June 29, 2023
As F1 travels back across the Atlantic, we are getting ready for the Austrian Grand Prix. This race is always one of my favorites. Set in the Styrian Alps, the track is surrounded by some of the most breathtaking views of the season. Maybe Fernando Alonso will be taking them in when he gets bored on Sunday’s race! Here is everything you need to know for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix:
Weekend Schedule (in EST):
Practice 1: Friday 6/30, 7:30-8:30 AM
Qualifying: Friday 6/30, 11:00-12:00 AM-PM
Sprint Shootout: Saturday 7/1, 6:00-6:44 AM
Sprint: Saturday 7/1, 11:00-12:00 AM
Race: Sunday 7/2, 7:30 AM
This weekend features the second Sprint race of the season. 2023’s new and “improved” sprint format means we only have one practice session before the weekend of racing begins. Any team bringing upgrades this weekend will be at a significant disadvantage as they only have one hour to test and determine their set-up before Parc Ferme conditions are assumed. After Practice, Qualifying for Sunday’s Race will take place and then Saturday is all about the Sprint, where points are awarded to the Top 8 finishers. Even though the Sprint format does give us more racing, I think it is quite useless.
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Red Bull Ring |
With a track named the Red Bull Ring, the Austrian Grand Prix is one of Red Bull’s two home races. We can expect to see a sea of orange in the stands as fans show their support for Max Verstappen. The whale shaped Red Bull Ring is a short track with 10 corners and 3 straights. Its elevation changes mean that finding the right set-up is quite the dilemma. Uphill right-handers at the beginning of the lap require more power and low drag, while the second half requires high downforce to control the car through a series of quick, downhill corners. Teams will have to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their car and choose a set-up accordingly.
The volatile nature of Austrian weather always plays a major role in the race. This year, rain is predicted for every day of the race weekend and temperatures are expected to be cool, as usual. Let’s hope this spices things up and prevents the continuation of the Great Stalemate.
Canada showed us that Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Ferrari are all closing in on Red Bull’s performance. While the rainy and cold conditions didn’t particularly suit the Red Bull, the track was not expected to suit the Mercedes either. Yet, Max Verstappen’s typical 20 second lead was shortened to 10 seconds as the other top teams debuted their upgraded cars. The other teams may not be anywhere near threatening Verstappen’s race dominance, but they could get there within the next few races. And if Sergio Perez stays in his weird mid-season slump, Red Bull might have to start worrying about the Constructors Championship.
Ferrari was given some hope after their P4 and P5 finish in Montreal. The Italian team is entering Austria with the intention of verifying the progress they saw in Canada and testing a few new parts. Could we be witnessing Ferrari actually getting their act together?
Williams also had a wonderful weekend in Canada. Although Logan Sargeant retired from the race, Alex Albon – in his upgraded FW45 – managed to pick up some points in P7. The team is expected to fit Sargeant’s car with the upgrades this weekend, so let’s hope this upward trajectory can continue and both cars end up in the points.
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This iconic Lando moment happened at the Austrian Grand Prix |
Following a difficult start to the season, McLaren has a huge upgrades package planned for the next three races. These upgrades are supposed to fix the car’s apparent lack of race pace. Right now, the McLaren seems to have impressive Qualifying/raw pace, but it just can’t endure the stresses of a whole race. Hopefully these upgrades can give my papaya team the boost they need to do well in Austria. Lando Norris has podiumed twice and never finished lower than P6 at the Austrian Grand Prix, so I think it is safe to say Lando knows what he’s doing at the Red Bull Ring.
Austria has a possibility of being interesting. With the field closer than it was before and a track with many overtaking opportunities, we could see an end to the Great Stalemate. Who knows, maybe we’ll get another DRS train led by Alex Albon in his Williams on 50-lap old tires. I wouldn't mind watching that again.
I will be back to complain about Sprint race!
Happy Race Weekend!
- Divya
Where I got these
from: