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The Austrian Grand Prix delivered the kind of weekend McLaren fans have come to expect in 2025, but with a dash of disappointment for Oscar Piastri. The Australian came within touching distance of a victory but had to settle for second.
Piastri lined up P3 at the Red Bull Ring behind pole-sitter Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. He muscled past Leclerc around the outside into Turn 1 to slot into P2 on the opening lap, but was unable to go around his teammate.
"That was an intense race. I'm happy we've come away with a 1-2 after some really good racing. After a solid start, I was close to the win, but it was tough to make progress to close the gap again after the first stop," Piastri admitted post-race (via F1).
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Oscar Piastri held on to the P2 in the opening laps with a calculated chase, but by Lap 11, he made his first big move on Norris. He dove into Turn 3 using DRS and briefly edged ahead. However, a lock-up opened the door for Norris to retake the lead through Turn 4.
By Lap 20, the pressure was mounting again. Piastri braked too deep once more into Turn 4, nearly colliding with Norris. The Briton responded immediately by diving into the pits for hard tires. McLaren left Piastri out for four extra laps to maximize free air performance, but with dirty air compromising his first stint, his tires began to fade.
When the Australian boxed on Lap 24, the order reverted. But Norris now had a six-second lead over Piastri. And unfortunately for the Australian, he rejoined with traffic between him and Norris, making it even harder to reduce the lead.
Oscar Piastri's Red Bull Ring chase undone by traffic and timing
The final act of the Austrian Grand Prix was decided by the backmarkers. When Oscar Piastri rejoined after his pit stop, he had Franco Colapinto's Alpine and Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull between him and Norris. They were fighting for position at Turn 3 when Colapinto ran across the racing line, forcing Piastri into the grass.
Piastri, who had reduced the gap to three seconds, snapped on the team radio with sarcasm over his frustration. Colapinto would later receive a five-second penalty, but the damage was already done.
Norris managed his pace and avoided complications to secure his third win of the season, finishing 2.695 seconds ahead of Piastri. He acknowledged just how close it came, speaking after the race:
"A 1-2 is exactly what we want and we did it again, so I'm very happy. We (him and Piastri) had a great battle, that's for sure. 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. Hopefully, it was a nice one for everyone to watch, but inside the car it was obviously tough, especially when he was in DRS."
While McLaren celebrated its first 1–2 finish in Austria in 25 years, Oscar Piastri was left ruing a missed chance. Team Principal Andrea Stella summed it up as 'a perfect conclusion', post-race, after Norris dominated throughout the weekend.
With Silverstone next on the calendar and just 15 points separating the teammates in the Drivers' Standings, the McLaren civil war looks set to ignite all over again.
