SPIELBERG, Austria: George Russell claimed a dramatic victory for Mercedes on Sunday after a sensational late collision between series leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull and his nearest rival Lando Norris of McLaren in the closing laps of an action-packed Austrian Grand Prix.
It was the British driver’s second career victory, endorsing the improved form of the Mercedes team in recent races, as he made the most of Verstappen’s impulsive and aggressive move against Norris, to finish 1.9 seconds clear of Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.
“Incredible!” said Russell, who had registered Mercedes’ last win in Brazil in 2022.
“I think it was a tough fight out there at the beginning of the race just to hold on to that third place and I saw on the TV that Max and Lando were getting pretty close — and I knew Lando would want to try to get that race win.
“The team has done an amazing job to put us in this fight and you’ve got to be there in the end to pick up the pieces.”
Carlos Sainz finished third for Ferrari ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes and Verstappen, who was fifth, despite collecting a 10-second penalty for causing the crash with Norris, who was forced to retire his damaged car.
On a hot day in the Styrian Alps, with air temperatures touching 29 degrees and the track at 49, Verstappen made his now customary flawless start from pole.
Russell also made a good start from third and fought Norris for second on the opening lap.
Verstappen pitted on lap 23, followed by Norris and the rest, passing the race lead to Piastri until he pitted on lap 25. Piastri rejoined sixth and order was restored with everyone on hards, except Russell who took a second set of mediums.
“He launched straight into me — I couldn’t turn right into the box,” said Norris, complaining about Verstappen’s alleged unsafe release by Red Bull.
“Yeah, we’re on it,” came the reply.
By lap 41 Verstappen was grumbling about his tires.
“I don’t know what’s happening,” said the champion who had only a fresh set of hards or used mediums left to run.
By lap 44, Verstappen’s lead was down to 6.4 seconds before Russell, also struggling, pitted for fresh hards, re-joining sixth. He swiftly set a fastest lap and passed Sainz for fifth behind Hamilton, who was behind the two McLarens.
With the leaders extending their stints to make a two-stop strategy work, back-markers like Leclerc in 12th on three stops were faster on track, but stuck behind Verstappen until he pitted again with Norris on lap 51.
The Dutchman suffered a slow stop due to a ‘sticky’ left rear and Norris on fresh mediums was only 2.2 behind as they rejoined in P1 and P2. Verstappen was on used mediums, delivering the prospect of a thrilling duel to the flag.
Norris was three-tenths adrift before passing him on lap 59, but ran wide and off-track. He gave the position back and received a warning for exceeding track limits before attacking again only for Verstappen to run wide and rejoin.
The battling pair eventually collided on lap 63 at Turn Three where Verstappen moved across to hit Norris’s car and both suffered punctures, gifting the lead to Russell as they limped back to the pits.
Verstappen’s front left was damaged and Norris’s right rear, with sufficient damage for the McLaren to retire as Verstappen rejoined in fifth, only to receive a 10-second penalty for causing the crash which led to a brief Virtual Safety Car.
Nico Hulkenberg came home sixth for Haas ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull, Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas, Daniel Ricciardo of RB and Pierre Gasly of Alpine.
Leclerc finished 11th in the second Ferrari after a race of four pit-stops following a first lap incident.
George Russell gifted Austrian Grand Prix victory after Max Verstappen in late collision
https://arab.news/2f4ax
George Russell gifted Austrian Grand Prix victory after Max Verstappen in late collision
- It was the British driver’s second career victory
- Helped by late collision between series leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull and his nearest rival Lando Norris
Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli showdown ends in stalemate as Saudi Pro League title race tightens
- Both sides make tactical adjustments for the game but defensive excellence ends up the dominant theme
- Despite the dropped points Al-Hilal remain top of the league but Al-Nassr close the gap to a single point with a narrow 1-0 away win against Al-Riyadh
RIYADH: In arguably the biggest fixture of the Saudi Pro League season so far, league leaders Al-Hilal and third-place Al-Ahli played out a tense stalemate at Kingdom Arena on Monday night, with neither side able to make a breakthrough.
Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who tops the league’s scoring chart with 18 goals, was kept quiet as defensive discipline took center stage.
Unlike previous encounters between the two sides, the first half resembled a war of attrition; neither team was able to break the other down with any consistency, and when openings did arise, the final touch proved elusive.
Both of the coaches, Simone Inzaghi and Matthias Jaissle, made their share of tactical adjustments for the game.
Rather than deploy the customary 5-4-1 formation home side Al-Hilal usually deploys in high-profile matches, Inzaghi opted instead for a 4-1-4-1 arrangement, with Ruben Neves anchoring the midfield while Salem Al-Dawsari and Malcom provided width on the flanks. Moteb Al-Harbi, a natural left-back, was deployed on the right side of defense to counter Wenderson Galeno’s dangerous inward runs.
Al-Ahli’s shape was fluid, meanwhile, with Enzo Millot operating between a traditional No.10 role and a false No. 9, depending on how high the press was. The full-backs played contrasting roles, with Ali Majrashi surging forward aggressively on the right while Zakaria Hawsawi tucked inside to assist with build-up play.
Despite these tactical changes, defensive excellence remained the dominant theme. Space was hard to find, and opportunities for either side to fashion clear chances largely came during moments of high pressure.
The tempo increased noticeably in the second half. Roger Ibanez carried the ball forward from deep, reaching the edge of Al-Hilal’s box before slipping a pass toward Galeno, only for Kalidou Koulibaly to step in with a crucial block.
As the visitors continued to raise the intensity, Majrashi won possession high up the pitch before Galeno laid the ball off to Millot, whose effort drifted just wide. I would not have counted anyway, as the linesman had eventually raised his flag for offside.
A series of tactical fouls followed as Al-Ahli took control of the rhythm of the game. Al-Hilal were reduced to counterattacks as Jaissle’s side pushed forward, creating chances from all angles. In the 76th minute, Ibanez met Galeno’s corner with a free header but the ball skimmed just past the post.
Mohammed Kader Meite was introduced shortly thereafter, the former Rennes forward making his debut for Al-Hilal as a replacement for Darwin Nunez, who had endured a difficult evening.
Al-Ahli’s inability to capitalize on their control of the game almost proved costly in the 84th minute, when Al-Hilal appeared to take the lead.
A trademark long pass from Neves found Malcom on the shoulder of Rayan Hamed, and his cut-back was finished off by Al-Dawsari — only for the video assistant referee to rule Malcom offside.
Majrashi’s aggressive approach on the right eventually caught up with him, when a late challenge on Theo Hernandez earned him a second yellow card deep into stoppage time.
Elsewhere, visiting Al-Nassr edged past Al-Riyadh 1-0 to move onto 46 points, just one behind Al-Hilal and two clear of Al-Ahli, thanks to a decisive strike by Sadio Mane in the 40th minute. The Senegalese forward deputized for Cristiano Ronaldo, who was absent amid reports of dissatisfaction with Al-Nassr’s winter transfer window activity.
In Najran, Al-Okhdood, second-bottom of the league, were minutes away from a vital home victory before Alexandre Lacazette converted a penalty in the 85th minute to earn mid-table Neom a 1-1 draw.
On Tuesday, Damac will host Al-Kholood, before an Eastern Province double-header as Al-Ettifaq and Al-Taawoun go head-to-head at E’GO Stadium, while Al-Khaleej face Al-Qadsiah at Prince Mohammed bin Fahad Stadium.
