The Formula One season is approaching the half way point and with ten of the twenty four race weekends complete McLaren are clearly leading the charge on both championships. Yet Red Bull Racing are desperate to see their star driver claim that elusive fifth consecutive drivers’ championship, something only Michael Schumacher has ever achieved.
Last time out in Canada, McLaren looked on the back foot for the first time and whilst the F1 constructors’ title is almost in the bag for the second year in a row, there is plenty of time and points available for the picture in the drivers’ championship for the picture to change.
Up next is Austria and the Red Bull Ring has been something of a lucky charm for Max Verstappen. He has won has won four of the last seven Grand Prix in Styria and that count would have been one higher but for an unfortunate coming together last year with Lando Norris.
Austrian GP a Red Bull favourite
The McLaren driver had harried the world champion for lap after lap before Verstappen, who was deemed by the stewards to have shut the door too firmly, blocked Norris attempted pass only for both drivers to suffer damage. Verstappen was able to limp back to the pit lane where his front wing damage was fixed, but it was the end of the race for Norris whose car was terminally damaged.
Max was awarded two penalty points on his F1 super license which ironically will fall away after this coming weekend. Until then the Red Bull driver is one point away from an automatic race ban under the totting up system which leaves him one short of the twelve which would activate his exclusion at Silverstone. Verstappen was clearly irritated by the situation in Canada, shutting down an interview when continually pressed over his predicament.
Yet Verstappen is a hard racer and as he proved last time out in Canada, the penalty points situation won’t change his driving style. Red Bull brought a significant upgrade to their tricky RB21 back in Imola and there were signs in Montreal that the car is working better than before. The chief engineer in Milton Keynes believes the next two races will prove crucial for Verstappen’s hopes of a fifth championship this year given the circuit layouts suit Red Bull’s car design philosophy.
Red Bull have been competitive when the ambient temperatures are cool, but with a European heatwave under way, the temperature gauge could rocket even in the mountains of Austria. Evidence of the RB21’s improvement in the heat were seen in Canada last time out, where it out qualified and outrace both McLaren cars.
Big F1 car upgrades not the way to go
“Silverstone and maybe also the Red Bull Ring, if it’s really hot there, will show where we are now in terms of long runs compared to the competition. Although everyone can of course change the car in the meantime,” says Paul Monaghan. “Tyre management is an area to continue working on. As usual, the ‘exam’ on Sunday afternoon will tell us whether we are right, wrong or somewhere in between.”
Finishing ahead of the McLaren pair has now reduced Verstappen’s deficit to 43 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri with Lando Norris now just 21 points up the road. In this era of ground effect cars which are incredibly sensitive to changes, the F1 teams predominantly don’t make significant upgrades to their cars but rather bring more subtle improvements which appear to be preferable.
Last year Ferrari brought a big upgrade early in the summer and it appeared to hurt their performance for several races before their return to form across the closing six race weekends.
Whilst at the start of this season, McLaren’s advantage appeared to be unassailable, Red Bull over the years have proven themselves to be the master of the ‘in season improvements.’ McLaren’s lack of competitiveness in Montreal will be of concern for the team and their drivers and conversely it will give Red Bull hope the current situation can be recovered.
Verstappen dependent on Norris
Remarkably, Max Verstappen’s hopes defending his world championship now lie with part with Lando Norris who battled him so fiercely last year at the Red Bull Ring, because the British driver by finishing ahead of his team mate makes the Dutchman’s job a lot easier.
In Montreal Norris warned that his McLaren team was not invincible in the fight for the drivers’ title race this season, speaking of a potential downward spiral as Ferrari suffered in 2024. “I think we work very well as team-mates, I think we’ve helped the team in a very good way. There have been plenty of examples of things not going as smoothly as they have done and teams then going on a downward spiral,” said Norris.
“I’ve always got on with my team-mates, because that’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Of course, it’s not even a question, I want to beat them, and I’ll do whatever I can to beat whoever I’m against, and that includes my team-mate.”
Norris wary of McLaren downward spiral
“But it doesn’t mean that if someone says a joke, we can’t laugh at the same joke. We get on now, [but] there are going to be tougher moments. There’s no point trying to guess what they’re going to be,” concluded the McLaren driver.
Norris will need to bounce back quickly in the Austrian mountains following his disastrous move in Montreal which forced him to retire from the race. With his McLaren appearing to be quicker than his team mates, Lando attempted a move around the outside of the sister McLaren only to hit the wall and the rear of Piastri’s car which destroyed his suspension.
Verstappen will not have written of retaining his title this year and given the Red Bull driver has the record for the most consecutive Grand Prix victories, with fourteen more race weekends ahead in 2025, this offers him plenty of possibilities.
Russell criticises Hamilton’s negative influence on Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton is the joint Formula One driver record holder and some say the greatest of all time. His seven driver championships equal that of the great Michael Schumacher and Hamilton’s latest great attempt is to deliver for Ferrari what the iconic German driver did almost three decades ago.
The then double world champion joined the Scuderia in 1996 as under the leadership of president Luce de Montezemolo they together with Ross Brawn and Jean Todt sought to end the longest drought of championship wins in the history of the Italian racing marque
The previous Ferrari driver to claim end of season F1 honours was South African Jodie Scheckter way back in 1979 and but for a crash at Silverstone where Schumacher broke his leg, the 20 year drought would have ended in 1999…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
