2025 F1 Austrian GP Qualifying: Top 5 key takeaways

Lando Norris just smashed everyone into submission at the F1 Austrian GP with a performance that was a perfect statement from a driver who was at an all-time low in Canada. Ending a qualifying session more than half a second quicker than anyone is impressive. Doing that around a 65-second lap is an even more impressive feat.

The driver would be accompanied by Charles Leclerc, who surprised everyone with a brilliant lap. In P3 is Oscar Piastri, after his final lap got compromised, while 7x F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will start the race in P4.

Max Verstappen had a disappointing run as his final lap was interrupted by the yellow flag. He would start the race behind Liam Lawson, who impressed with a brilliant qualifying session. With the grid for the F1 Austrian GP set, what did we learn from the qualifying session? Let's take a look.

2025 F1 Austrian GP Qualifying: What did we learn?

#1 The new upgrade might have helped Lando Norris

When McLaren first introduced a new front wing to help give the drivers more feel at the front, it was supposed to be a move that helped Lando Norris, who has been struggling with the same issue since the start of the season. It didn't quite have the desired effect in Canada, but at the F1 Austrian GP, this might just have been the missing link.

Lando has been untouchable since the first lap he did on Friday, and that's the kind of form we expected of him going into 2025. Is this the result of the driver racing at Red Bull Ring this weekend, or is this the upgrade?

We'll have to wait for a few races because if this is the missing piece, then the tide could turn very quickly in the championship battle.

#2 The vibes are off with Red Bull and Max Verstappen

We are making a judgment while looking at things from the outside, but it does appear that the focus and the energy within the Red Bull camp are just off. Before qualifying, Christian Horner's interview went viral, where he claimed that he wanted to make McLaren fans cry on Sunday. He has also been adamant that the battle for the title is still on.

Max Verstappen, on the other hand, is seemingly talking to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff behind closed doors, and while you cannot doubt his commitment, it does appear that a bad result is not something that affects him much, as he just puts it down to the car.

The F1 Austrian GP is the race where the driver's exit clause is triggered depending on where he is in the championship. You have to wonder where the driver's head's at and if the partnership is still as strong.

#3 Charles Leclerc is a wildcard for Sunday.

Charles Leclerc and Ferrari surprised a lot of people with that lap. A front row start means that the driver could potentially have a chance to attack the McLaren for the win in the F1 Austrian GP.

The Italian team's biggest weakness appears to be qualifying, while the race pace is more or less there against the frontrunners. One should back McLaren, but Charles Leclerc for sure is the dark horse for the F1 Austrian GP.

For Ferrari, the other positive also has to be Lewis Hamilton's proximity to his teammate. It does appear that he is slowly starting to get the hang of the car, and that can only be considered a positive.

#4 Liam Lawson gave a timely reminder to everyone

Liam Lawson is going to be the best starting Red Bull driver over both teams, and that does serve as a reminder to everyone who doubted the Kiwi. The 2025 F1 season began with Lawson at the top of the world and being a driver of one of the top teams, but currently he's fighting for his career.

There's Arvid Lindblad waiting in the wings, and Isack Hadjar has had an edge over him in general. Not this time around, as the Kiwi put everything together. Now is the time for Lawson to start getting a points haul on Sunday and doing this more often than not if he has to secure his future in the sport.

#5 Gabriel Bortoleto finally showed up!

You have to be happy for poor Gabriel Bortoleto, who was on cloud nine with the kind of form he showed in the car. The Brazilian has seen his experienced teammate score all the points for the team, but the F1 Austrian GP was all him, as the upgrade has seemingly worked, and Sauber is climbing the midfield ladder as quickly as one could expect.

Bortoleto has finally showed up and is putting together a streak that many expected from him at the start of the year.