Two-horse race – Christian Horner concedes Max Verstappen title bid all but over
Lando Norris saw off Piastri as McLaren secured a one-two finish to cement their dominance. Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda finished 16th, last and two laps down on a miserable afternoon for the team which two years ago won all but one of the 23 races staged.
DRIVER STANDINGS (after 11/24 rounds)
Norris closes the gap to Piastri to 15 points 👀#F1 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/z1pk0XbjKN
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 29, 2025
There are still 13 rounds remaining, but Red Bull team principal Horner said: 'The buffer McLaren has is significant. It looks very much like a two-horse race.
'You could see how McLaren are racing each other. They've got a cushion to the rest. For us we just focus on one race at a time. We don't even think about championships.
'What's truly impressive is when you look at how close Oscar is able to run behind Lando with a car fat on fuel, at the beginning of the race, and he's basically making love to his f****** exhaust pipe lap after lap after lap and the tyres are not dying.
'That is their advantage. I can't see any other car that would be able to follow that closely and not grain the front tyres or the rear tyres.'
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri celebrate their one-two in Austria (Darko Bandic/AP)
Verstappen has so often dominated in Austria, winning five times here, and, until Saturday, took the last four pole positions.
But the Dutchman called his car 'undriveable' in qualifying on his way to taking a lowly seventh grid spot. And his race ended at the third corner when Antonelli arrived like a torpedo to T-bone his Red Bull.
'I'm out, got hit, like crazy,' Verstappen said over the radio. 'F****** idiots.' Antonelli was penalised by the stewards with a three-place grid drop for next weekend's British Grand Prix. The Italian teenager, who accepted blame for the crash, was also sanctioned with two points on his licence.
'It was unlucky, just like qualifying yesterday, but overall we didn't have great pace,' Verstappen said. 'We have a lot of learnings as to how we can do better next weekend. It was not an ideal result today.
'We try to do our best and my mentality doesn't change. We have won a lot in the past and sometimes you have to accept when you are not winning.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British GP can't come sooner for 'very excited' Lando Norris after redemptive triumph in Austria moved him to within 15 points of F1 championship lead
Lando Norris wishes he could have woken up on Monday to race in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone after a statement win in Austria. Instead, he will have to wait until Sunday for his chance in front of 150,000 passionate supporters, as he seeks to press home a world championship charge that reignited with his victory over Oscar Piastri in the latest fight of the two McLarens. This redemptive triumph at the Red Bull Ring, his third of the season, drew him within 15 points of Piastri, despite Norris crashing out in Canada a fortnight ago. Now preparing for Silverstone, Norris declared: 'It is the place I want to win more than anywhere else. 'It puts a smile on my face when I wake up there and it distracts me in a good way. 'There is pressure in every race and I cannot put myself under any more pressure than I do. 'It is something to look forward to. To enjoy every lap. To have so many of my fans in my own grandstand (the Lando Grandstand) to cheer me on. 'I am very excited. I want it to come now. But I need a good sleep.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Amorim given tight deadline to trigger Man Utd target's £44m release clause
Manchester United have identified Fiorentina frontman Moise Kean, previously of Everton, as a potential transfer target this summer but his release clause is only valid for a fortnight Manchester United have two weeks left to decide on Moise Kean, whose £44million release clause will only last for a fortnight as Ruben Amorim weighs up his options in the final third. The club want to bring in a new No 9 after seeing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee - two men who could leave the club - fail to live up to expectations. Kean has been identified as a possible signing following an impressive year with Fiorentina. He scored 19 goals and added three assists in 32 Serie A games last season as the Florence club secured a European place. They are hopeful of retaining Kean but the Italian has a release clause, but it is only active in the first two weeks of July, reports Corriere dello Sport. It means United are on the clock if they want to lock in his price. After that Fiorentina would be free to name their own figure, which would complicate negotiations. Old Trafford bosses have already seen how simple a transfer can be made by a release clause having activated the £62.5m fee that was in Matheus Cunha's Wolves contract. As a result they were able to quickly strike a deal with the Brazilian remaining their only summer recruit. Conversely Brentford have been able to dig their heels in when it comes to Bryan Mbeumo, who is also on their radar. The Bees have already rejected several bids for the Cameroon forward and United will have to pay more than they did for Cunha if they want to land him. An out and out striker is also on their radar, hence their interest in Kean. The forward previously endured a miserable time in England when he was on Everton's books. During his time with the Toffees he managed just four goals in 39 games between 2019 and 2022. He's since rebuilt his reputation with PSG and then back in Italy. His exploits have also attracted attention from Saudi side Al Qadsiah, but it remains unclear if he would be open to a move to the Middle East, whilst Amorim is yet to table a bid for a striker. He was keen on Liam Delap before he headed to Chelsea. One of Kean's lowest moments on English soil came at Old Trafford when then-interim Everton manager Duncan Ferguson substituted him just 18 minutes after bringing him on during a match against United that finished in a draw. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Jadon Sancho sends three-word transfer message as Man Utd negotiations continue
Chelsea paid £5million to send Jadon Sancho back to Manchester United after an unconvincing loan spell and he's once again being touted for a transfer move this summer Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho has sent a message to ex-team-mate Paul Pogba after he completed a long-awaited move to Monaco. Pogba, who left United in 2022, has joined the Ligue 1 side to end his two-year absence from football, having been banned for 18 months because of a doping offence. The Frenchman has signed a two-year deal with Monaco, having had his contract with Juventus terminated midway through his suspension. Sancho, 25, could follow Pogba in finding a new club this summer, as he appears to have no long-term future at Old Trafford. Chelsea opted not to sign him permanently following an unconvincing loan spell, scoring five goals and laying on eight assists in 41 appearances. The Blues even paid United a £5million penalty fee in order to avoid having to go through with their £25m obligation to buy him at the end of last season. The winger is due to return for pre-season training next month at Carrington, where he'll work under Ruben Amorim ahead of their tour of the USA. In the meantime, Sancho is on holiday and had time to send Pogba a message. On Instagram, his former team-mate had shared an image himself in a Monaco shirt. Sancho reposted the snap and wrote: "PP is back," alongside cold face and red heart emojis. As for Sancho's future, Italian giants Juventus and and Turkish heavyweights Fenerbahce have reportedly shown interest. Negotiations were scheduled to take place last week, with his £300,000-a-week wages a sticking point. Sancho signed for United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021, as the Red Devils forked out £73m to end a year-long pursuit of the England international. But he's failed to impress under multiple United managers, most notably Erik ten Hag, who was replaced by Amorim after Sancho had joined Chelsea. Which club should sign Jadon Sancho? Let us know your pick in the comments section. Mirror Football reported earlier this month that the Red Devils boss has no plans to reintegrate Sancho. Reports elsewhere have suggested that United would be willing to sell the 25-year-old for just £17m. Sancho is one of four attackers who the Old Trafford hierarchy are hoping to sell during the summer transfer window. Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony also aren't part of Amorim's long-term plans, although United are yet to find a buyer for any of the quartet.
