Formula 1 returns to Red Bull`s home circuit for the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, following a thrilling conclusion to the previous event in Canada. As the 2025 season reaches its eleventh round, the competition at the forefront of the grid is noticeably intensifying.
Intensifying McLaren Rivalry: Piastri and Norris
Lando Norris swiftly accepted responsibility for his collision with Oscar Piastri during the latter stages of the Canadian Grand Prix, which helped to alleviate any immediate friction between the McLaren teammates. While McLaren`s management, Andrea Stella and Zak Brown, can anticipate such scenarios, they are ultimately unable to intervene once their drivers are on the track, vying for the same piece of tarmac.
Norris reflected on the incident, stating, “What happened happened and I regretted it at the time and apologized for it. Sadly, it`s also racing. I take it on the chin and I`ve got to move on. I`ve got to look at the next race and see how I can do a better job and not make those silly mistakes at times. There`s a lot of positives and I`ll make sure to look at them and build on what I`ve got because once I get into a good rhythm I`m sure I will be very happy.”
The Red Bull Ring is renowned for its action-packed races, largely due to its three consecutive DRS zones and challenging braking points on the uphill section to Turn 3 and the downhill approach to Turn 4. The circuit has a history of close calls and intense battles between teammates, reminiscent of Nico Rosberg`s contact with Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix, or Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez`s assertive maneuvers during the 2023 Austria Sprint. Given the comparable speed between the McLaren drivers, another internal battle could erupt just two weeks after their Canadian encounter.
Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 world champion, commented on the situation: “Now Norris knows what Piastri will do in the races. He won`t be surprised anymore. Norris has generally been quicker in the races. He just needs to figure out qualifying because that`s been up and down but he still has the edge on speed. He`s behind in the points, so is more the underdog and that might help him.”
Norris, who trails Piastri by 22 points in the Drivers` Championship, has yet to secure consecutive wins within the same season, despite having had several opportunities over the past twelve months. Austria was the site of his maiden F1 podium five years ago, and with the British Grand Prix following a week later (July 4-6), the 25-year-old will enjoy significant home support. These two favorable tracks offer Norris a crucial chance to build momentum.
Jenson Button of Sky Sports F1 observed, “This is the moment whether we see Lando is in a good mental place and whether he will come out of the other side strong. I think he has in terms of being confident in his ability and putting it all out there, so I`m excited to see him move on.”
Verstappen Navigates Penalty Threat While Targeting McLaren
Max Verstappen expressed his annoyance at recurring questions concerning his potential race ban, a threat that will lessen significantly after the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen currently has 11 penalty points on his super licence; a driver reaching 12 points faces an immediate suspension from the next race weekend. He navigated Canada without incident and must do so again in Austria before two of his penalty points expire, as points are accumulated over a rolling 12-month period.
How Verstappen accumulated his 11 points:
- June 30, 2024: 2 points – Causing a collision with Lando Norris in the Austrian GP
- October 27, 2024: 2 points – Forcing Lando Norris off the track at the Mexico City GP
- November 2, 2024: 1 point – Driving too fast under a Virtual Safety Car in the Sao Paulo Sprint
- November 30, 2024: 1 point – Driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding George Russell in Qatar GP qualifying
- December 8, 2024: 2 points – Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri in the Abu Dhabi GP
- June 1, 2025: 3 points – Causing a collision with George Russell in the Spanish GP
Verstappen holds a record of five victories at Red Bull`s home track. He likely would have secured a win last year if not for a slow final pit stop that led to his memorable collision with Norris. Indeed, the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix arguably marked the last event where Red Bull maintained a dominant car throughout the entire weekend, with Verstappen achieving Sprint pole, the Sprint win, and pole position for the main race. Although he has clinched wins and pole positions since, including this year in Suzuka and Imola, Red Bull has often had to uncover significant performance gains between Friday and Saturday sessions.
The short Austrian circuit, featuring only seven braking zones, appears to naturally complement the design philosophy of Red Bull`s cars across various regulatory eras. However, team principal Christian Horner has tempered expectations. “Probably our weakness at the moment is in the medium speed type of corners,” Horner stated. “The middle sector, there`s a bit of medium speed there, so, we`ll see. I would expect, if it`s hot, McLaren to again be stronger.”
Verstappen reduced his deficit to championship leader Piastri by 43 points with his second-place finish behind race winner George Russell in Canada. Even though the season has yet to reach its halfway point, turning around deficits exceeding 40 points is rare. Nevertheless, Sky Sports F1`s Martin Brundle maintains that Verstappen is “not out of the title fight at all.” Brundle elaborated, “If he gets beaten by George one weekend, Oscar the next weekend and Lando the weekend after that, it almost doesn`t matter, if he`s second or third. He will nick some great wins, like we have already seen twice, and will always somehow pull a podium out of the bag as well. If his rivals start sharing out wins among themselves, he`s right in there.”
Can Russell Replicate Canada`s Triumph?
Russell`s victory in Montreal was undisputed, marking Mercedes` first win of the season, but questions persist about whether this success was specific to the track. The chicanes and kerbs of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve suited the W16, which surprisingly performed well even in warm conditions. This allowed Russell to hold off Verstappen, while Kimi Antonelli secured a debut podium.
Mercedes introduced their new rear suspension in Canada, having decided against using it in the previous two races in Monaco and Spain due to uncertainty following its initial outing in Imola. Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, admitted that the correlation between wind tunnel data and real-world pace has been “difficult” for Mercedes, but he hopes the upgrade has resolved their rear overheating issues.
Wolff commented, “The swings in performance are still there. We saw it last year. We were not even closer but then [at other races] we dominated the weekend. Austria is going to be a different ballgame, different track layout, different challenges, so all of our eyes and brains are concentrated on Austria now.”
Russell won last year`s Austrian Grand Prix after benefiting from Verstappen and Norris` late collision. However, he was 15 seconds behind the leading duo, indicating that Mercedes lacked outright pace at that time. The weather in Spielberg is forecasted to be hot, with temperatures around 30°C throughout the weekend, and the faster corners will pose a significant test for the Mercedes car.
Wolff reiterated, “Though we have made solid progress with our car in recent weeks, we know that we cannot expect this level of performance each and every weekend. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with its absence of high-speed corners and a more closed tarmac that puts less stress on the tyres, suited the W16. The team executed well and took advantage of that, but we know that our rivals will likely be much more competitive in Austria this weekend.”
Ferrari`s Upcoming Austrian Upgrades
Despite Charles Leclerc briefly taking the lead during the Canadian Grand Prix`s pit stop phases, Ferrari once again found themselves struggling for pace on a track where they had anticipated being more competitive. Lewis Hamilton`s subdued performance to sixth place was partly attributed to hitting a groundhog, yet Ferrari was still more than half a second off the leading pace.
Hamilton remarked in Montreal, “We are really in need of an upgrade and there`s lots of things that need to change for us to compete at the front. We have something hopefully coming next week [in Austria]. I don`t know if it`s much, how much it is. I don`t think it`s a lot. I just think it`s one of those years.”
Marcus Prine