Monday was a busy day behind the scenes in Formula 1 after the Austrian GP. The day carried implications for Max Verstappen, scrutiny on Ferrari, and an analysis by George Russell following his victory at the Red Bull Ring.
In McLaren, Zak Brown returned to weighing in on the rumors surrounding Verstappen and did not rule out interest in the four-time world champion in a future scenario. The executive emphasized that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are under contract and happy with the team, but left the door open by highlighting the Dutchman’s sporting weight. “If, for some strange reason, someone slipped on a banana peel while leaving the bathtub, then yes, of course, Max is a four-time world champion,” he said.
The Verstappen’s future also gained momentum thanks to Red Bull’s performance. The team brought significant updates to Spielberg, but the driver evaluated the package with caution, noting that most aspects worked well, although there are still points to be analyzed. With Verstappen seventh in the standings, the pressure for evolution remains high.
At Ferrari, Frédéric Vasseur admitted the team may have misjudged their Austrian GP strategy. Even after starting second and third with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, respectively, the squad finished only eighth with Leclerc and fifth with Hamilton. The team principal acknowledged that Ferrari perhaps focused too heavily on Mercedes and reacted too aggressively during the race.
Russell, for his part, celebrated a dominant victory but admitted that he still doesn’t have full confidence to extract the maximum from Mercedes every weekend. The Brit led 57 of the 71 laps, secured his seventh Formula 1 win, and reduced the gap to 40 points to Kimi Antonelli in the standings.
