SPIELBERG, Austria — George Russell clinched Mercedes’ first win of the season at Formula 1’s Austrian GP after taking advantage of a late clash between McLaren driver Lando Norris and championship leader Max Verstappen in a Red Bull on Sunday. It was Russell’s second GP win.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was second, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr.
Norris was trying to take the lead from Verstappen with just seven laps remaining. The incident left Norris’ car unable to continue, and Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty.
Verstappen and Norris had been caught up in a fight for top spot, with the British driver accusing his rival of “dangerous” driving.
On Lap 64, Norris crashed into Verstappen’s Red Bull as he attempted a move for the lead with both cars suffering significant damage. After Norris had gone to the outside, Verstappen’s maneuver saw the front right of the McLaren collide with the rear left of the Red Bull, leaving both drivers with a puncture.
Verstappen and Norris limped back to the pits with the former able to continue after stopping for repairs. However, Norris was forced to retire.
The remarkable flashpoint provided Russell, who was sitting in third place, 15 seconds back, to assume the lead. And the British driver was able to take advantage to win for the first time since the Brazilian GP in November 2022.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, with Verstappen fifth.
Verstappen had dominated the weekend, following up his victory in the sprint race with another dominant performance in qualifying to take pole position.