Red Bull faces fierce competition from Lando Norris at Austrian GP
As the Formula One season approaches its 11th round, Red Bull Racing is bracing for a challenging weekend at their home circuit, the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. Historically dominated by Max Verstappen, this year’s Austrian Grand Prix promises a closer contest, largely due to the impressive rise of McLaren's Lando Norris.
This weekend's event is a sprint format, featuring a 100km race on Saturday before Sunday's main race, adding another layer of excitement to the competition. Verstappen, the reigning triple world champion, will be looking to extend his 69-point lead against Norris, whose recent performances have marked him as a serious contender.
Lando Norris, driving the papaya-liveried McLaren, is eager to make his mark following pole position in Spain and finishing second there as well as in Canada, races he feels were within his grasp to win. Norris's competitive edge is evident as he continues to close the gap on Verstappen, with Austria’s quick circuit providing another opportunity.
“On such a short lap, it’s going to be so tight,” commented Red Bull principal Christian Horner. “We expect McLaren and Lando to be fast again. Ferrari, Mercedes, who knows? If you look at the gap to those guys after the [Spanish] race, it was pretty similar to last year. The one who’s stepped up is Lando.”
Norris has been a formidable force this season, claiming the runner-up spot in Miami, Imola, and China. He even outpaced Verstappen by 7.6 seconds in Miami, proving that McLaren's breakthrough upgrades could disrupt Red Bull’s usual dominance, particularly at circuits like Austria and Silverstone where Norris has historically excelled.
“We’re on a good roll. We’re doing well ... I need to just tidy up a few little bits and we’ll be on top,” Norris stated in Spain. “I'm confident. Every weekend we go into now, the car’s performing extremely well. We’re always there or thereabouts within a couple of tenths of pole.”
Adding to the mix, Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez are eager to redeem themselves after lackluster performances in Spain, where they finished seventh and eighth respectively.
With Mercedes and Ferrari also in the chase, there are several contenders for podium finishes. Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium of the season in Spain, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz holds the Red Bull Ring race lap record from 2020.
“It is a very different circuit to last weekend,” warned Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “There is plenty of low to mid-speed content, punctuated by some longer straights. That will provide another challenge and reference point for our car.”
After last year’s rule-confounded chaos with penalties for track limits, changes including added gravel strips should help avoid similar disputes, keeping the focus on pure racing performance at one of F1’s most thrilling venues.
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