.jpg)
Austria represents the first of four consecutive double-header events, with the 22-race calendar stepping up a gear to get through its busy summer schedule. The home event for the team's champions, Red Bull Racing, has become happy hunting grounds for them in recent years, although Charles Leclerc is the most recent Austrian victor. Could Ferrari repeat that top-step success in 2023?
You could copy and paste the same paragraphs detailing what to look out for in the race from any of F1's rounds since the Monaco GP! In summary, Max Verstappen looks the likeliest driver to win, but the unpredictable weather could hurt his chances and let any of the chasing teams take advantage.
Of course, there is more going on than that, especially with the season's second Sprint race coming on Saturday to add some spice. The revised format means Qualifying comes on Friday for Sunday's race, while Saturday is a self-enclosed day featuring the shorter race and a shorter qualifying session, AKA Sprint Shootout.
For the race itself, Spielberg's Red Bull Ring is an undulating, relentless, 10-corner rollercoaster that almost always delivers entertainment. The short 2.6-mile layout means lap times come in at just over a minute, and defending drivers can never relax as the next overtaking spot is only a corner or two away.
.jpg)
It's the three softest tyres in Pirelli's arsenal for the Styrian mountains — the same as we saw last time out in Montreal. Tyre degradation meant a two-stop strategy was the best choice in 2022, and we will likely see most drivers visit the pit lane twice on Sunday, should the rain stay away.
In the Sprint Shootout qualifying session, the 10 drivers to reach Q3 must take on the soft tyre compound for the eight-minute blast, while it's the yellow-walled C4 mediums in Q1 and Q2. Should any team struggle or exceed on one compound compared to the other, we might again see another topsy-turvy starting grid with out-of-place cars.
To find out more about our comprehensive range of services, or to book your vehicle in, contact our friendly team of experts today.
.jpg)
Past performance isn't an indicator of future success, but Verstappen has won the last four grands prix and boasts four Spielberg victories — three in the Austrian GP and one Styrian GP triumph. The reigning champion is in dominant form, and only an uncharacteristic error, mechanical gremlins, or rain-induced unpredictability seem the most likely hurdles to stop him from winning again.
Nonetheless, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton weren't as far behind Red Bull in Canada a fortnight ago, and some indications suggest Verstappen's advantage over the chasing pack isn't as vast as it was earlier in the year. Ferrari won here one year ago on a weekend where only a blazing fire for Carlos Sainz stopped what looked likely to be a 1-2 finish for the Italian squad. Could the Scuderia find that form again on Red Bull's home turf to halt the slide back they've suffered in recent rounds?
.jpg)
Formula One returns to its afternoon scheduling for the next six rounds across Europe, with the Grand Prix starting at 2 PM on Sunday. Sprint on Saturday is at 3:30 PM, with Qualifying a Friday affair at 4 PM.
Qualifying – On air: 3:30 PM, Session start: 4 PM Friday 30th June
Sprint – On air: 2:30 PM, Session start: 3:30 PM Saturday 1st July
Race – On air: 12:30 PM, Session start: 2 PM Sunday 1st July
Qualifying/Sprint – 7:30 PM Saturday 1st July
Race – 6:30 PM Sunday 2nd July
Qualifying/Sprint/Race – The Austrian mountains play havoc with any weather forecasts, and it looks to be drier in the mornings before afternoon showers and storms on all three days. Sunday's race day has the lower precipitation forecast percentage (~40%), so tune in for the Sprint for your best bet of wet-weather racing.