Russell wins Austrian Grand Prix after late Verstappen-Norris collision
Al Jazeera
The Mercedes driver capitalised on Max Verstappen’s and Lando Norris’s lap-63 crash to claim an unlikely victory.
George Russell has won the Austrian Grand Prix for Mercedes after Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris collided late in the race while fighting for the lead.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished second with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz third at Spielberg, Austria’s Red Bull Ring on Sunday.
The gifted win was a first for Mercedes since November 2022, when Russell triumphed in Brazil, and the second of the Briton’s career.
“It’s not over until it’s over,” declared the jubilant winner after taking the chequered flag in a race that stored up its excitement until the last 20 laps, when the battle between Verstappen and Norris boiled over.
A slow 6.5-second pit stop for Verstappen during lap 52 brought Norris right back into range and the ensuing duel saw the McLaren car enjoying a drag reduction benefit as Norris tried to overtake.
