Russell wins Austrian Grand Prix after late Verstappen-Norris collision

The driver of the Mercedes took advantage of the crash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris on lap 63 to secure a surprising win.

George Russell emerged victorious at the Austrian Grand Prix for Mercedes, taking the win after Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris had a collision during a heated battle for first place towards the end of the race.

At Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, McLaren's Oscar Piastri came in second place, while Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished third in the race on Sunday.

The impressive victory was the first for Mercedes since November 2022, when Russell achieved success in Brazil, marking the second win of his career.

"The victor joyfully exclaimed, 'It's not finished until it's finished,' as they crossed the finish line first in a thrilling race that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final 20 laps, when Verstappen and Norris's intense competition reached its peak."

Verstappen had a slow pit stop lasting 6.5 seconds on lap 52, allowing Norris to catch up. The two cars engaged in a close battle, with Norris using the aerodynamic advantage to try and pass the McLaren.

"The team has worked incredibly hard to put us in this position. We need to be there until the end to clean up the mess, and that's exactly where we were," Russell stated before accepting first place on the podium.

We were just a few seconds away, and I could sense that a collision could happen. It's like something you can never stop thinking about.

Russell began the race in third place, while Verstappen was in the top position and Norris was next to him on the front row. However, Russell ended up winning the race after completing 63 laps out of the total 71.

Both leading drivers experienced tire issues, with Norris returning to the pits and ending his race while Verstappen continued on and finished in fifth place behind Mercedes' seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

Race officials gave the Dutch driver a 10-second penalty for the crash, but it didn't affect Verstappen's final position. He now leads the championship by 81 points over Norris.

Nico Hulkenberg finished in sixth place for the Haas team, which was a significant achievement for them. Sergio Perez of Red Bull came in seventh, and Kevin Magnussen took eighth place for Haas.

Daniel Ricciardo earned two points for Red Bull Racing by finishing in ninth place, while Pierre Gasly secured the last point for the Alpine team, which is owned by Renault.