This weekend F1 heads to the Red Bull Ring, set among the picturesque hills of Spielberg, Austria for the 32nd Austrian Grand Prix. This circuit’s lack of long straights and short overall distance make it somewhat of a wildcard for teams who might struggle at power circuits such as Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Baku City Circuit.
Toro Rosso Honda will be anxious to put the French Grand Prix behind them. If the team gets the chassis setup right, Austria represents an opportunity to exploit the driveability of Honda’s power unit as they continue to optimize the latest spec. If ever a chance existed for a double-points finish for Toro Rosso, this is it, even if one car scoring points is more likely.
Elsewhere on the grid, it appears Mercedes had an answer for Ferrari in France with its new spec. 2.1 engine. Still, it’s hard to tell which of the two front-running teams will have the advantage in Austria. Perhaps the advantage on this circuit will go to Red Bull whose superior chassis should benefit from its layout. From here we can expect Renault and Haas to be splitting positions with the former trialing its long-awaited MGU-K upgrade and the other seeking its first double-points finish. Force India, McLaren, and Sauber will likely split the next six positions. And Williams’ woes won’t wane anytime soon.
US TV Times
Practice 1 – Friday, June 29 5:00 AM – ESPN3
Practice 2 – Friday, June 29 9:00 AM – ESPN3
Practice 3 – Saturday, June 30 6:00 AM – ESPN2
Qualifying – Saturday, June 30 9:00 AM – ESPN2
Race – Sunday, July 1 9:00 AM – ESPN2
Track data
Lap data
Lap length: 4.326km (2.688 miles)
Race laps: 71
Race distance: 307.02km (190.773 miles)
Pole position: Left-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’07.411 (Lewis Hamilton, 2017)
Fastest lap: 1’07.908 (Michael Schumacher, 2003, qualifying one)
Maximum speed: 301.5kph (187.343 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race: Pit straight and second straight
Distance from grid to turn one: 185m
Car performance
Full throttle: 63%
Longest flat-out section: 868m
Downforce level: Low/medium
Fuel use per lap: 1.34kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.056s
Strategy
Tyres: Hard, Medium, Soft (2017: Soft, Supersoft, Ultrasoft)
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2017 Results
Race:
Laps: 71
Pole: Valtteri Bottas, 1:04.251
Fast race lap: Lewis Hamilton, 1:08.411
Podium:
1. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
3. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
Current Standings
Drivers
1. Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari, 145
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 131
3. Daniel Ricciardo, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, 96
4. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 92
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Scuderia Ferrari, 83
6. Max Verstappen, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, 68
7. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1, 34
8. Fernando Alonso, McLaren Renault, 32
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Renault Sport F1, 28
10. Kevin Magnussen, Haas, 27
Constructors
1. Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 237
2. Scuderia Ferrari, 214
3. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, 164
4. Renault Sport F1, 62
5. McLaren Renault, 40
6. Force India, 28
7. Haas, 27
8. Toro Rosso, 19
9. Alfa Romeo Sauber, 13
10. Williams Martini Racing, 4
Reply