McLaren appeared to take a day off among the spectacular corners of the Styrian hills, spending the Austrian Grand Prix stuck in no man’s land. Throughout the race, the Woking-based team found itself in an awkward position: it could not match the pace of the cars fighting at the front, yet it remained comfortably quicker than the midfield. Apart from a few encouraging moments during the opening laps, McLaren was left to settle for occasional overtakes rather than mounting a genuine challenge for the podium.
Oscar Piastri managed to rescue the team’s afternoon by bringing home fourth place, while Lando Norris had to settle for seventh at the finish.
“I think that was the maximum I could achieve today. We simply didn’t have the pace to challenge Mercedes or Max, but at least we managed to finish ahead of both Ferraris,” the Australian told the media.
The reigning world champion then reflected on how the race unfolded from his perspective.
“Today everything came down to strategy and the opening lap. I got away well, but then I found myself stuck behind Oscar and Hadjar. A couple of times I didn’t choose the right racing line, and I paid the price for it,” he explained at the end of the Austrian Grand Prix.
His performance was also compromised by an older power unit. Lando Norris was the only driver unable to fit the new battery, as doing so would have resulted in a grid penalty, leaving him at a disadvantage throughout the Austrian Grand Prix.
Leave a Reply