The McLaren drivers fought each other on-track over the first stint of the Austrian Grand Prix and through their strategies during the rest of the race.
Lando Norris grappled with low battery levels as he faced a sustained attack from Oscar Piastri over the opening laps.
As the McLaren drivers neared their first pit stops, Piastri made one last-gasp lunge at passing his team mate, which was to no avail. He locked up a tyre as he tried to pass his team mate and McLaren told him not to do the same again.
Piastri apologised for the move on his radio after the race. “Thanks for acknowledging corner four,” replied race engineer Tom Stallard. “And that’s from the pit wall as well.”
Norris out-ran his team mate for victory after swapping messages with his race engineer Will Joseph on how he could wring every last tenth of a second out of his McLaren. On a day when McLaren’s rivals were nowhere, Norris and Piastri’s fight left them almost 20 seconds ahead of their nearest rival.
Piastri immediately passed Charles Leclerc to run second behind his team mate. The race was briefly interrupted by a Safety Car period following the collision between Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
After the restart Piastri began his efforts to take the lead from Norris. Piastri’s race engineer Tom Stallard indicated they planned to extend his stint beyond the original target pit stop lap – assuming he stayed where he was.
Accelerating out of turn one Minor, purple C7 position one, purple C7 position one.
Stallard
Accelerating out of turn one Blue mode one.
Joseph
And Safety Car deployed, Safety Car deployed. Lando that’s for a car stopped at turn three. You can put your purple C7 switch back to resting position. And there’s a recovery vehicle on track.
Stallard
Safety Car, Safety Car. Stay out. Recharge on. Delta positive. So there are two cars on the exit of turn three. That is Verstappen and Antonelli. Verstappen and Antonelli on the outside of turn three. There’s a recovery vehicle there moving those cars. There could be debris, so stay far right, tight to the inside from apex to exit at turn three, and there are recovery vehicles there.
Lap: 2/70 NOR: 1’53.022, PIA: 1’52.637
Joseph
So in turn three, there’s double yellow flags and recovery vehicles on track. Verstappen and Antonelli collided, they’re out. They are to the left, to the outside.
Stallard
ACS button, ACS.
Lap: 3/70 NOR: 1’10.254, PIA: 1’10.527
Joseph
And Safety Car is in this lap, Safety Car’s in this lap. We’re happy with current switches.
Stallard
So it’s still double yellows at 3, but we think those cars will be moved soon if they’re not already.
Joseph
Safety Car’s in turn eight. Think about brake balance for the restart. Safety Car in turn nine, Safety Car in pit lane. The race restarts behind Norris
Stallard
Approaching turn four Safety Car will be in this lap, Safety Car in this lap. So switches are good. Strat six is good for the restart. Reminder to use early overtake press. Bal minus one, bal minus one. The race restarts
Lap: 4/70 NOR: 1’09.858, PIA: 1’09.937
Stallard
DRS enabled.
Lap: 5/70 NOR: 1’09.460, PIA: 1’09.340
Joseph
DRS re-enabled. Gap behind at 0.8. Minor, ACS button press. Oscar does have DRS.
Lap: 6/70 NOR: 1’09.313, PIA: 1’09.445
Joseph
Gap behind 0.9. And minor purple C6 position 11 purple C6 position 11.
Stallard
Leclerc 1.1
Joseph
Oscar will still have DRS. Minor, strat nine, strat nine.
Stallard
White H14 position 11, H14 11.
Lap: 7/70 NOR: 1’09.313, PIA: 1’09.445
Stallard
First part of message missing …tyres, go forward to brake balance. Your call on the racing situation.
Lap: 8/70 NOR: 1’09.394, PIA: 1’09.454
Stallard
For turn three suggest top-right toggle. And for turn four suggest top left toggle.
Lap: 9/70 NOR: 1’09.488, PIA: 1’09.271
Joseph
And still with DRS. Lando suggest red A6, red A6. You’ve almost broken DRS, it’s 1.0, he does have it almost.
Stallard
Forwards brake balance for rear tyre.
Lap: 10/70 NOR: 1’09.952, PIA: 1’09.849
Stallard
If we can we’d do Plan A target, plus five.
Stallard
Check top-right toggle.
Lap: 13/70 NOR: 1’10.046, PIA: 1’09.995
Stallard
Oscar, gearbox temperature is getting hot with this following. You can pull out at any point, but maintain DRS, that would help.
Stallard
Radiator for that is in the roll hoop, so it’s clear air to the roll hoop if to can. You can do strat seven for faster recharge.
Lap: 14/70 NOR: 1’11.318, PIA: 1’10.680
Joseph
He does have DRS, still. Reminder to take a drink.
Stallard
Oscar, how’s the tyre?
Joseph
Minor, strat five please, strat five.
Piastri
It’s okay, rears struggling a little bit.
Stallard
You happy with the flap?
Piastri
Er, yes.
“We’re pushing quite a lot”
As Norris came under pressure from Leclerc, he warned his team that he was having to take a lot out of his tyres to defend his lead:
And suggest strat five, strat five, how are the tyres?
Stallard
Suggest forwards brake balance if you can, one more click. We’re in the window both kinds of Safety Car.
Joseph
Yeah, well, I mean, we’re pushing quite a lot, eh? I just have no battery, I need my battery.
Joseph
Lando you can use strat six, but you might have to press the overtake if he gets close.
Lap: 17/70 NOR: 1’10.841, PIA: 1’11.064
Joseph
Lando both Safety Car windows are open, please confirm.
Stallard
Suggest strats seven, strat seven, anti-overtake is often too late.
Joseph
Lando opportunity, make turn six apex, it makes it harder for the other car.
Lap: 18/70 NOR: 1’10.789, PIA: 1’10.709
Joseph
Lando the gap’s 1.0. I want to use some of the battery to try and get this DRS gap.
Stallard
Oscar, how’s the tyre?
Norris
I’ve got no, I’ve got no battery, mate.
Piastri
Rears are struggling, fronts okay.
Joseph
That’s why I suggest strat six when you can.
Stallard
Copy.
Stallard
Leclerc last lap was 11.7, pace is still good.
Lap: 19/70 NOR: 1’11.043, PIA: 1’10.863
Joseph
Lando the gap to Bortoleto is 20.3 so we’re happy to pit. If we’re going to get passed by Oscar we would pit before him, if not we just keep going.
Stallard
Russell has just pitted. Suggest green shape two, green shape two.
“This is lap 20”
Stallard told Piastri when lap 20 was beginning, while Norris’s race engineer also indicated he would pit at the end of the lap, as was no doubt planned before the race. Piastri made a last-ditch effort to pass Norris at turn four and locked up a tyre, coming perilously close to hitting his team mate.
Had he got ahead, he would have been able to claim the advantage of pitting first, and the victory would likely have been his. Instead Norris made the first pit stop and McLaren gave Piastri the option of running longer on his first set of medium tyres in order to have fresher rubber later, which he accepted.
Lando, use the tyre, please use the tyre. Lando, we’re going to box this lap.
Stallard
This is lap 20. Piastri locks up at turn four as he has a look at the inside of Norris
Norris
Confirm. Piastri tries to pass him at turn four but locks up
Stallard
Exit turn eight Okay Lando is pitting this lap, let’s see your pace in free air now, see what we can do.
Joseph
Box this lap, box this lap.
Lap: 21/70 NOR: 1’27.815, PIA: 1’10.624
Joseph
Launch map, launch map, launch map. Could be out lap two. Could be close to Bortoleto, careful of white line at exit. Bortoleto start-finish line.
Stallard
Oscar we’re looking at best pace to target lap.
Joseph
Minor, purple C2 position 10, purple C2 position 10, gap to Oscar 20.2. Lando strat seven, please, strat seven, Oscar’s going to extend by a few laps, gap is 19.6, let’s get in the groove, free air.
Piastri
Yeah, okay, I have a flat spot.
Stallard
Understood, let’s see how the pace is.
Stallard
Flat spot in data looks okay to continue, let me know.
Piastri
Exit turn eight It’s not pleasant, but it’s okay.
Lap: 22/70 NOR: 1’09.921, PIA: 1’10.938
Stallard
Oscar, question, better to be four seconds behind Lando with more delta or one and a half behind?
Lap: 23/70 NOR: 1’10.012, PIA: 1’11.249
Joseph
And Lando doing a good job. Oscar’s pace hasn’t really picked up, he just did a 10.9.
Piastri
Four with delta.
Stallard
Oscar suggest once past, once past from here.
Piastri
Copy.
Lap: 24/70 NOR: 1’09.829, PIA: 1’14.728
Joseph
And Lando from early signs the hard deg possibly slightly higher than we had anticipated.
Stallard
Oscar strap seven, strap seven. Are you still happy with flap?
Piastri
Er, down half for the tyre.
Stallard
Copy Oscar, so we’ll box this lap, we’ll come down half for the hard tyre.
Piastri
Go one and a half for the tyre. Sorry, it was half on top of the one.
Stallard
Understood, we’ll come down one and a half.
Piastri
Copy, box.
Stallard
Box now, box. Reminder the box entry is bumpy, you can use the blue paint.
Lap: 25/70 NOR: 1’09.645, PIA: 1’28.329
Joseph
Oscar has just pitted too, you’ll come out ahead, we can start aggressively pushing on the tyre. Do not push any more on the brakes. Stay where you are on the brake.
Piastri
Oscar pit lane.
Joseph
So Oscar’s 5.8 behind us, Hamilton and Leclerc ahead by 5.1.
Stallard
Launch map off, launch map off. Reset brake balance. You can bring the tyre in as planned. Gap to Lando five and a half.
Stallard
White default 35X.
Stallard
Lando last lap 1’09.8. And we’re looking for Plan A target lap.
“We can’t do that again”
Stallard passed on a warning to Piastri not to take the same risk with his team mate again. The pair had collided at the previous race due to an error by Norris.
Joseph kept Norris informed on how to extract more pace from his car on the hard tyres, which were not performing as well as the team expected.
Okay mate, this is good, free air again. And a reminder to drink, Oscar will be bringing in the tyres, you did a 9.8 lap time.
Stallard
Both Ferraris have now pitted.
Joseph
And Lando just be careful of braking too late in turn six, we want to focus on getting out of the corner.
Stallard
Oscar feedback from the pit wall, the manoeuvre in turn four with the front lock-up was too marginal, we can’t do that again.
Stallard
Opportunity, throttle pick-up, turn one.
Lap: 28/70 NOR: 1’09.528, PIA: 1’09.519
Joseph
How’s the pace, how’s the tyres?
Stallard
Lando 1’09.5. Turn one was good. For turn four, suggest top-left.
Norris
Yeah, pace three, I just want to have a gap.
Joseph
And Lando, your pace to Oscar in all corners is reasonable, do you want his lap times or not?
Norris
No, I’m good.
Lap: 29/70 NOR: 1’09.494, PIA: 1’09.434
Joseph
And Lando, that lap, turn four, an example, too much entry speed, focus on the exit.
Stallard
Tyre conditions looks good.
Joseph
So Lando this is plan A, target lap. Plan A, target lap.
Norris
Confirm.
Lap: 30/70 NOR: 1’09.641, PIA: 1’09.343
Joseph
Lando, better in 10.4, keep it like that. Opportunity, turn seven as we talked about. Stop it more on entry. Stop it more on entry, focus on throttle pick-up.
Stallard
The car’s pace is still flat, 1’09.5, your tyres are in good condition.
Lap: 31/70 NOR: 1’09.546, PIA: 1’09.348
Joseph
Lando just watch out for debris turn four.
Stallard
Purple middle sector. Colapinto had a little spin turn four exit possible gravel on the exit kerb of four.
Lap: 32/70 NOR: 1’09.546, PIA: 1’09.449
Joseph
Better turn seven, keep it like that.
Stallard
Pace is still good, other cars still flat, doing 1.09.5. Car behind us Tsunoda, he’s a lap down obviously.
Lap: 33/70 NOR: 1’09.602, PIA: 1’09.440
Joseph
Getting to the apex in turn four like that is good. Keep it up.
Stallard
Tyre temperatures still look well controlled.
Lap: 34/70 NOR: 1’09.561, PIA: 1’09.196
Joseph
Lando, opportunity, main loss is turn 10, as you talked about pre-race.
Stallard
Consider green shape two, green shape 2.
Stallard
Good job, turn one. Tyres have stabilised, so there’s potentially more opportunity now in high speed. We’re in the window for a full Safety Car, full Safety Car only, that’s both McLarens.
Lap: 35/70 NOR: 1’09.377, PIA: 1’09.443
Joseph
And Lando the full Safety Car window is open, please confirm.
Norris
Confirm.
Lap: 36/70 NOR: 1’09.309, PIA: 1’09.460
Joseph
And reminder to drink.
Lap: 37/70 NOR: 1’09.779, PIA: 1’09.482
Stallard
Suggest bal plus one, bal plus one.
“Is he just quicker everywhere now?”
Norris fought his way through traffic first, which allowed Piastri to close the gap, but it began to open up again as the second McLaren caught the same backmarkers.
Norris pressed the ‘marker’ button on his steering wheel to alert the team to a point in his telemetry And Lando doing a good job, gap to Oscar stable, about 5.3. Last lap the marker we think was tailwind there. And you turned in a bit sharper as well.
Stallard
Lando’s approaching competitor blue flag cars, there’s a four-second gap to Stroll. Most of those blue flags are doing mid-to-high, 1’10s, so there’s opportunity approaching.
Lap: 39/70 NOR: 1’09.955, PIA: 1’09.437
Joseph
Both safety car windows are open now to you.
Stallard
Lando 1’09.7.
Norris
Confirm.
We’re going to have some bad traffic coming up and Oscar’s 4.7.
Lap: 40/70 NOR: 1’10.682, PIA: 1’09.637
Stallard
Oscar turn seven suggests top-left toggle.
Lap: 42/70 NOR: 1’09.808, PIA: 1’09.800
Norris
Is he just quicker everywhere now or?
Stallard
Opportunity to turn three entry speed, maybe edging into the corner a bit. Car ahead of Lando now is Stroll, that’s the blue flag car.
Lap: 43/70 NOR: 1’09.638, PIA: 1’10.103
Joseph
He’s mainly quicker in high speed, we’ll just see with this loss in traffic. If you want help with rotation in turn six you can try the left-hand paddle. That’s left-hand paddle. And our goal here is obvious, we just keep Oscar out of our DRS.
Lap: 44/70 NOR: 1’09.641, PIA: 1’09.714
Joseph
And this lap looked better. Keep going. And Lando, if you do want rear stability into turn three suggest the right-hand toggle, right-hand toggle.
Stallard
Turn three, try to carry more minimum by releasing brake.
Stallard
Car just come out of the pits is Hulkenberg.
Lap: 45/70 NOR: 1’10.044, PIA: 1’10.151
Stallard
Strat six to close on Hulkenberg, strat six.
Lap: 46/70 NOR: 1’09.677, PIA: 1’10.048
Joseph
And reminder to drink. How are the tyres?
Norris
Um, yeah, I mean, the last lap I just struggled a lot with the rear for some reason.
Lap: 47/70 NOR: 1’09.970, PIA: 1’09.471
Joseph
And Lando it may feel poor, we see that, but you’re still quick. Doing a great job, mate, keep it up.
Lap: 48/70 NOR: 1’10.073, PIA: 1’10.621
Stallard
Let’s go strat seven. Need a little bit more protection for the rears in low speed. Now you’ve got clear air.
Stallard
He runs wide at the exit of turn one Lando last lap, 1’10.0.
Lap: 49/70 NOR: 1’10.072, PIA: 1’10.200
Norris
Struggling a bit more with the tyres now.
Joseph
Okay. So Lando, now that Oscar’s got free air his pace in high-speed has recovered a bit. Obviously if we get close to Hadjar it’s going to get tough again.
Lap: 50/70 NOR: 1’10.221, PIA: 1’10.073
Joseph
Lando you’re continuing to do a good job. As the gap to Oscar stays like this, we just want to extend. Turn four was good, try to avoid the snaps like in six.
Stallard
Lando 1’10.1. Main opportunity is turn three, minimum speed.
“The dirty air is hurting me a lot”
Norris was again the first to pit, switching from hards back to mediums. As the fresher rubber yielded much quicker lap times, Piastri did not delay his pit stop.
However when Piastri left the pit he encountered Sergio Perez and Franco Colapinto fighting for position ahead of him. Colapinto failed to notice the McLaren and forced Piastri onto the grass at the exit of turn three, for which the Alpine driver was later penalised.
And Lando this is the Germany situation, Germany situation.
Piastri
The rear is struggling a bit now.
Norris
Yeah, just the dirty air is hurting me a lot.
Stallard
Bortoleto just came out.
Lap: 52/70 NOR: 1’13.952, PIA: 1’10.014
Joseph
Yep, we get that. So the gap to Oscar we’re still happy with.
Stallard
Oscar, are you happy with the front wing, just the offset for the compound?
Joseph
Lando, use the tyre please.
Piastri
Yep.
Joseph
Box this lap, box this lap.
Stallard
Copy.
Norris
Confirm.
Stallard
Exit turn three Okay, Lando will pit now, so use the pace.
Joseph
It’ll be launch map on once you’re in the pit lane. Launch map, launch map, Launch map.
Lap: 53/70 NOR: 1’26.125, PIA: 1’13.038
Joseph
Out lap two, stint two, could be close to Tsunoda exit, he’s just round the final corner. Suggest red A5, red A5.
Stallard
You’ll get some clearer air. Let’s use the pace, we should be in at the end of this lap. We’re box this lap, box his lap.
Joseph
Oscar is pitting this lap.
Piastri
Copy box.
Stallard
Brake balance for the stop, brake balance. Launch map, launch map.
Lap: 54/70 NOR: 1’08.989, PIA: 1’26.307
Joseph
Oscar should be behind at exit.
Piastri
Oscar pit lane.
Joseph
Oscar leaving pit lane now. He’s behind the two backmarkers.
Stallard
Launch map off, launch map off. It will be close with Colapinto and Tsunoda exit. They’ll get blues. Reset bal plus one, 17 laps to go.
Piastri
Colapinto forces him onto the grass at the exit of turn three as he passes I made it.
Stallard
Okay, 4.4-second gap to Lando, let’s go. 16 laps after this one.
“Gasly still manages to find a way to f*** me up”
Lando Norris, McLaren, Red Bull Ring, 2025
Piastri lost more time behind the other Alpine of Pierre Gasly later in the race. He previously belonged to Alpine’s junior driver programme, before famously quitting them to join McLaren, which Piastri appeared to make an oblique reference to after passing Gasly.
Despite Norris catching another pair of battling drivers at the end of the race – Fernando Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto – he kept Piastri at sword’s length to claim victory.
Lando has a few blue flags to get through as well. Gasly is a couple of seconds ahead of him. Bearman is three seconds ahead of that.
Lap: 57/70 NOR: 1’08.552, PIA: 1’08.739
Stallard
Good lap Oscar, last lap was purple.
Piastri
Piastri has to follow Gasly through turn one before lapping him Gasly still manages to find a way to fuck me up all these years later, huh?
Stallard
Head down mate, you’ve got 3.3 seconds to Lando, 13 laps.
Lap: 58/70 NOR: 1’08.326, PIA: 1’08.157
Joseph
Lando, suggest the right-hand toggle for turn three.
Lap: 60/70 NOR: 1’08.678, PIA: 1’08.085
Joseph
Lando the full Safety Car window is open, please confirm.
Lap: 61/70 NOR: 1’08.272, PIA: 1’08.162
Norris
Confirm.
Stallard
That was a very good turn three.
Norris
I need some pace, please help.
Stallard
Purple C7 position 8, Purple C7 position 8. It’s 10 laps including this one.
Joseph
Okay, 10 laps to go. Lando the main pace difference right now is high-speed, hopefully linked just to traffic.
Lap: 63/70 NOR: 1’08.698, PIA: 1’08.903
Joseph
And Lando, opportunity turn one, be more exit-focused, avoid the kerb.
Lap: 64/70 NOR: 1’08.655, PIA: 1’08.952
Joseph
Lando, just for your awareness, we have a bit of damage on our front wing which is making the balance change a bit. Nothing we can do, just for your awareness. And reminder to drink.
Stallard
Turn six, a bit more peak pressure to rotate the car, focus on throttle.
Joseph
Good lap, last lap, no opportunities to the other car.
Lap: 66/70 NOR: 1’09.043, PIA: 1’09.037
Joseph
Five laps to go. Minor, ACS button press.
Stallard
That’s five laps to go. Four blue cars ahead of Lando, blue flag cars, four seconds ahead of him. They’re all in the points, that one’s Bortoleto [unclear].
Stallard
Correction to that lap time, Bortoleto 9.2. Turn three slide, both axles are on the limit.
Lap: 67/70 NOR: 1’09.100, PIA: 1’09.087
Joseph
And Lando, you need corner discipline, turn one, turn three, pace in high speed is good.
Stallard
Suggest strat four for a bit more deployment. Two laps to go, two laps.
Joseph
Lando, closing the Safety Car windows.
Lap: 68/70 NOR: 1’09.460, PIA: 1’09.273
Norris
Confirm.
Joseph
And turn one and three are good. That every lap, please.
Lap: 69/70 NOR: 1’09.844, PIA: 1’09.468
Joseph
Lando happy with strat five, strat five, just be careful of references.
Lap: 70/70 NOR: 1’09.431, PIA: 1’10.782
Joseph
This is the last lap. Norris laps Bortoleto
Stallard
Turn three, corner discipline, that’s front and rear locking.
Stallard
This is the last lap.
“Thanks for acknowledging corner four”
While Norris basked in his victory, Piastri acknowledged his move at turn four had been too risky.
Well done mate. Well done. Recharge off. Great job.
Stallard
Chequered flag, Oscar. Well done, buddy. P2. One-two for the team. Your switches: White H11 position 13, H11 13. Leave recharge off and ACS button. Well done mate, good racing. Pick up rubber where you can
Joseph
Lando maximum pick-up please. And we come back to the pit lane.
Piastri
Yeah, sorry for the, move in turn four. Pace is good. Good fun, actually. Hope, er… well, not sure you guys enjoyed the show, but I hope the fans did. So good race, good weekend, and look forward to the team’s home one in Silverstone, cheers!
Norris
Yeah, well done everyone. Beautiful one-two. Car was great. Thanks everyone. Amazing work. Let’s keep it up.
Stallard
Yeah, thanks Oscar. Thanks for acknowledging corner four. And that’s from the pit wall as well.
Joseph
I agree, mate. Follow the process. And just confirm and we come back to the pit lane.
Stallard
And confirm we’re pretty happy back here, that’s a great one-two after where we were in Canada.
Norris
Yes, confirm.
Stallard
So you’re coming back into the pit lane. So when you get to the board, it’s kill the engine, wait five seconds and fully off. Well done, buddy.
