Lando Norris fends off Oscar Piastri to win thrilling Austrian GP after Max Verstappen crashes out in first lap

Lando Norris held off multiple challenges from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win a thrilling Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon.

Lando Norris held off multiple challenges from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win a thrilling Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. Having started in pole position, the Briton led for all but a few gripping seconds in lap 11. With the McLaren team giving permission for its drivers to fight it out, Piastri darted in front of Norris at turn three, only for Norris to snatch the lead back at turn four. The Australian was undeterred, trying again in lap 20 but he locked up and nearly went into the back of his teammate’s car. Later warned by the McLaren team that he was too close to colliding with Norris, that was as close as Piastri would get for the remainder of the race. “We had a great battle, that’s for sure,” Norris told broadcaster Sky Sports afterward. “It was a lot of fun. For me, a lot of stress but a lot of fun. A nice battle, so well done to Oscar.” The result means that Norris has cut his teammate’s lead to 15 points at the top of the drivers’ championship, after their collision two weeks ago at the Canadian Grand Prix ended the Briton’s last race and cost him valuable points in the standings. “Intense,” was Piastri’s assessment of this weekend’s battle. “I hope it was good watching because it was pretty hard work from the car. Tried my absolute best. Probably could have done a better job when I just got ahead momentarily, but it was a good battle.”