After making the journey to Canada final outing, Method 1 returns to Europe for Spherical 11 on the calendar, the Austrian Grand Prix.
Free Observe 1 and a couple of will happen on Friday, June 27, adopted by Free Observe 3 and Qualifying on Saturday, June 28, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, June 29.
The Driver’s Verdict
Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Austria is a picturesque circuit, actually undulating, which makes it good to drive and characterful.
You’ve obtained to watch out with the kerbs because it’s very straightforward to get straddling or to recover from some extra abrasive kerbs, which may inflict a bit of injury to your automotive. However past that, it’s a brief and comparatively easy circuit with some hidden technicalities.
Flip 1 is at all times faster than you suppose it’s going to be, however braking is the order of the day for the primary sector. Flip 4, a downhill braking zone, is the best one to mess up – so many drivers find yourself within the gravel there on the exit.
There’s overtaking aplenty in Turns 3 and 4, after which the circulate by means of the second half of the lap is de facto good because it simply comes round so rapidly. It’s one of many quickest on the calendar and it actually feels it on the wheel. You barely get a breath by means of this Grand Prix.
Tyre and technique perception
“The selection of compounds the groups can use is identical as final 12 months’s, specifically C3 as arduous, C4 as medium, and C5 as smooth,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview. “The observe floor on the Crimson Bull Ring is relatively previous and is extremely abrasive, however put on shouldn’t be a key issue.
“With only a few corners, the observe shouldn’t be very extreme when it comes to the lateral forces exerted on the tyres, whereas degradation is especially thermal in origin, which is all the way down to the observe structure with a number of arduous braking and acceleration factors.
“Managing tyre overheating, significantly on the rear axle, is a big problem. Moreover, air and observe temperatures will be fairly excessive presently of 12 months.”
When it comes to technique, the tyre producer provides: “Final 12 months’s race was very linear, a minimum of over the primary two thirds of the race.
“As anticipated, the best technique was a two-stop: those that did three or extra – Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and Logan Sargeant – did so for unexpected circumstances, not by selection. All of the drivers lined up on the grid on medium tyres whereas, ranging from pit lane, Zhou Guanyu went with the arduous.
“The C4 and the C3 have been the undoubted protagonists of this race, with the C5 solely placing in an look on the finish, utilized by Verstappen for the final seven laps after his enforced cease and by Alonso, who was making an attempt for the race quickest lap, which he did certainly set.”
Present type
On paper, the image has not dramatically modified standings-wise within the aftermath of the Canadian Grand Prix; Oscar Piastri continues to go the Drivers’ standings, whereas McLaren have a big lead within the Groups’ Championship.
However a number of speaking factors emerged following the race that have an effect on the battle on the high, together with how the papaya squad will deal with issues going forwards following the dramatic collision that occurred between Piastri and Lando Norris in Montreal.
Norris instantly took the blame for the incident, a response that was appreciated by Team Principal Andrea Stella. However the Briton will need to bounce back this weekend in Austria so as to keep away from dropping additional floor to Piastri within the World Championship.
Mercedes, in the meantime, arrive on the Crimson Bull Ring off the again of their strongest outing of the year in Canada, with George Russell taking pole place and victory. This has put the squad again into P2 of the Groups’ standings after beforehand dropping the place to Ferrari – however can the Scuderia launch a fightback after a tough weekend in Montreal?
Elsewhere, Max Verstappen stays one penalty level away from an automated race suspension – however, after a clean weekend at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, the Crimson Bull driver confirmed that he’s not feeling any further strain from this threat as he continues to carry P3 within the Drivers’ Championship.
When it comes to the midfield battle, Williams nonetheless maintain a transparent edge in fifth place of the Groups’ leaderboard – however the margins are more and more shut behind them, with the hole from Haas in sixth by means of to Kick Sauber in ninth standing at simply eight factors. Can any of those outfits declare a precious place by additional including to their tally this weekend?
Iconic second
It was an already uncommon weekend in Austria again in 1999, which marked the primary race since Michael Schumacher was sidelined by a damaged leg, leaving it as much as Eddie Irvine to steer Ferrari’s cost and take the battle to the McLaren drivers.
Having been comfortably outpaced by Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard in Qualifying, the Northern Irishman was handed a present at Flip 3 when the main pair dramatically collided – Coulthard nudging his team mate into a spin to the dismay of these watching on within the McLaren storage.
From there, it obtained worse for Coulthard, who was reeled in by Irvine and overhauled because the methods unfolded, giving the Ferrari man a lift in his quest for the title and leaving Coulthard to apologise as Hakkinen (that year’s eventual champion) salvaged third.
Watch the drama because it unfolded within the video participant beneath…
