Max Verstappen and Lando Norris squandered their opportunities for a win in Austria after colliding in the final stages of the race. The Austrian Grand Prix has been one of the most thrilling races of the 2024 F1 season. It appeared that Verstappen was on track for an effortless victory at Red Bull’s home circuit. However, the situation took a dramatic turn as Verstappen and Norris battled it out in the closing moments of the race.
Verstappen encountered a troublesome pitstop in the latter part of the race, allowing Norris to close in just two seconds behind him. The reigning world champion fiercely defended against the British driver, resulting in both drivers going off-track on multiple occasions. However, as Norris made a final attempt to overtake Verstappen, the two cars made contact heading into Turn 3. This collision caused significant damage and punctures to both vehicles, effectively ending their chances of securing a potential race victory.
Norris had already received a five-second time penalty earlier in the race for exceeding track limits. Consequently, the McLaren driver needed to establish a significant lead over Verstappen. However, following the incident, Norris had no choice but to retire from the race.
On the other hand, Verstappen managed to make a pitstop and rejoin the race. He was subsequently handed a ten-second time penalty for the major incident. Nevertheless, this penalty did not hinder Verstappen’s prospects as he crossed the finish line with a commanding lead of over 20 seconds ahead of sixth-place finisher Nico Hulkenberg.
Undoubtedly, fans were shocked to witness the race leaders squander their chances of victory in Austria. George Russell emerged as the fortunate winner of the battle, securing his first F1 win since 2022. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are unlikely to be pleased with the outcome and may express their dissatisfaction in post-race comments.