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The grid for the 2025 F1 Austrian GP is in place, and we have Lando Norris on pole position, accompanied by Charles Leclerc on the front row. On the second row, Oscar Piastri leads Lewis Hamilton at Red Bull Ring.
A home favorite of sorts, Max Verstappen is starting the race in P7 after a disastrous qualifying. The race is expected to be held in extremely hot conditions, and if there is a team that benefits from it, it's McLaren. Are we looking at a dominant race for the reigning champions?
Could there be a team that challenges the status quo? What can we expect from the race on Sunday? Let's take a look.
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#5 The race could potentially be processional
The race is going to be a toss-up between a one-stopper and a two-stopper this time around, with it depending entirely on the track temperature. If the temperatures are lower, we might see a race where teams gamble on a single stop, and on the other hand, a two-stopper might just be a straightforward choice.
With this being said, the F1 Austrian has had a tendency for the field to spread out a little as the race progresses. To add to this, crashes and safety car stoppages are a rarity as well. After a few action-packed races, this one might be a bit processional.
#4 Fernando Alonso scores points
Fernando Alonso was right on the cusp of getting into the top 10 but was just a little off in terms of pace. For the F1 Austrian GP, however, he is in a perfect position to make the most of his P11 starting grid. He would be trying to mix things up with the likes of Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, and others in that grid and score a decent points haul for Aston Martin.
#3 Max Verstappen doesn't make it to the podium
As we wrote earlier in our qualifying takeaways, the vibes are off with Max Verstappen and Red Bull, as the fire does not appear to be there. You can always back the Dutch driver to put his best foot forward in the race, but by starting the race in P7, there's a scenario where Verstappen ends up being held up behind George Russell, and the Mercedes driver is not easy to pass.
Unless the F1 Austrian GP gets messy, this time around Red Bull driver might end up missing a podium.
#2 Ferrari is going to challenge McLaren in the race
There are many who are sleeping on Ferrari in the F1 Austrian even though the car is starting the race on the front and second row. To add to this, the key issue with the car is qualifying; race pace, on the other hand, is quite impressive.
Even in Friday's long runs, one could see that Charles Leclerc wasn't losing much to McLaren. The F1 Austrian GP is far from a foregone conclusion, and it's going to be an intensely fought battle for the win.
#1 Lando Norris wins the F1 Austrian GP
Yes, Ferrari is going to be a contender on Sunday, and Charles Leclerc is not going to make it easy for Lando Norris, but this just seems like one of those weekends where a driver is in a league of his own.
Unless Lando messes up his start (something he has done in the past as well) and ends up stuck behind a few cars, it's going to be very hard to keep up with him. He's the runaway favorite to win the F1 Austrian GP on Sunday and make a statement in the championship battle.
