Christian Horner points to “very impressive” aspect of McLaren amid Lando Norris’ statement win

While McLaren and Lando Norris stormed to a dominant victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, conversations about the prowess of the team’s MCL39 challenger have subtly come to light. Among those weighing in is Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner, who highlighted the aspect of the race win that impressed him the most.

The Woking-based team, which started the race in first and third positions with both drivers—Norris and Oscar Piastri—soon switched the running order into a one-two after Piastri got past Charles Leclerc on the opening lap. What followed after the close overtake was a flurry of wheel-to-wheel battles and close following between the McLaren pair, with Piastri largely hounding Norris for the better part of the first stint.

The duel between the McLaren duo lasted until the 21st lap, when Lando Norris pitted for a new set of tires. However, while both drivers would no longer engage in any close wheel-to-wheel battle for the remainder of the race, Christian Horner highlighted what he dubbed the most impressive aspect of the duel between the pair.

Sharing his thoughts following the conclusion of the race, the Red Bull team chief expressed his admiration for the minimal degradation the Woking team’s car suffered despite the intense on-track skirmish. He said:

“What’s really impressive is the way they can keep following each other without the tires giving out. Oscar was practically making love to the exhaust of Lando’s car, and his tires stayed protected.”

The McLaren MCL39 has subtly earned a reputation for its excellent tire management. The Papaya-colored team, on multiple occasions and even in the harshest weather conditions, often ends races with minimal degradation—something the Red Bull Racing team has largely struggled to replicate.

While McLaren finished the race with Lando Norris winning and Oscar Piastri in second place, Horner, on his part, witnessed his Red Bull team endure another torrid outing. The Milton Keynes outfit failed to score any points after Max Verstappen saw his race end on the first lap following a collision with Kimi Antonelli. Second driver Yuki Tsunoda also failed to score, finishing his race in 16th.

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How Lando Norris reacted following his Austrian Grand Prix win

Lando Norris has reacted on social media following his victory at the Austrian Grand Prix. The British driver stormed to victory from pole position at the Styrian mountain circuit.

The 25-year-old, who had entered the race weekend off the back of an underwhelming outing at the Canadian Grand Prix, was quick to put the woes of the Montreal race behind him. Norris led the race from Charles Leclerc and masterfully overcame the threats posed to him by Oscar Piastri to clinch victory at the event.

Taking to his Instagram to share his excitement following the race win, the McLaren driver posted a flurry of images, accompanied by the caption:

“perfect weekend. my fav race next 🇬🇧”

The win at the Austrian Grand Prix marked Lando Norris’ third victory of the 2025 campaign and his first since his triumph at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Bristol native will now shift his focus to the upcoming British Grand Prix at Silverstone—a race of which he holds fond memories. Lando Norris finished on the podium alongside Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the 2024 edition of the race and will be aiming to clinch a home victory this time around.

Edited by Luke Koshi