Formula 1 Austrian GP Preview

The second race in a double-header sees Formula 1 head to the picturesque Styrian hills for the Austrian Grand Prix.

After the whirlwind British GP, this weekend will find it hard to match last week’s race although the Sprint Race format adds some jeopardy to proceedings.

The first half of the lap features a couple of straights and right-hand turns heading up a hill. The cars with a performance advantage over their competitors will undoubtedly be able to open up a gap and head downhill through a series of fast corners to complete the 4.318km-long lap. We expect Red Bull and Ferrari to once again be at the head of the pack and the reigning world champion is our favourite for the race victory.

The Dutch driver has huge support at the Red Bull Ring circuit and will put last weekend’s issue behind him and push on for a win in both races on Saturday and Sunday.

The Ferraris will look to claim pole position and do their best to keep Verstappen and Sergio Perez at bay. We’ve penned Charles Leclerc to start his season on the pole for the seventh time. The Monegasque driver’s pace over one lap has been superb and he’s able to gain a fast lap time despite being under pressure in qualifying.

Leclerc will hope Ferrari’s strategy Gods are smiling down on him after several strange decisions this season led to him losing out on valuable points. Leclerc is now third in the championship with teammate Carlos Sainz just 11 points in arrears and heads to Austria bouncing off his first race win.

The resurgence of Mercedes will make F1 fans smile after Lewis Hamilton bagged third place at Silverstone. The upgrades seemed to have brought the team close to the top duo. Hamilton admitted the pace still isn’t quite enough for a race win, but they will look to cause problems up front.

Keep an eye on the Haas and Alpine drivers who have been rapid in the last several races, with Mick Schumacher scoring his first points in the sport last weekend for Haas.

Sprint Race: Verstappen, Perez, Russell

Fastest lap: Verstappen

Pole position: Leclerc

First to retire: Yuki Tsunoda

Most Team Points: Red Bull

Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Alpine

Free Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Russell/ Mercedes

Safety Car: Yes

Top 6: Alonso

Top 10: Ocon, Bottas, Magnussen