Austrian Grand Prix: Submit your questions for our F1 mailbag
The Austrian Grand Prix was a terrible day for Red Bull and an excellent day for fans hoping for a competitive title fight between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Oh, and how about Gabriel Bortoleto versus Fernando Alonso?
What questions do you have for our F1 writers? And what did you think of the race? Ask and tell us below, and we'll do our best to respond in our weekly mailbag.
Patrick Iversen June 29, 2025 2:46 pm EDT
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SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA — The Austrian Grand Prix slipped through Red Bull's fingertips, its Sunday going from bad to worse despite bringing a minor upgrade to Max Verstappen's car. This wasn't just any race for the team. At the center of the track, nestled in the Styrian mountains, stands a massive bull with gold horns jumping through an arch — a physical reminder of the circuit's name: Red Bull Ring. Back in 2004, the late co-founder of the energy drink company, Dietrich Mateschitz, bought what was the A1 Ring and revamped the location, bringing Formula One back to Spielberg in 2014. Advertisement Red Bull has dominated this track in recent years. Verstappen has won five times at Red Bull Ring and has four pole positions, both of which are records at the track. Red Bull Racing is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Austria is home. 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He served the penalty on Lap 62 and finished last among those who completed the race (but officially P16 after three pit stops). 'Yuki had a horrible race,' Horner told reporters. Tsunoda took responsibility for the collision with Colapinto and apologized to the team in a post-race interview with the written media. Asked whether he had the full support of the team, he responded with one word: 'Yes.' Tsunoda's one-lap qualifying pace has improved, but his race pace is lacking, something he attributed to the tires not 'holding at all' and lacking grip. Red Bull has already done a driver swap once this season, replacing Lawson with Tsunoda after two grands prix. Horner was asked post-race if races like Austria made him reconsider the second car, given the performance gap between the two. Advertisement 'We'll look to see how we can support him, but there's a big delta between the two cars,' Horner said. The team principal did admit that internally they are asking why that gap exists and added that 'obviously the car has evolved over the years in a specific direction. But we'll see if we can help Yuki and rebuild his confidence in Silverstone.' Unlike in recent years of Red Bull dominance, the RB21 has been a struggle to drive at times this season. McLaren is now the team that's in a league of its own, seemingly untouchable in Austria, while Red Bull is left trying to figure out what it can do in the last year of the current regulations. 'I still believe that we have strength and depth in this team. Unfortunately, we haven't seen the performance come that we would like,' Horner said. 'But it's the same fundamental group of people that 18 months ago had designed a car that won every single grand prix but one. They didn't suddenly just become idiots overnight. 'So, you have to acknowledge the great job that McLaren are doing and congratulations to them. But, for us, it's just about working harder because everybody is working incredibly hard. 'It's just working smarter. And let's see over the next few races.' Teams will soon need to switch their focus solely to 2026, a move that Williams made before this season even began. With 13 races to go, Red Bull is up against the clock to unlock performance and improve its pace. 'We'll see if we can find it,' Verstappen said. The RB21's issues have carried over from last year, where Red Bull struggled to find the right balance. The hotter temperatures, as was the case in Austria, only exacerbate the tire issues as well. It remains to be seen how the floor upgrade will perform, as only Verstappen had it in Austria. However, with three races to go before the summer break, is it enough time to unlock something for the second half of the season? 'Is it enough to challenge McLaren? I'm not sure,' Verstappen told reporters. 'Probably not. But I also don't want to sound depressed.' (Top photos of Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen:, Jure Makeovec/AFP via Getty Images)
