This weekend F1 heads to the Red Bull Ring, set among the picturesque hills of Spielberg, Austria for the 33rd Austrian Grand Prix. At 2,170 feet above sea level, the Red Bull Ring is second only to Mexico in elevation of circuits F1 visits. The 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.

Normally Red Bull is jubilant to come home to their namesake circuit; however, Mercedes utter domination has rather squashed hopes they might win at home. Still, the team will hope their Newey-designed chassis, new Honda engine, and a bit of luck will deliver them a podium. Toro Rosso has had a chassis which has performed respectably among midfield teams so one car in the points should be a lock and two isn’t out of the question.

Elsewhere on the grid, six years into the V6 turbo hybrid era one might think other teams would’ve caught up to Mercedes but that couldn’t be farther from the case in 2019 as the silver arrows must be favored to win unless bad luck befalls them. Being a circuit that depends more on downforce than outright power, Ferrari could be in for a tough weekend unless some good luck befalls them in which case a podium would be possble. Who will be best-of-the-rest? Surprisingly, based on recent performances, that could be McLaren! Expect Renault to put up a strong fight for those same honors. From there it’s anyone’s guess whether Haas can finally get the tires to work and unlock the speed we know their car has. Expect them to be fighting a Racing Point and an Alfa Romeo. Unfortunately, Williams’ woes won’t wane anytime soon.

US TV Times

Practice 1 – Friday, June 28, 4:55 AM – ESPN2
Practice 2 – Friday, June 28, 8:55 AM – ESPNU
Practice 3 – Saturday, June 29, 5:55 AM – ESPN2
Qualifying – Saturday, June 29, 8:55 AM – ESPN3
Pit Lane Live – Sunday, June 30, 7:30 AM – ESPN3
On The Grid – Sunday, June 30, 8:30 – ESPN2
Race – Sunday, June 30, 9:05 AM – ESPN2
Race (re-air) – Sunday, June 30, 7:00 PM – ESPNEWS
Race (re-air) – Sunday, June 30, 10:00 PM – 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*: 1’06.957 (Kimi Raikkonen, 2018)
Fastest lap: 1’03.130 (Valtteri Bottas, 2018)
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 (C2), Medium (C3), Soft (C4) (2018: Hard, Medium, Soft)

*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources: FIA , Williams, Mercedes

2018 Results

Race:
Laps: 71
Pole: Valtteri Bottas, 1:03.130
Fast race lap: Kimi Raikkonen, 1:06.957
Podium:
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari

Current Standings

Drivers
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 187
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 151
3. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 111
4. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 100
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 87
6. Pierre Gasly, Red Bull, 37
7. Carlos Sainz, McLaren, 26
8. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing, 19
9. Daniel Ricciardo, Renault, 16
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, 16
Constructors
1. Mercedes, 338
2. Ferrari, 198
3. Red Bull, 137
4. McLaren, 40
5. Renault, 32
6. Racing Point, 19
7. Alfa Romeo Racing, 19
8. Toro Rosso, 17
9. Haas, 16
10. Williams, 0