Red Bull endured a nightmare weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen’s hopes of retaining his Formula 1 world title dealt a severe blow following a first-lap collision that ended his race prematurely. The incident occurred at Turn 3, where the reigning world champion was hit by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, forcing both drivers to retire from the race on the spot.
The crash was a devastating setback for Verstappen, who now finds himself 61 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. With McLaren’s growing dominance on display through a commanding one-two finish led by Lando Norris, Red Bull’s senior figures acknowledged the immense challenge now facing their team.
Describing the outcome as a “black day,” Red Bull’s leadership admitted that the gap to the front is now verging on insurmountable. Despite 13 races remaining in the season, the team appears increasingly resigned to the likelihood that Verstappen’s title defense is slipping away. McLaren, bolstered by recent upgrades and superior tyre management, has consistently outpaced their rivals across a range of conditions, and Austria was no exception.
Red Bull had hoped their own upgrades would close the performance gap at their home track, but the results told a different story. McLaren’s performance, particularly in the sweltering heat of the Red Bull Ring, exposed a major pace deficit. The McLaren drivers were consistently half a second per lap quicker, a margin that left Red Bull engineers concerned and baffled.
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, pointed to McLaren’s exceptional tyre efficiency as a major factor behind their success. He was especially impressed with how closely Piastri was able to follow Norris throughout the race without suffering the tyre degradation most cars would typically experience in such conditions.
The ability of the McLaren to run at high performance while closely trailing another car even during the early laps when the cars are heaviest with fuel has set them apart from the rest of the field. It’s a trait that not only enhances their racing strategy but also underlines the aerodynamic and mechanical balance of the MCL39.
With the championship momentum clearly swinging in McLaren’s favor, Red Bull now finds itself fighting for pride rather than silverware. While mathematically the championship remains open, the psychological impact of such a deficit, combined with McLaren’s clear pace advantage, suggests a changing of the guard may already be underway in the 2025 F1 season.
