The Austrian Grand Prix's Sunday start faced a 10-minute delay when Carlos Sainz's Williams failed to leave the grid during the formation lap.
Marshals pushed Sainz's car, and he pursued the field, planning to start from the pit lane until his rear brakes caught fire. The race was shortened to 70 laps.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sainz had to withdraw from the race as his car couldn't be repaired quickly enough.
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Race conditions were challenging with air temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius and track temperatures at 54 degrees.
"I cannot tell you the temperature of the seat," said two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin as he waited for the re-start. "It's maybe 200 degrees!"
Lando Norris secured victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, successfully defending against his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri throughout the race.
The early stages saw Norris and Piastri fighting for the lead, with Piastri briefly taking first place before Norris reclaimed it. Piastri's aggressive move nearly resulted in a collision.
Piastri lost positions during pit stops and was forced onto grass by Alpine's Franco Colapinto while navigating traffic. He recovered and closed the gap to Norris but couldn't complete an overtake.
"We had a great battle, that's for sure," Norris said later. "A lot of stress, but a lot of fun. A nice battle, so well done to Oscar."
Over the radio, Norris described it as a "beautiful one-two" finish for the team.
The championship battle has become a McLaren affair after Max Verstappen's race ended following a collision with Kimi Antonelli on lap one. Piastri leads Norris by 15 points, while Verstappen remains third, 61 points behind.
Piastri expressed regret about the near-collision with Norris and his brief time in the lead.
"I hope it was good watching because it was pretty hard work from the car," Piastri said. "I tried my absolute best and probably could have done a better job when I just got ahead momentarily. It was a good battle, a bit on the edge at times."
Ferrari claimed the next two positions, with Charles Leclerc finishing third, marking his third podium in four races. Lewis Hamilton, his teammate, secured fourth place.
Mercedes driver George Russell, fresh from his Canadian Grand Prix victory, finished fifth. Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson achieved his season-best result in sixth place.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso managed to keep Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto behind him for seventh place. Nico Hulkenberg in the second Sauber took ninth, while Haas driver Esteban Ocon completed the points positions in tenth.
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