The 2025 Austrian GP is the 11th race of the season. It comes after a clash among teammates in the previous race, which will change the dynamics of the title race. Speaking of it, the reigning champion is back in the race and would love to win again in the Red Bull Ring.

In the Canadian GP, Mercedes, with George Russell, picked up his first race win of 2025. The Silver Arrows will hope to have the same performance in Austria, while McLaren will hope to get back to the top. In all this chaos, Ferrari will be hoping to secure a good result as they introduce fresh upgrades in Austria. Let’s delve into the key battles and predictions for the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix.

Key Storylines for the 2025 Austrian GP

1.    Teammates Battle it Out at McLaren

The Canadian Grand Prix was the first time that the McLaren drivers clashed in the tight title battle. Lando Norris was quick to accept his mistake, and it was clear that he was the one at fault. However, he might have just sown the seeds for more clashes and crashes going forward in the season.

2.    Nervous Weekend for Verstappen Fans

Max Verstappen was in high spirits going into Red Bull’s home race. However, his fans look tense because of the looming race ban for any other penalty he accumulates this weekend. The Dutch driver is 1 penalty point away from an automatic one-race ban, so he cannot afford to be the guilty party in any of the incidents this weekend. After the race in Austria, the penalty points on his license are wiped off, and he starts with a clean slate.

Bold Predictions for the 2025 Austrian GP

The Red Bull Ring is the 2^nd shortest track on the F1 calendar after the Monaco Grand Prix. The lap timings on the track are evidently quick, and the gap in qualifying is small. So, it’ll be a tough weekend to predict.

1.    Pole Position for the Race: Max Verstappen

The Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying is decided by tenths of a second. One of the key aspects of the Red Bull Ring is that the car and driver must be in perfect sync. In all these scenarios, Max Verstappen looks like a clear favorite. Even though Red Bull doesn’t have the fastest car, they certainly have the fastest driver.

2.    Race Winner: Oscar Piastri

Pirelli will be getting the same configuration of tires that they did last year. And last year, the race was a two-stop race due to the tire wear. One car that is good with tires is McLaren, so if they start anywhere close to the front row, then they are at an advantage. Currently, Oscar Piastri is the in-form driver and will be the favorite to win the race among the McLaren drivers.

3.    Biggest Surprise: Alex Albon

The long straights in the Austrian GP will bring the Williams car into the mix. Alex Albon has been in the form of his life at the start of the season, but has stuttered lately. However, this weekend, we can expect Albon to finally get things straight and get a top 5 or a lucky podium in the race.

4.    Biggest Flop: Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has had a tough start to life at Ferrari. The Brit has struggled gravely at tracks where he doesn’t have a good record in the past. The Austrian GP hasn’t been his best track, and the straights in the Red Bull Ring will be tricky for the 7-time champion.

2025 Austrian GP Timings

The 2025 Austria GP will take place between 27^th June to 29^th June. The timings for the event are:

1. Practice 1: 5:00 PM on 27^th June
2. Practice 2: 8:30 PM on 27^th June
3. Practice 3: 4:00 PM on 28^th June
4. Qualifying: 7:30 PM on 28^th June
5. Race: 6:30 PM on 29^th June