F1 Austrian GP: Five quick takeaways

Lando Norris fights back

Lando Norris is back in this title fight. He said after qualifying on pole position that it was “nice to see the old me back every now and again” - and he backed that up with a great performance under pressure in the race.

Norris showed shades of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,  where he held off the threat of two Ferraris to take the victory that cemented the constructors’ championship for McLaren. For a driver so frequently criticised for his mental fragility, he showed fortitude and strength when it mattered most.

He showed the same once again at the Red Bull Ring. Norris came under pressure from his team-mate Oscar Piastri from the start but did not crumble. Could this be a new start for Norris? I hope so, for it feels like their title battle is now a two-horse race and we need to keep it entertaining to the very end of the season.

- Ben Hunt

Max Verstappen's title hopes fade

Defending his world title in 2025 was always going to be an uphill battle for Max Verstappen, but after the Austrian Grand Prix, it now seems an impossible task. Red Bull lacks pure pace and is extremely vulnerable in hot conditions, as qualifying in Spielberg showed. Despite introducing the first part of a floor upgrade, Saturday at its home track turned into another painful reality check.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

On Sunday, things went from bad to worse. A mistake by Kimi Antonelli ended Verstappen’s race before it had properly started – and with it, his championship hopes. Every time Verstappen was asked about the title fight during his conversations with Dutch media, he replied: “What title fight? I don’t even look at McLaren.”

After a DNF in front of his own fans in Austria, that sentiment seems fitting for the rest of this season. Verstappen will have to wait longer for a potential fifth world title.

- Ronald Vording

Ferrari’s strongest weekend in 2025

One track is not enough to provide definite answers on Ferrari’s upgrades, but the first sample is positive. Qualifying pace has been Ferrari’s main struggle this year, and Saturday was not just good but “fantastic,” according to Lewis Hamilton.

There are a couple of factors to consider, though. Firstly, this is a unique track, and the picture could look very different next week at Silverstone. Secondly, it appears some teams, including Red Bull, were caught by surprise at how much the tyres were impacted by rising temperatures. All in all, this was probably Ferrari’s strongest performance of the year, and that should at least provide a motivational boost for the team.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

However, challenging McLaren at the moment remains too big a task - not just for Ferrari, though.

- Oleg Karpov

Gabriel Bortoleto seals his best F1 weekend with first points

“Let’s see what we can achieve in the next race. It’s disappointing not to be in the points,” said Gabriel Bortoleto after finishing 14th last time out in Canada, while his team-mate Nico Hülkenberg secured his second consecutive points finish with eighth place.

Redemption came quickly for the Brazilian, who delivered a superb performance at the Austrian Grand Prix. Bortoleto showed pace from the start on Friday, finishing inside the top 10 in every practice session before earning his first Q3 appearance in qualifying.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

On Sunday, Bortoleto drove a solid race, consistently running inside the top 10 and eventually finishing eighth at the Red Bull Ring to score his first Formula 1 points.

This result is exactly what the reigning Formula 2 champion needed after a slow start to the season as he adapted to life in Formula 1. With more than half the season still to go, it will be interesting to see what Bortoleto can achieve in a Sauber car that is increasingly emerging as a serious midfield contender.

- Federico Faturos

Austria is a great track for racing

Motorsport purists will fondly remember the Osterreichring, a challenging three-mile circuit which ran through the scenic Austrian mountains and was very fast and free flowing.

It joined the F1 calendar in 1970, but dropped off at the end of 1987 as the FIA deemed its demanding layout too dangerous.

So, Austria modified the venue and returned to F1 in 1997 with the A1-Ring, now the Red Bull Ring, and often, when changes like this happen for safety reasons, the track is made worse - looking at you the Nurburgring.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

But on this occasion, the Red Bull Ring is just as good as its predecessor - if not better! What’s amazing about the Austrian track is how its short, free-flowing nature paves way for such relentless racing.

Just look at today’s grand prix: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continuously battled for the lead and you couldn’t take your eyes off it, because they just kept going at it and something was happening each lap. Laps which are over in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t a one-off either, think Norris and Max Verstappen last year, Verstappen with Charles Leclerc in 2019, or even the latter pair again in 2022.

Everything seems to happen at Turn 3 too, whether it’s successful overtakes or drivers misjudging an attempt down the inside and clattering into someone - Andrea Kimi Antonelli today, Sebastian Vettel in 2020 and David Coulthard in 1999.

The track offers no rest bite with the best wheel-to-wheel action on the F1 calendar. So, while the futures of many European circuits look in doubt, thank goodness Austria is here to stay with its recently announced extension until 2041…

- Ed Hardy