Austrian GP Unpacked: Chaos, Controversy, and the Championship Stakes

 

While the Austrian Grand Prix perhaps wasn't the out-and-out thriller we all yearned for, watching the two McLarens battle fiercely for nearly seventy laps was undeniably captivating.

The tension was palpable, even if Oscar Piastri's late lunge was ambitious at best and reportedly met with a calm instruction to "settle down." Despite a few wobbles from Lando that momentarily opened the door for Oscar and radio chatter about unnecessary tyre degradation as they fought, the inter-team battle was a central theme.

McLaren's Internal Affair: Where Was Zak Brown?

The McLarens primarily fought it out for most of the race, resulting in a relatively formalised exchange of positions. Notably, Zak Brown was once again absent from the race, and from everyone here at Senate Grand Prix, we genuinely hope everything is okay with him. 

The race was fought fairly between the two drivers, with a few close moments where contact seemed imminent. Oscar seemed to back off at crucial junctures, and perhaps some subtle team orders did come into play, especially after that optimistic late lunge on Lando Norris.

Ferrari's Mixed Fortunes: The Charles Leclerc Show

At Ferrari, it was once again the Charles Leclerc show. He's proving to be an incredibly consistent driver, and it increasingly feels that if he had a truly competitive package, he could be in line for a World Drivers' Championship.

Lewis Hamilton, however, appears to be visibly struggling. While the car is incrementally improving and Lewis is undoubtedly adapting, he's nowhere near his teammate Charles Leclerc's performance. 

This isn't even a technical observation; it's a stark reality based purely on points, podiums, and Charles Leclerc's consistent overall success at Ferrari in recent races. The adaptation period is proving lengthy for the seven-time champion.

Verstappen's Disastrous Weekend & Antonelli's Costly Error

I was immensely excited about the prospect of Max Verstappen making it very difficult for the McLarens at the Red Bull Energy Drink Company's home race in Austria. 

However, from what I could see, he had a truly disastrous weekend. 

A waved yellow flag in qualifying forced him to abort his hot lap, dropping him to seventh on the grid, putting the four-time World Driver Champion right into the heart of a problematic area where drivers are guaranteed to fight fiercely for position from the very start and where trouble looms.

We can all agree that Kimi Antonelli ruined Max's race weekend entirely by effectively crashing into a very innocent Max Verstappen.

Antonelli lost the rear and tagged the Red Bull, resulting in the immediate retirement of both cars. It was at that precise moment that we lost the highly anticipated Red Bull versus McLaren fight, which was incredibly disappointing so early on in the race.

Liam Lawson's Redemption

But the part of the Austrian Grand Prix that I do want to talk about in detail is Liam Lawson. What a fantastic grid position for him, and what an amazing race weekend overall! 

As I've mentioned in previous blogs, his ambition now is clear: to get back in that Red Bull seat for 2026 and to finish every single race above his rival, Yuki Tsunoda.

Upon hearing the unfortunate news that he lost his original Red Bull seat after just a few races at the beginning of this season, there was only one way Liam Lawson could honestly reply: by getting points and finishing above Yuki Tsunoda every chance he gets. 

So, every time I see the young New Zealand driver score points ahead of Yuki, I'm genuinely happy for him because his ultimate goal is to get back into that Red Bull winning seat for next year. I always love a driver who comes back and proves their worth with points and pure driving performance, and the young Kiwi certainly has the determination in his eyes to do just that! 

The Road Ahead: Silverstone Awaits

So, congratulations to Liam Lawson for his determined fight, and congratulations to Lando Norris for closing the gap on Oscar this weekend for his championship hopes. 

However, huge commiserations to Max Verstappen for losing a potential 25 crucial points and finishing with a DNF in Austria, especially as it wasn't his fault.

We now move on to Silverstone this coming weekend, which is always a fantastic race, and the British Grand Prix is truly an outstanding event. We all look forward to it and to the news that will undoubtedly follow this weekend and tail into the British Grand Prix. I’ll keep you updated, as ever.

And as always, when the lights go out and the drama unfolds, here at Senate Grand Prix, there is only one winner, and that's you, the race fans!