The 2025 F1 Austrian GP qualifying is done and dusted, and we have Lando Norris on pole position with Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row. The McLaren driver made a statement with a lap that was around half a second faster than anything anyone else was able to accomplish.

The session was quite straightforward, as the only stoppage was due to the grass catching fire. As the teams prepare for the F1 Austrian GP, who would be happy with how qualifying went, and who would be a bit disappointed? Let’s take a look.

2025 F1 Austrian GP Qualifying

Winner

Lando Norris

The form Lando Norris has shown in the F1 Austrian GP today is akin to what he showed last season in races like Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and Zandvoort. In all of them, the driver was untouchable. Is he a bit softer mentally? Yes, he is, and we have enough evidence of that.

But when he has such a margin over everyone else, then that doesn’t matter.

Loser

Red Bull

It does appear that if there are people at Milton Keynes who are hoping to compete for the Drivers’ Championship, Max Verstappen isn’t one of them. While both Helmut Marko and Christian Horner continue to sound positive and try to build momentum in the media, their driver pours cold water on it every time.

The qualifying should have been better, and the driver would have been on the front two rows if not for the yellow flags. However, this was a track where the team was hoping to win. With a P7 start, that seems out of the window, and with that, any hopes of a title battle.

Winner

Ferrari

A win might be a step too far for the team, but a podium is certainly on the table, and for Fred Vasseur, that would be a welcome sight. Ferrari brought a part of its upgrade to the F1 Austrian GP, and whether this result can be attributed to it is a question mark, but it does give the team boss a little bit of wiggle room with the senior management.

Loser

Mercedes

After winning the race in Canada, this was supposed to be where Mercedes had its litmus test. As it turns out, the team failed the test as the car just fell off the cliff as temperatures rose. It’s almost worse compared to last season because George Russell wasn’t this far back last time around.

The unpredictable nature of this car continues, and any hopes of maybe making a bigger splurge in the championship picture are now all but gone.

Winner

Gabriel Bortoleto

You could sense that Gabriel Bortoleto needed this result after a string of stunning performances by his veteran teammate. The young Brazilian has always been very close to Hulkenberg but it does appear that the German is yet to find a sweet spot with the upgrades.

For Bortoleto, however, this is a good step, and the F1 Austrian GP becomes the first race where he turns heads with his performance.

Loser

Lance Stroll

Another race, another disappointment for Lance Stroll, who has looked more and more disinterested whenever he has been in front of the media lately. The F1 Australian GP weekend has in general, been a strong one for the driver, as he has had the legs on Alonso only to fall off in qualifying.