The Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring concluded with a stunning display of McLaren strength, as Oscar Piastri had to yield to a flawless Lando Norris. From Friday, it was clear McLaren was unbeatable; the MCL39 is formidable in high temperatures. Unlike usual, Lando Norris claimed victory while Piastri had to follow his teammate’s lead. Here are the Australian driver’s comments after the Austrian GP.
During the opening laps, the two papaya drivers engaged in a fantastic duel, reminiscent of their brief battle in Canada. Using his teammate’s DRS, despite a slightly slower race pace, Oscar Piastri managed to stay close behind Norris throughout the first stint.
There were multiple overtaking attempts, especially in turns 3 and 4, but none succeeded. A dramatic moment occurred just before the first pit stops when Oscar Piastri locked his front wheels hard during an overtaking attempt, risking a collision with the other McLaren.
For the rest of the race, Norris maintained the lead while Oscar Piastri stayed about three seconds behind. Only in the closing laps, taking advantage of some backmarkers, did the championship leader close the gap, but he still couldn’t cross the finish line first. “It was a very intense race, I hope it was exciting to watch,” he said to F1 microphones just below the podium.
“As a driver, I admit it was very tough. I tried my best even though I could have done a bit more. The battle with Lando was on the edge, and maybe I pushed a little too hard. We have to keep this up, fighting each other while still delivering great performances. I came very close, but Lando had more pace. I thank the team for the weekend and the car they gave us.”
“Yesterday I was unlucky with the yellow flag, but I expected to fight with Lando. All weekend I thought I had the same pace as him. In the first stint, with the DRS, I felt very good. We need to review a few things to understand what to do in the next races.” – he concluded at the end of the Austrian Grand Prix.
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