The 2025 Austrian Grand Prix at the demanding Red Bull Ring in Spielberg delivered its share of exhilarating moments and intense disappointments during Round 11 of the season. The entire weekend was marked by unexpected events and action-packed competition, ending in a fantastic race from start to finish.
The race included some shockers, as experienced drivers like Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz experienced early exits. We once again witnessed total domination by the McLaren team and its two drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Let’s jump in and take a look at some of the winners and losers from the memorable 2025 Austrian Grand Prix.
Winner: Lando Norris Finishes P1
The Austrian Grand Prix brought Lando Norris his most powerful weekend of the season. Oscar Piastri failed to stop Norris from converting his outstanding pole position into a competitive victory at the Red Bull Ring. The performance showed that he had returned to his former self, according to Norris, who expressed his relief that he recovered in fine form after a disastrous Canadian Grand Prix. He maintained his strength and blistering pace throughout the race against Piastri, which brought back memories of his 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix performance that secured McLaren’s constructors’ championship last season. It’s getting tight at the top between the two papaya drivers.
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Loser: Max Verstappen DNF on Lap 1
Max Verstappen lost his chance to defend his world title in 2025 after the disasterous turn 1 collison at the Austrian Grand Prix. The race ended for Verstappen after Kimi Antonelli made an error that resulted in a DNF while the car had not even completed its initial lap. Verstappen dismissed his chances of winning the championship when he quipped, “What title fight? I don’t even look at McLaren.” Vestappen has expressed frustration with the RB-21 all season and the end of his individual championship run can’t help quell rumors he may jump teams at the end of the season.
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Winner: Oscar Piastri Grabs P2
Winner: Ferrari
The 2025 Austrian Grand Prix marked a significant step forward for Ferrari and its drivers, following a substantial new floor upgrade. The complete floor development, which included side floor components, diffuser elements, and sections for understructure and fencing, brought instant success following a disappointing 2025 season. The enhanced car design helped Ferrari achieve its highest qualifying position of the season, with Charles Leclerc securing a second-place starting position on the front row and finishing the race in third place. Lewis Hamilton achieved his best Grand Prix grid position since joining Ferrari by qualifying fourth and finishing P4 in the race. The drivers credited their improved speed directly to the updates. The team’s strong performance at Spielberg both lifted team spirit and created opportunities for a Constructors’ Championship boost, thanks to Red Bull’s poor day.
Winner: Sauber & Gabriel Bortoletto
Sauber had another successful weekend thanks to the exceptional driving of Gabriel Bortoleto, who achieved his best F1 weekend results, finishing in P8 and being voted the Driver of the Day. Bortoleto began his weekend with impressive speed, securing multiple top-10 finishes in practice and qualifying for Q3. During the race, he maintained his position in the Top 10 the entire go, nabbing his first F1 points at the Red Bull Ring. The win provided the reigning Formula 2 champion with a much-needed result to improve his rookie season and it proved that Sauber had evolved into a competitive midfield team.
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Loser: Red Bull
The Red Bull Racing team faced a painful reality check during their home event at Spielberg. The team struggled to maintain speed and showed extreme sensitivity to hot track temperatures during their qualifying session. The initial floor modification introduced by the team did not improve their qualifying performance during Saturday’s session. During Sunday’s race, Max Verstappen suffered a DNF that eliminated his championship hopes, while also exposing the team’s difficulties with speed and temperature-related challenges. Any team, including Red Bull, faces an overwhelming challenge in beating McLaren in their current competition, especially with Yuki Tsunoda’s continued struggles, leaving the team a one-driver paper tiger.
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