The Grand Prix of Austria will enter the history books as one of the most tumultuous races of the Formula 1 season 2025, not least due to Max Verstappen’s explosive reaction about the team radio. After a collision with Mercedes-Junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the opening round, which ensured that Verstappen could not leave the race, the Dutchman let his frustrations run free: “I am out, I have gone completely crazy. **** ING IDIOTS.” These words, addressed to his team and possibly to the competition management, reflected the intense emotions of a world champion that was re -confronted with bad luck on the Red Bull Ring.

The race already started with high expectations for Verstappen, which started from seventh position after a disappointing qualification. The Red Bull driver was determined to regain ground, but his race only took a few turns. In turn three, Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old Mercedes-Rookie, tried a daring catch-up action. However, he lost control of his car and hit Verstappen from behind, so that the Red Bull spin and ended up in the gravel bin. The result was an immediate DNF for Verstappen, while Antonelli could continue his race, albeit with a time penalty of ten seconds. The collision led to a wave of controversy, not only because of Verstappen’s eruption, but also by speculation about the intentions behind Antonelli’s maneuver.

Verstappens radio outburst was a rare moment of unfiltered anger of the normally so controlled Dutchman. His words were not only addressed to his team, but also seemed to be an expression of frustration about the race management, which, according to him, was too lax with the punishment for Antonelli. “This is unacceptable,” Verstappen said later in an interview. “I understand that Kimi is a Rookie, but these kinds of mistakes have major consequences. It costs us points in the championship.” The Dutchman lost valuable points due to the incident, as a result of which McLaren driver Lando Norris continued his lead in the rankings after his victory in Austria.

Antonelli himself was quickly with apologies. “It was definitely not my intention to drive Max out of the race,” said the young Italian afterwards. “I went for a hole, but I blocked and lost grip. I’m sorry.” Despite the apologies, the atmosphere remained tense. Some fans and analysts speculated about a possible setup, given that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is interested in Verstappen for 2026. However, these theories were quickly dismissed by both Wolff and Antonelli. “This type of insinuations are absurd,” said Wolff. “Kimi is a talented driver who made a mistake, nothing more.”

The reaction of Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was less genu interests. “We lost a race due to an unnecessary mistake,” he said. “Max has every right to be angry. This type of incidents do not belong in Formula 1.” Horner also pointed to the inconsistency of the race management, which he thought was too mild in punishing Antonelli. The time penalty of ten seconds was seen by many in the Red Bull camp as insufficient, given the impact on Verstappens Race.

The aftermath of the incident has further fueled the speculation about Verstappen’s future at Red Bull. With a contract that runs until 2028, but with alleged escape clauses, rumors about a possible switch to Mercedes continue to come up. Verstappen himself remained vague about this: “I focus on racing, not on contracts. But these types of days don’t make it easier.” His frustration was not only focused on the incident, but also on the wider dynamics of the season, in which Red Bull is struggling with the dominance of McLaren.

While Formula 1 caravan is preparing for the Silverstone Grand Prix, attention remains aimed at Verstappen and his response to these kinds of setbacks. His eruption in Austria showed a human side of the triple world champion, which is under immense pressure to defend his title. For Antonelli, the incident is a hard lesson in his debut season, while Mercedes and Red Bull see their rivalry flaring up. The coming races will show whether this moment will be a turning point in the season, or only one of the many storms in the unpredictable world of Formula 1.