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Key events
52/57 Norris, despite his travails, is at least heading for the podium. He wants more than third, chasing Verstappen, the most impassable of all drivers on a tough track to overtake.
51/57 This could see an extension of the championship lead for Antonelli, who began the race 66 points clear.
50/57 Antonelli is told by Bono, in the Merc team, to make sure he keeps on the boundaries. He leads Verstappen, with Norris in third, Leclerc in fourth, Russell in fifth, Gasly in sixth though has not pitted, Lawson is seventh, Colapinto is eighth, Piastri ninth ahead of Lingblad in the final points position,
Leclerc pits, Antonelli takes the lead
49/57 Leclerc pits at last, and as calculated, comes out in fourth. Antonelli has just 0.7 seconds on Verstappen. It’s a race to the finish.
48/57 “We are managing the gap,” says the Ferrari team to Leclerc. They think fourth is theirs but can they do better. Antonelli hanging back to wait on that has brought in Verstappen and Norris.
47/57 Russell has set a fastest lap. Will the backmarkers cause problems for that quartet of leaders?
46/57 Antonelli again sits off Leclerc. Norris is struggling to get after Verstappen. The pair of them are closing on Antonelli as he awaits Leclerc’s tyre strategy to be effected. There’s only four seconds between the top four.
45/57 Is Leclerc tying up? It feels that way. Antonelli is just over a second behind. Lawson pits, and Piastri cannot take advantage, as traffic gets in his way. Colapinto and Piastri going hell for leather in the battle for ninth.
44/57 Norris has Verstappen in his sights, and Verstappen has Norris in his mirrors. Piastri goes up to tenth, flying past Lingblad.
43/57 Piastri pits, and comes out in 11th, another McLaren pitting disaster. Liam Lawson is told to try and stay out for as long as possible.
42/57 The key battle is Verstappen against Norris, the latter closing in, though Max is also closing in on Antonelli. They await the Leclerc move on those tyres.
41/57 Like a few new tracks, there’s a lack of places to overtake at the Madring. Martin Brundle has been speculating there might be modifications for next year.
40/57 Norris continues to be the quickest driver out there. He really has had some rotten luck. Scratch that: on new tyres and clean air, Russell sets a fastest lap.
39/57 Did Norris graze a wall? It looks that way. Leclerc asks what Ferrari have planned. Seems like they are waiting on a safety car. They say he would come out behind Norris if he does pit.
38/57 The gap from Norris to Verstappen and place on the podium is three seconds.
37/57 “We discuss the strategy later,” says the Mercedes team. Russell may not be happy with that.
36/57 Who said you can’t overtake at Madring? Russell blazes past Liam Lawson, who locked up, and almost came to grief on a wall. Now for the long gap to Norris. Russell now questioning why his team are running a two-stop strategy.
35/57 McLaren ask Lando Norris to up the pace, and he has just set a fastest lap. He may still be stewing over that pitting Snafu.
34/57 The Cadillac team have their 11th retirement of the season, with Sergio Perez bowing out. Cadillac are owned by in the news billionaire Mark Walter, perhaps not for much longer?
33/57 Up the front, Antonelli is having to be patient as he awaits what strategy Ferrari have for Leclerc. Jude Bellingham is in the Mercedes garage. Will their man be claiming the win?
32/57 Russell is giving chase to Lawson, who is an almighty 21 seconds behind Norris in fourth.
31/57 Fernando Alonso is no longer dead last. In fact, he has climbed up to 17th, having overtaken Sergio Perez.
30/57 Norris is closing on Verstappen, though it will take time to get there.
29/57 Russell’s pit takes 2.2 seconds. He comes out in sixth, behind Liam Lawson. Norris climbs to fourth, and can give chase to Verstappen.
28/57 George Russell is going to pit his Mercedes.
27/57 Piastri is asking if his wing is going to be fixed. His team seem to think that will be good money after bad. He’s in seventh, and frustrated.
26/57 Lewis Hamilton speaks from the Ferrari garage after his retirement from the race. “The car started stopping and wouldn’t decelerate. I don’t know where that’s come from….Mercedes have done phenomenal job this year and I think they deserve it.”
25/57 Norris, still locked in fifth, chases down Russell, the gap just over a second.
24/57 Antonelli picks up some time on Leclerc, who is delayed by having to pass back-marker Fernando Alonso. Carlos Sainz is on a warning for leaving the track. Not been a happy weekend for the local lad.
23/57 McLaren’s problem with that pit stop was a tyre gun problem and good old “human error”. Antonelli says his car “feels weird” as Leclerc keeps extending his lead.
22/57 The gap from Antonelli to Leclerc has extended; feels like he’s being patient, though the last lap was not him at his best.
21/57 Sainz, in 15th, is given a five-second penalty for his clash with Alonso. He’s in 15th, while Alonso is dead last.
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