When the Austrian Grand Prix comes around and the hills are alive with the sound of F1, some drama is pretty much guaranteed, and we got plenty this year.
There were crashes, wheel-to-wheel battles and outcomes that could have big repercussions for the rest of the season up and down the grid. Here are my main takeaways.
Verstappen reaches a crossroads
The biggest moment of the race came at the very start, with Max Verstappen's hopes of winning a fifth title in a row all but ended by a first-lap crash with Kimi Antonelli, and the impact of that crash could reach far beyond this season.
Earlier in the weekend, George Russell and Toto Wolff had both all but confirmed to the press that Mercedes were in talks with Verstappen regarding a move for 2026 and beyond, and ironically, one of their drivers taking the Dutchman out may have moved them closer to pulling off such a move.
While the reigning champion's contract with Red Bull runs until 2028, there's a clause that would allow him to leave sooner. Reports have suggested such a clause will activate if he's outside of the top three in the standings when the summer break comes around, and he could well be now.
Since signing a new deal in 2022, he hasn't really been in a position where he's had to make a decision about his future, with his dominance preventing that release clause from being activated. However, he is in such a position now, and it's a big call to make.
It's widely believed the Mercedes engine will be the best by a long way next season, meaning a move would be his best bet of winning another title as soon as possible. On the flip side, he wouldn't enjoy the luxury of having a team built entirely around him with Antonelli a star in the making, and there's every chance Red Bull's collaboration with Ford will produce the goods in the long run.
What he wants to do could be a moot point with Wolff and Mercedes potentially choosing to keep Russell instead, but with it being a potentially career-defining decision, Verstappen needs to decide what to do if the offer comes his way.
Norris bounces back
While Verstappen dropped out of the title race in Austria, Lando Norris very much stayed in it with a hugely impressive response to his disastrous Canadian Grand Prix.
On Saturday, he made it clear that he'd put his late crash in Montreal behind him with a stunning lap in qualifying, and on Sunday, he did what he's failed to do so many times in the past - hold his nerve when under serious pressure.
Oscar Piastri was breathing down his neck at one point, briefly passing him, and was chasing him down in the closing stages, but Norris defended his lead perfectly throughout. He found pace when he needed it, and unlike in Canada, didn't put a foot wrong when he needed to go wheel to wheel.
Seeing things out was massive for him. Having the win snatched from him after what happened two weeks ago would've left him a fairly long way behind in the standings and dealt a mental blow that would've been tough to recover from. Instead, he now has some confidence, momentum and a 15-point gap to close.
The weekend was also further evidence that Norris is the quicker of the two McLarens and has just been lacking in composure and consistency. The big question now is whether the improvements he showed in those areas in Austria are here to stay.
Exciting signs for the Audi project
At the start of this season, a year out from Audi's entry into F1 in 2026, I struggled to see them becoming much more than a lower-midfield team, given the issues with the Kick Sauber team they'll be taking over. Now, I'm not so sure of that view.
The progress Sauber have made this season has been hugely impressive. They've scored more points in their last three races than they did across the entirety of 2024 and look to have one of the strongest midfield cars right now, having ended last year with the worst on the grid.
Perhaps, such progress shouldn't be a surprise. Mattia Binotto, Jonathan Wheatley and James Key make up a leadership team with a huge amount of pedigree, with the three formerly of Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren respectively, and they look to be making an impact already.
The team also have an exciting and well-balanced driver lineup with veteran Nico Hulkenberg as good as ever and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto looking a big talent in his first points-scoring weekend.
Add in the vast amount of money and resources that Audi have at their disposal, and it's hard not to get a bit excited about the German giant's arrival.
