McLaren remains untouchable in Austria with perfect race management and no serious threats from rivals, while Ferrari fans have reason to be hopeful after a solid race. Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli are both out after a first-lap collision. Here’s how the race unfolded.
Laps 1–30
The first twist comes even before the start: Sainz experiences a problem on the grid, forcing race control to abort and delay the start procedure. Although the Spaniard manages to restart, a brake fire occurs as he returns to the pits, leading to his retirement.
At the start, Oscar Piastri gets off well and overtakes Charles Leclerc. Further back, the second major twist happens: Antonelli misjudges the braking into Turn 3 and collides with Max Verstappen, forcing both drivers to retire.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton gains fourth position by overtaking George Russell.
After the Safety Car restart, the race proceeds smoothly. The McLaren duo demonstrates a clearly superior race pace. Oscar Piastri tries to attack Norris, but the Brit defends firmly and keeps the lead. Oscar Piastri tucks in behind, while the rest of the field remains largely unchanged.
George Russell is the first of the frontrunners to pit on lap 19 for medium tyres. Lando Norris pits a lap later for hard tyres. Oscar Piastri stays out longer, stopping four laps later and rejoining about five seconds behind Norris. Charles Leclerc stops on lap 25, also opting for hard tyres. Lewis Hamilton follows on the next lap.
The pit stop phase does not significantly alter the order at the front, with most drivers retaining their positions.
Laps 30–72
Charles Leclerc makes a second stop on lap 50 for medium tyres, followed by his Maranello teammate on the next lap. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri also pit again, with the lead order remaining unchanged. The race ends without much action, as Piastri tries to close the gap to Norris but fails to catch his teammate. The Australian finishes second behind the winner.
The Austrian GP delivered few surprises. McLaren confirmed their dominant pace, running a clean race with excellent tyre and temperature management.
Behind them, Ferrari showed good form thanks to an upgrade package that increased downforce and expanded the car’s optimal operating window. The SF-25’s race pace was solid, although the frequent use of lift and coast to protect the brakes and floor shows that some issues remain.
Behind the top teams, competition was scarce. Red Bull was out of contention after Verstappen’s retirement following the contact with Kimi Antonelli. Russell’s Mercedes failed to replicate the strong performance seen in Canada, struggling to match the pace of its rivals.
Noteworthy performances came from Liam Lawson and the two Sauber cars, all finishing in the points. Liam Lawson, along with Fernando Alonso—who also scored points—was the only driver to complete the race with just one pit stop.
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