Russell claims surprise victory in Austria after Verstappen and Norris collide

SPIELBERG, Austria — Mercedes' George Russell seized an unexpected victory at the Austrian Grand Prix following a dramatic conclusion that saw championship leader Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris collide during their battle for the lead. This incident resulted in Verstappen dropping down the order and Norris being forced to retire.

Despite a strong start from pole position, Verstappen's race was hampered following his final pit stop on Lap 52, where a rare slow stop due to an issue with the left rear wheel allowed Norris, who was just two seconds behind, to challenge for the lead. The McLaren driver made several attempts to overtake Verstappen but their fierce duel came to a dramatic end on Lap 64 when they made contact, leading to punctures for both drivers.

Russell, who had been consistently running in third, capitalized on the situation to take the lead in his Mercedes. He maintained his position to the chequered flag, securing the second race win of his Formula 1 career.

McLaren found some consolation in Oscar Piastri's performance, as he claimed second place, while Ferrari's Carlos Sainz took the final podium spot in third. A significant gap followed to Lewis Hamilton in fourth place, with Verstappen crossing the line fifth despite a 10-second penalty for his crash with Norris.

Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen delivered strong performances, finishing sixth and eighth respectively, with Sergio Perez in the Red Bull positioned between them in seventh. Daniel Ricciardo finished ninth for RB, and Alpine's Pierre Gasly completed the top ten.

Charles Leclerc had an eventful race, recovering from a first-lap incident with Piastri to climb to P11 after four pit stops. Alpine's Esteban Ocon finished P12 following a close battle with teammate Gasly.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll finished P13 on another challenging day for the team, ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda in P14 and Williams' Alex Albon in P15. The wait for Sauber's first points of 2024 continued as Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu ended in 16th and 17th respectively.

Fernando Alonso set the fastest lap on his final tour but concluded the day in P18, struggling for pace in his Aston Martin and receiving a penalty for pushing Zhou off track earlier in the race.

Logan Sargeant was the final classified finisher in 19th for Williams. Norris, who carried a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, retired in the pits after his clash with Verstappen, ending a promising day on a disappointing note.

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