Max Verstappen experienced a challenging qualifying session at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday, as he struggled with balance issues in his RB21 around the Red Bull Ring. Despite being a dominant force at this track historically, Verstappen could not keep pace, ultimately finishing in seventh position, one place behind his former teammate Liam Lawson, who secured P6 for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. The Dutch driver’s difficulties were further compounded when his final flying lap was interrupted by yellow flags following a spin by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
Verstappen, who has previously claimed five wins and five consecutive pole positions at the Red Bull Ring, was aiming for a spot on the second row but failed to improve his time during his last attempt. On his live stream for Team Redline, the four-time world champion expressed support for Lawson’s result, saying:
“Yeah, absolutely. I was happy for him, it was a very good quali result.” — Max Verstappen, Red Bull Driver
Liam Lawson Reflects on Qualifying Success Without Personal Rivalry
Liam Lawson, promoted to Red Bull at the end of 2024 but returned to the Faenza-based team after only two races, denied any feelings of vengeance toward Verstappen in the buildup to Sunday’s race. In a post-qualifying interview, Lawson emphasized that his focus was on maximizing his own performance rather than personal battles on track. Speaking via RN365, the young Kiwi said:
“It’s not revenge, I haven’t really raced him at all, but it is a good position. We maximized today, but I don’t expect to be racing him tomorrow, and some of the guys around us, but some of the guys behind, we will try that.” — Liam Lawson, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Driver
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda, who replaced Lawson at the senior Red Bull team, was eliminated early in Q1, failing to advance in the Austrian qualifying rounds.
Max Verstappen Reviews the Challenges Behind His P7 Qualification
In his post-session interview with F1.com, Verstappen described the qualifying as a session where “everything fell apart.” The 27-year-old driver explained that inconsistent car balance made it difficult to find a rhythm, stating that both front and rear setups struggled at different corners. The interruptions caused by yellow flags also hindered his ability to complete a competitive final lap.
“Everything fell apart a bit. Every corner was a bit of a struggle, to be honest. No balance, no front, no rear in different places of the corner, so that made it very difficult to get in a rhythm and a bit of a benchmark. Even with the final lap, of course, I had a yellow, so I had to abort.” — Max Verstappen, Red Bull Driver
“It was still not even close to pole, so that was quite a painful Qualifying for us. Tomorrow’s probably going to be even warmer than today. It seems like as soon as it got warmer, it made our struggles even worse. That doesn’t look great, but we’ll see tomorrow.” — Max Verstappen, Red Bull Driver
Looking Ahead: Verstappen’s Challenge in Race Conditions
With rising temperatures expected for race day, Verstappen’s team faces an uphill battle to improve the car’s performance and address balance weaknesses. The Red Bull driver aims to limit the damage to his championship hopes by extracting the maximum number of points from Sunday’s race. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson will look to capitalize on his strong qualifying position to secure a solid finish for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. The outcome of the Austrian GP promises to be pivotal in shaping the drivers’ championship as the season progresses.
