MAX IS BACK - 2025 Austin GP Recap | The Red Flags Podcast

·1 hr 8 min·5 clips

If Max Verstappen pulls off this comeback, he shoots up into the greatest of all time conversation.

This episode recaps the 2025 Austin Grand Prix and the intensifying championship battle, hosted by Brian and Gunter of The Red Flags Podcast. The hosts are exhausted from their live Vanker Hours show in Austin and dive straight into the weekend's events. They analyze the dramatic shift in the championship, where Max Verstappen's recent surge has reopened a contest many considered over. Max Verstappen gained 23 points on Oscar Piastri and 15 points on Lando Norris during the Austin weekend, including the sprint race. The hosts note BetMGM odds now favor Verstappen, a stark change from mid-season when Helmut Marko suggested Verstappen had lost focus. They compare McLaren's current position to a student having a college acceptance rescinded for getting C's, or a football team playing "prevent defense" and losing a lead. Red Bull has continued developing its car while McLaren has reportedly stopped, closing the performance gap. The discussion speculates Red Bull's push might indicate they believe their 2026 engine will be uncompetitive. A Verstappen comeback would elevate his status in the "greatest of all time" conversation alongside Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. The hosts argue a 2025 title would be more impressive than Verstappen's dominant 2022 and 2023 championships, comparing it to Fernando Alonso's near-miss in 2012. They dissect Lewis Hamilton's career, noting his tough 2007 rookie battle with Alonso and his 2016 loss to Nico Rosberg, whom they rate at a similar level to current drivers like Lando Norris or George Russell. Oscar Piastri is seen as potentially cracking under pressure, with recent mistakes in Baku and the Austin sprint race crash cited as evidence. A vivid analogy is drawn: Norris is like "Dirk Diggler," naturally ready to perform, while Piastri needs extensive "foreplay" with practice sessions and data to excel. The limited track time of sprint weekends is presented as a specific disadvantage for Piastri. The conversation acknowledges Verstappen still needs luck, requiring wins in all remaining races while hoping McLaren drivers take points from each other. They revisit earlier season incidents—a crash with George Russell in Barcelona and being taken out by Kimi Antonelli in Austria—that now cost Verstappen crucial points. The tone is highly conversational, irreverent, and filled with sports and pop-culture analogies, reflecting the hosts' "raw" and hungover post-event state. Formula 1 fans deeply invested in the 2025 championship narrative and who enjoy unfiltered, opinionated analysis will love this episode. Listeners who prefer formal, reserved commentary or are sensitive to crude humor might want to skip it.

As heard by us

A raw Austin recap that keeps Max Verstappen's title charge alive.

The episode opens in a rough, hungover register and stays there as it moves through the sprint race, the boys bumping into each other, and the live show at the Paramount Theater.

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Why you'd press play

Want a raw Austin recap with live-show hangover, sprint chaos, and real title-fight nerves?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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