Mercedes’ George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix following a crash involving Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Verstappen looked set to win the race after building a seven-second lead over Norris; however, a slow pitstop closed the gap dramatically. Norris, who pitted at the same time, was able to close the gap to the championship leader to 1.7 seconds and was on marginally fresher tires. The 24-year-old was awarded a five-second penalty for abusing track limits while passing Verstappen on turn three of lap 59. Norris complained over the radio that his offense was caused by Verstappen’s repeated movement while braking at corners. The crucial moment came on lap 62 when Norris attacked from the outside before Verstappen closed the gap and both cars made contact. Both drivers suffered punctures, and Norris was forced to retire, while Verstappen limped to a fifth-place finish and extended his lead in the championship to 81 points. Russell was able to pick up the pieces following the crash and was the first to cross the finish line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.