone deserves it after such a clean weekend like we had, always in the top ten. To finish like this, both cars in the points, is amazing," said Bortoleto.

There were four retirements during the race. Williams’ Carlos Sainz was the first to retire, even before the race began.

During the formation lap, Sainz’s car failed to move. When the rest of the grid completed the lap, his car eventually started, but the start procedure had to be reset. Sainz would have been required to start from the pit lane, but upon arrival at the pit exit, his rear brakes caught fire. Although the flames were extinguished, Williams was forced to retire the car due to the extent of the issues.

His teammate Alexander Albon retired a few laps later, while both Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were out following their Lap 1 collision.

It was a commanding day for McLaren and a significant statement from Norris as the title fight continues to intensify. McLaren’s one-two finish also helped the team pull further away from the pack in the Constructors’ Championship, with the Woking outfit now sitting on 417 points to Ferrari’s 210, Mercedes’ 209, and Red Bull’s 162.

Oscar Piastri still leads the Drivers’ Championship with 216 points, followed by teammate Lando Norris on 201. Reigning champion Max Verstappen sits third with 155 points.

The next stop on the calendar is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, taking place from July 4 to 6.