Sainz's Austrian GP Nightmare: Ferrari Driver's Car Erupts in Flames, Race Delayed

Sainz's F1 Car Engulfed in Flames at Austrian GP, Race Delayed

The start of the Austrian Grand Prix was dramatically delayed by 10 minutes when Carlos Sainz's Williams failed to move from its grid position during the formation lap.

Carlos Sainz's car catches fire during the formation lap, causing a delay to the start of the Austrian Grand Prix.

Marshals were forced to push Sainz's stricken car, and the driver attempted to rejoin the field, aiming to start from the pit lane. However, disaster struck when a fire erupted in the car's rear brakes, forcing Sainz to retire from the race before it even began. Consequently, the race was shortened to 70 laps.

The challenging race conditions saw air temperatures soar to 32 degrees Celsius, while the track temperature reached a blistering 54 degrees. Fernando Alonso, a two-time champion from Aston Martin, humorously commented on the intense heat while awaiting the restart, quipping, "I cannot tell you the temperature of the seat. It's maybe 200 degrees!"

Ultimately, Lando Norris emerged victorious at the Austrian Grand Prix, successfully holding off his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, throughout the competition. The early stages of the race featured a fierce battle for the lead between Norris and Piastri, with Piastri briefly seizing first place before Norris reclaimed his position. Piastri's aggressive maneuver nearly resulted in a collision between the two teammates.

During the pit stops, Piastri lost ground and was later forced onto the grass by Alpine's Franco Colapinto while navigating through traffic. Despite these setbacks, he managed to recover and close the gap to Norris, but was unable to execute a successful overtake.

"We had a great battle, that's for sure," Norris acknowledged after the race. "A lot of stress, but a lot of fun. A nice battle, so well done to Oscar." Over the team radio, Norris celebrated the "beautiful one-two" finish for McLaren.

The championship standings have tightened, with McLaren now posing a significant threat. This follows Max Verstappen's early exit after colliding with Kimi Antonelli on the first lap. Piastri currently leads Norris by 15 points, while Verstappen trails in third place, 61 points behind the leader.

Piastri expressed some regret regarding his near-collision with Norris and his brief stint in the lead. "I hope it was good watching because it was pretty hard work from the car," Piastri stated. "I tried my absolute best and probably could have done a better job when I just got ahead momentarily. It was a good battle, a bit on the edge at times."

Ferrari secured the next two positions, with Charles Leclerc finishing third, marking his third podium finish in the last four races. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, finished closely behind in fourth place.

Mercedes driver George Russell, buoyed by his recent victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, finished fifth. Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls achieved his best result of the season, finishing sixth. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin managed to hold off Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto for seventh place. Nico Hulkenberg in the second Sauber finished ninth, while Haas driver Esteban Ocon rounded out the points-scoring positions in tenth.