Austrian Grand Prix: the editors’ Top/Flop picks

McLaren dominates the discussions

Once again, the papaya orange single-seaters made a strong impression. Untouchable throughout the weekend, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri engaged in an internal duel for the victory, leaving the Ferraris more than twenty seconds behind. This time, it was the Briton who triumphed over his teammate, reducing the gap to fifteen points in the championship. What stands out is McLaren’s relentless consistency this season: eight wins in eleven Grand Prix, including four one-twos. This makes them the overwhelming favorite for the Silverstone event, at home, next Sunday.

Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon, the bright spells

Difficult to separate them as their respective performances deserve to be commended. Starting 17th, Esteban Ocon once again demonstrated his ability to climb through the field. Thanks to a solid and strategic race, the Frenchman secured a valuable tenth place with his Haas, scoring for the third time in four Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson continues to turn things around. Relegated to Racing Bulls after his stint with Red Bull, the New Zealander builds on his performance after scoring in Monaco. In Austria, he achieved a superb 6th place, his best result of the season.

Both Saubers in the points

Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026, seems to have found the right formula. Since the Spanish Grand Prix, the Swiss team has accumulated twenty points out of the twenty-six scored in the championship. After a solid performance in Canada, the two Sauber drivers shone again in Austria, with Gabriel Bortoleto scoring his first points by finishing in eighth place, while Nico Hülkenberg, starting from the last position, finished ninth.

Red Bull falters at home

The streak stops at 77. Since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, Red Bull had always placed at least one car in the points. This Sunday, at home, the Austrian team saw this impressive consistency shatter. Victim of a collision with Kimi Antonelli as early as turn 3, Max Verstappen only completed half a lap before having to retire. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda had a nightmare race, finishing last after several contacts, notably with Franco Colapinto, and three pit stops. A dark day for Red Bull, in their Spielberg backyard.

Kimi Antonelli enters his first zone of turbulence

After a promising start, Kimi Antonelli is experiencing a more challenging period in his first Formula 1 season. With three retirements in the last five races, the Italian is going through his first period of doubt. While his podium in Canada helped to limit the damage, the Austrian Grand Prix marked another setback. With a failed braking in the first lap, he collided with Max Verstappen at turn 3, causing the immediate retirement of both drivers, including the four-time world champion. A costly error, both sportingly and symbolically.

Williams at an impasse

Nothing is going right at Williams. With only four points scored in the last four races, the British team continues to struggle since Monaco. The Austrian Grand Prix only confirmed this rough patch. The qualifying sessions were disappointing, and Sunday turned into a nightmare. Carlos Sainz wasn’t even able to start, as his car refused to set off for the formation lap before catching fire in the pit lane. Meanwhile, Alex Albon, who started well and quickly moved up to 6th place, was let down by the mechanics and had to retire early in the race. Another frustrating event for Williams, in search of solutions.