01/07/2025

TUESDAY | JULY 1, 2025

29

SPORTS

Horner says Formula One now looking like a two-horse race RED BULL boss Christian Horner said the 2025 Formula One season was turning into a two horse race between the McLaren drivers after his team had a home Austrian Grand Prix to forget yesterday. “For us, we focus one race at a time. We don’t even think about championships. We just focus on the next race at Silverstone, what can we achieve there; same with Spa, same with Budapest. “You try to grab every opportunity like we did in Imola (where Verstappen won).”

F1 AUSTRIAN GP

RESULTS: 1. Lando Norris (McLaren) , 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) , 4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 5. George Russell (Mercedes) , 6. Liam Lawson (RB), 7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) , 8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), 9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) , 10. Esteban Ocon (Haas), 11. Oliver Bearman (Haas) , 12. Isack Hadjar (RB), 13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) , 14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), 15. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) , 16. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull). DNF: Carlos Sainz (ESP/Williams) , Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull), Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes) , Alex Albon (THA/Williams) WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (TOP 10) DRIVERS: 1. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 216 pts, 2. Lando Norris (GBR) 201 , 3. Max Verstappen (NED) 155, 4. George Russell (GBR) 146, 5. Charles Leclerc (MON) 119, 6. Lewis Hamil ton (GBR) 91, 7. Kimi Antonelli (ITA) 63, Alex Albon (THA) 42, 9. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 23, 10. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 22. CONSTRUCTORS: 1. McLaren 417 pts, 2. Ferrari 210, 3. Mercedes 209, 4. Red Bull 162, 5. Williams 55, 6. RB 36, 7. Haas 29, 8. Aston Martin 28, 9. Sauber 26, 10. Alpine 11. Apologetic Antonelli given Silverstone grid drop MERCEDES rookie Kimi Antonelli was given a three-place grid drop for the British Grand Prix after dumping Formula One champion Max Verstappen out of Red Bull’s home race in Austria on Sunday. The 18-year-old Italian rookie lost control and collided with the four-times champion on the opening lap, after narrowly missing Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, with neither able to continue. It was Verstappen’s first retirement of the season and left him still third in the championship but now 61 points adrift of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri after 11 of 24 rounds. “I braked hard because I was behind other cars, and in that moment I locked the rears. Then I just couldn’t stop the car,” said Antonelli, who had taken his first career F1 podium in the previous round in Canada. “The car was just taking speed and the crash was inevitable. I just feel super sorry to the team, and to Max of course, because obviously he was just a passenger.” Stewards ruled that Antonelli was fully at fault and also gave him two penalty points. At a circuit where he has won a record five times, Verstappen had started seventh on the grid, with Antonelli lining up ninth, “I’m out, I got hit like crazy,” Verstappen said over the team radio, with an additional expletive. “It’s just unlucky, like yesterday in qualifying,” he told Sky Sports television later. “But overall, we didn’t really have that great pace anyway this weekend, so a lot of learning for us how we can hopefully do better next weekend. “My mentality doesn’t change. We’ve won a lot in the past. “Sometimes you have to accept that you are not winning, and we just try to do the best that we can.” The retirement ended a run of 31 grands prix in the points for the Dutch driver, whose fans throng in their thousands to the Red Bull Ring but this time never got to see him race. The start was later than scheduled after Carlos Sainz’s Williams got stuck on the grid as cars moved away for the formation lap. – Reuters

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, which resulted in the Japanese driver finishing last. Horner said: “Well, that was a home race to forget. We got unlucky yesterday with the yellow flag which puts us in a position where you’re unfortunately in the crash zone and Kimi just lost it in spectacular fashion. “Max was basically through the corner and getting back on the power and he just got wiped out. So, an unfortunate mistake by Kimi. He’s apologised to Max but for us it killed our afternoon. “I don’t think we should have had the pace to race the McLarens today so well done to Lando. I think we would have been in that fight with the Ferraris. But when you’re out on turn three there’s not much you can do about it.” – Reuters

Defending champion Max Verstappen retired on the first lap after being driven into by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, while team mate Yuki Tsunoda finished last. As a result of Lando Norris leading home teammate Oscar Piastri in a McLaren one-two, Verstappen was left languishing 61 points behind championship leader Piastri. “The buffer they have is significant. It looks very much like a two-horse race. They (McLaren) have got a cushion to the rest of the field,” said Horner.

Verstappen had qualified a lowly seventh, partly undone by yellow flags as a result of a spin by Pierre Gasly in the final moments of Saturday’s session. In the race, he was the unfortunate recipient as Antonelli hit him after misjudging under braking into turn three, ending Verstappen’s race in the process. Tsunoda struggled all afternoon and was later given a 10-second penalty for a clash with

Nerve of steel Norris bounces back with Austrian GP triumph to cut Piastri’s lead in F1 title race L ANDO NORRIS won the battle of the McLarens to land a morale-boosting victory in Austria, which breathes Norris nailed his getaway to keep Leclerc behind on the run 200-metre charge to turn one, with Piastri then launching his McLaren around the outside of the Ferrari and into second place, providing him with clear sight of his teammate. And his torrid weekend was over on the first lap when Antonelli arrived like a torpedo at the third corner to T-bone the four-time world champion. “I’m out, got hit, like crazy,” Verstappen said. “F****** idiots.” In the other Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda was penalised for crunching Franco Colapinto and would finish 16th and last. A desperate weekend for Red Bull at their home event. Ű BY PHILIP DUNCAN

Max Verstappen’s race lasted three corners after he was taken out by Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli. The first-lap retirement leaves him 61 points off the championship pace. George Russell took fifth for Mercedes. Verstappen had called his car “undriveable” in qualifying on his way to taking a lowly seventh on the grid.

fresh life into his F1 world championship charge. Norris kept his nerve in a thrilling duel with Oscar Piastri to take his third triumph of the season, reducing the title deficit to his teammate from 22 points to 15. A fortnight after Norris ran

Back to the front, and the safety car, released following the first-lap drama, came in at the end of lap three. For the next 16 laps, Norris would never be more than a second clear of Piastri. It was nip and tuck before Piastri attempted a banzai dive at turn four on lap 20. Piastri locked his front-right tyre and came agonisingly close to sliding into Norris’s car. McLaren promptly hauled in Norris for his first of two tyre changes. Piastri, perhaps as punishment, was left out on track with a flat spotted tyre for four additional laps and was losing time – a signal that McLaren had seen enough. By the time Piastri emerged from his stop, Norris was six seconds up the road.

into the back of Piastri in Canada, the two McLaren men came within centimetres of another collision on lap 20 of 70 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. Piastri momentarily lost control of his car as he attempted a lunge at turn four, before he was warned not to attempt a similar move – a clear sign that McLaren had called off the fight. Norris took the chequered flag 2.7 seconds clear of Piastri, with Charles Leclerc finishing third. Lewis Hamilton was fourth with the seven-time world

“The feedback from the pit wall was that the move into turn four was too marginal and we can’t do that again,” Piastri was told by his race engineer, Tom Stallard.

“We had a great battle, that’s for sure,” Norris said. “It was a lot of fun, a lot of stress, but a nice battle. It was tricky, hot and tiring, but the perfect result as a team.” Piastri said on the radio: “Sorry for my move at turn four, that was my bad.” He added: “I tried my absolute best and I probably could have done a better job when I momentarily got ahead. It was a bit on the edge, and I might have pushed a bit too far, but it was a good race and that is what we are here to do, to race each other and fight for wins.” – The Independent

champion’s wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours extending to his home race at Silverstone next weekend. Norris departed Montreal with his championship hopes hanging in the balance after a collision with Piastri, which the British driver said made him look like a fool. But Norris has been a driver reborn here in the Styrian mountains, securing an emphatic pole position before holding off Piastri with a statement victory.

McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrates on the podium with a trophy after winning the Austrian Grand Prix. – REUTERSPIC

Lando showed character after Canada: Stella

MCLAREN team principal Andrea Stella praised Lando Norris’s character as the Briton bounced back from a collision and race retirement in Canada to lead home a McLaren one-two at the Austrian Grand Prix yesterday. The Italian said Norris still needed “to polish a few things” to become the finished article, however, in a Formula One season that is turning into a two-horse drivers’ title chase with team mate Oscar Piastri. Norris had to fend off the Australian to set up yesterday’s victory two weeks after his clash with his team mate forced him out in Montreal. “The outcome (in Canada) was unfortunate because Lando could not finish the race. That

after the chequered flag following a near collision. “There was only one situation where the two cars ended up a little too close and that was in turn four when Oscar locked up and he ended up very close to Lando,“ said Stella. “We gave Oscar this feedback and I want to acknowledge that I am proud of Oscar. As soon as he crossed the finish line he went on the radio and he said sorry for the situation in turn four. “I am so refreshed by how the team reviewed the situation in Canada. We have come out stronger and even more united.” – Reuters

was simply a misjudgement. The way Lando handled that, I think showed the character,” said Stella. “The speed is there – Lando pole position in Monaco… he was the faster car in Canada, pole position in Austria. “We just have to polish a few things in executions and results which is what Lando demonstrated today. So, very proud of Lando, very proud of how everyone handled the situation in Canada and the fact we end up united and stronger.” The runaway constructors’ championship leaders avoided another on-track accident, with Piastri delivering a mea culpa over team radio