Racing
© Ed Wingate
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris turned the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix into the defining flashpoint of their title fight when they collided for the lead on lap 64, leaving Norris out, Verstappen fifth and George Russell an unlikely winner at the Red Bull Ring.
The incident landed so heavily because the race had shaped up as a genuine measure of whether Norris could keep taking the fight to Verstappen. Spielberg had long been a strong track for Verstappen and Red Bull, yet Norris arrived as the one driver consistently able to challenge him across different circuits and conditions, with McLaren’s upgraded MCL38 now a genuine race-winning car.
For most of the 71 laps, Verstappen looked in control. That changed on lap 52 when a slow Red Bull pit stop, around four seconds longer than normal after a problem removing a tyre and a brief delay on release, brought Norris back into range. Verstappen then ran deep at Turn 4, and Norris began a series of attacks as the McLaren closed onto the gearbox of the Red Bull.
The pressure built over several laps, with repeated moves into Turns 3 and 4 and both drivers forced off track at points. The decisive moment came on lap 64, when Norris attacked around the outside into Turn 3 and Verstappen moved left with the McLaren already alongside. The wheel-to-wheel contact punctured both cars.
Norris got the worse of it. His puncture caused terminal damage and ended his race without points. Verstappen was able to drag his damaged Red Bull back to the pits and salvage fifth place, even though the contact had dropped him from a likely victory.
That flipped the result completely. Russell, who had been running a quiet third and scarcely looked a factor 10 laps earlier, inherited the win. Oscar Piastri finished second and Carlos Sainz took third.
After the race, the stewards judged Verstappen predominantly at fault and handed him a 10-second penalty along with two penalty points on his licence. It made no difference to the finishing order because he still had more than 10 seconds in hand over sixth.
Lando Norris said after the race that Verstappen’s driving was “stupid and unfair” and warned he would “lose respect” for him if the Dutchman did not accept some blame.
The bigger damage for Norris was in the championship. A duel that had looked close on track ended with Verstappen extending his advantage to 81 points, underlining how a race that seemed to show McLaren could match Red Bull instead left Norris with nothing and Verstappen still limiting the loss.