Max Verstappen acknowledged providing a slipstream to rookie driver Gabriel Bortoleto following a disrupted qualifying session at the Austrian Grand Prix on June 28. The Red Bull Racing driver made this gesture after a yellow flag incident thwarted his final flying lap during Q3, offering aerodynamic assistance to the young Sauber driver just as he prepared to start his own timed lap.
Verstappen’s final push was halted due to a sudden spin by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly near the start-finish line. Gasly, attempting a fast lap himself, lost control and spun without hitting anything, but the resulting yellow flags invalidated the flying laps of several competitors, including Verstappen. Recognizing that his lap was compromised, Verstappen chose to aid Bortoleto by creating a slipstream, which eventually helped the rookie achieve his best qualifying result of the season.
Reflecting on the sequence in a post-qualifying interview, Verstappen explained his intentions.
“My lap was already ruined, I saw him behind me, and he has had a really good weekend, so I thought, let me help him a bit,” he said.
—Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing driver
Verstappen’s Struggles and Reaction to Qualifying at the Red Bull Ring
Max Verstappen’s qualifying performance at his team’s home track was below expectations, as he managed only a seventh-place starting position. During the weekend in Spielberg, he experienced persistent handling issues with his Red Bull car that left him off the pace compared to front-runners such as McLaren.
The sudden interruption caused by Gasly’s spin prevented Verstappen from completing his final flying lap, effectively ending his chance to improve his grid position. Following qualifying, Verstappen openly shared the difficulty he faced throughout the session.
“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 find a benchmark. Even with the final lap, of course, I had a yellow so I had to abort. It was still not even close to pole, so that was quite a painful qualifying for us.”
—Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing driver
Verstappen also expressed concerns about race day conditions, anticipating that warmer temperatures might worsen the team’s issues.
“Yeah, but 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. Maybe there will be some surprises in the race,”
—Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing driver
The Impact of Verstappen’s Slipstream Gesture and What Lies Ahead
Despite Verstappen’s personal disappointment, his slipstream gesture proved valuable for rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who delivered his and Sauber’s best qualifying performance of the season by securing eighth place. Verstappen, on the other hand, equaled his joint-worst starting grid position so far in 2025, highlighting the challenges the reigning world champion faces at the Austrian Grand Prix this year.
Max Verstappen remains the most successful driver at the Spielberg circuit, boasting four previous victories. His ability to recover and mount a strong race performance after this uneasy qualifying session will be closely observed on Sunday, particularly given the uncertain conditions and ongoing struggles with car balance. The outcome could play a pivotal role in shaping the championship dynamics as the season progresses.