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Spielberg, Austria — George Russell seized on a late-race collision between McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen to give Mercedes its first win of the season at the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday.
This was Russell’s second career Formula One race win.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished second and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. finished third.
The key moment came with seven laps left as Norris attempted to pass Verstappen for the lead. The collision ended Norris’ race and Verstappen was penalised 10 seconds. Norris accused Verstappen of “dangerous” driving during the intense battle.
On lap 64, Norris collided with Verstappen’s Red Bull while trying to overtake on the outside. The collision caused severe damage to both cars, causing Verstappen’s left rear tire to burst and Norris’ tire to be torn. Although Verstappen managed to continue the race after repairs, Norris was forced to retire from the race.
The incident allowed Russell, who was 15 seconds behind in third, to take the lead, and he held on to claim his first win since the Brazilian Grand Prix in November 2022.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and Verstappen fifth.
Verstappen dominated the weekend, winning the sprint race and qualifying on pole. The race started quietly but turned dramatic with 20 laps to go when Verstappen made a slow pit stop and Norris was in hot pursuit.
Norris made his first attempt to take the lead at Turn 3 on lap 55, but Verstappen defended aggressively. Norris expressed his frustration on the radio, accusing Verstappen of reacting dangerously to his move.
Three laps later, Norris tried to overtake again at the third corner, but Verstappen regained the lead at the next corner. Norris again expressed his concerns, predicting that if Verstappen continued to adopt a defensive strategy, a crash might occur.
With eight laps left, Norris tried to overtake again. Verstappen ran off the track but caught up again and maintained the lead. The two then collided, and Russell took the lead.
Russell anticipated the collision between Norris and Verstappen. “They were working on it,” Russell said. “I knew it was a possibility. You always dream and you have to be there to pick up the pieces.”
Verstappen was unhappy with his penalty, calling it “ridiculous”.
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg was sixth, beating Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Kevin Magnussen, also driving for Haas, finished eighth, while Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten.
Verstappen continues to lead the championship with 237 points, with Norris close behind on 156 points.
The next race is the British Grand Prix on July 7.
Source: AP
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