Lando Norris mistake helps Max Verstappen win Austrian GP Sprint

29 June 2024 , 10:33

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A Lando Norris error cost him a shot at victory in the Austria sprint (Image: Getty Images)

Max Verstappen made it three victories from as many Sprint races in 2024 as a Lando Norris error again proved costly.

The Briton briefly overtook his rival to take a short-lived lead of the short-form race but locked up which allowed Verstappen to retake that place. And Oscar Piastri also swept past his fellow McLaren to secure the runner-up position.

Norris had to settle for third as, for the second race session in a row, one split-second mistake cost him a shot at victory. McLaren will be happy that they were able to take the fight to Verstappen up to that point, though, and that they were comfortably ahead of George Russell in fourth.

Lewis Hamilton had to settle for sixth, two places behind his Mercedes team-mate. Carlos Sainz split them while team-mate Charles Leclerc rose a few places to finish seventh after failing to set a lap in SQ3 the day before. Sergio Perez rounded off the points-paying positions.

Slightly bizarre scenes saw the original start aborted with no immediately obvious reason for doing so. The FIA soon confirmed that some photographers at turn one were deemed to not be in a safe place and so an extra formation lap was completed.

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When the Sprint, now reduced to 23 laps of the Red Bull Ring, did finally get under way, it was a strong start from Verstappen who made sure he was comfortably ahead of Norris at the exit of the first corner. But that was not an adjective that could be used to describe the laps that followed.

As soon as DRS opened, the Briton was all over the gearbox of the Red Bull. And he took the opportunity to lunge up the inside of turn three and take the lead of the race - but it turned out to be all-too brief.

Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix Sprint (Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Norris locked up going into the next corner and was punished for it. As he went deep into the turn, Verstappen flew by and Piastri also took advantage by sweeping around the outside of his team-mate and taking the fight to the Dutchman.

For several laps he kept the championship leader honest but soon his team was telling him that he needed to manage his medium tyres. Perhaps doing so in an overly-cautious manner, Piastri began to lose time to the leader and slipped out of DRS range.

Soon, Norris was all over the back of his team-mate and that suited Verstappen down to the ground. The fighting McLarens allowed the Red Bull racer to also take it easy on his tyres while still maintaining a much more comfortable lead, the 26-year-old breezing to take the chequered flag.

Daniel Moxon