Despite Max Verstappen’s continued dominance with a victory in Spain last weekend, there’s a growing sense that the world champion may no longer be the undisputed favorite heading into race weekends.
Lando Norris, who felt he squandered a victory chance at the start last Sunday, gets another shot this week at one of his favorite tracks. With this being the third sprint round of the year. It could prove pivotal in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships as we approach the mid-point of the season.
Here are the key talking points for the Austrian Grand Prix:
Norris on a Mission
Lando Norris has gone to bed frustrated after the last two grand prix Sundays, feeling that potential victories slipped away. In Canada, a missed pit stop under a Safety Car allowed Verstappen to emerge ahead, and in Spain. Despite beating Verstappen to pole position, Norris couldn’t maintain the lead, finishing second after a strategic battle.
McLaren’s car has shown it can compete with Red Bull, with Norris acknowledging that they probably had the quickest package last weekend. He aims to capitalize on this performance by winning races. And there’s perhaps no better venue than the Red Bull Ring, a track where Norris has always performed well.
“It’s been one of my best tracks in terms of my own competitiveness and my most successful tracks,” Norris said about the Austrian circuit. “Every weekend we go into now, the car’s performing extremely well. We’re always there or thereabouts within a couple of tenths of pole, and that’s all we can ask for.”
Sprint Weekend Number Three
This weekend marks the second round in a triple-header of races, culminating with the British Grand Prix next weekend, and the third sprint round of the year. Following the first two sprint format weekends in China and Miami. This will be the first held at a track that has hosted sprints before. The Red Bull Ring, with its long straights leading to heavy braking zones, naturally encourages overtaking and suits the sprint format well.
In 2022, the sprint race saw Verstappen lead every lap from pole, but last year’s event, influenced by rain, was more eventful, though Verstappen still won comfortably. With the front of the field more competitive this year. The level of intrigue through the Saturday morning sprint should be higher.
Staying Inside the Lines
The Red Bull Ring has been central to Formula 1‘s ongoing struggle with track limits. Despite a zero-tolerance policy introduced by FIA race director Niels Wittich in 2022, penalties have been rampant at this circuit, with numerous drivers penalized for exceeding track limits.
Last year, a post-race protest by Aston Martin led to additional time penalties for eight drivers, with over 100 lap times deleted. To address this, circuit management has introduced a temporary strip of gravel at the exit of turns nine and ten. Providing a more natural deterrent for drivers who run wide. This weekend will test this solution, which could potentially be applied to other circuits on the calendar.
A Mediocre Track for Mercedes?
The Red Bull Ring has not been favorable for Mercedes in recent years. After finishing seventh and eighth in last year’s race, team principal Toto Wolff described it as a “bruising day.” This year, with a new aerodynamic concept, Mercedes hopes for better performance. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin is optimistic, stating, “We need to find more speed to get right to the front. But we are working hard on that and should be able to continue to close that gap with further developments to come.”
Towing Tactics
Although Norris beat Verstappen to pole in Barcelona, Verstappen nearly overtook him with the help of a slipstream from teammate Sergio Perez. At a circuit with many straights like the Red Bull Ring. Teams might use slipstreaming in qualifying to gain an edge. While Perez’s tow to Verstappen was unplanned, teams might attempt to strategically use slipstreaming. Ensuring they don’t impede rivals and risk penalties, especially during the sprint qualifying session on Friday.
No Smoking
The Red Bull Ring has become synonymous with enthusiastic Dutch fans of Verstappen, who light orange flares in the grandstands. However, any flares let off this weekend will violate the event’s terms of entry. As the FIA’s International Sporting Code now prohibits unauthorized possession and use of pyrotechnics at competitions.
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