As some countries still have COVID-19 restrictions in place the Canadian Grand Prix has been dropped again in favor of back-to-back races at the Red Bull Ring. This will be the 36th and 37th running of the Austrian Grand Prix. Set among the picturesque hills of Spielberg, the Red Bull Ring is second only to Mexico in elevation of circuits the series visits at 2,170 feet above sea level. 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.
Red Bull enter the weekend on an unquestionable high after asserting their dominance in France. The team continues to lead the manufacturer and driver championships and they are finally able to use two-car strategies for the first time in years. Even though they don’t have the best record of success at their home track, look for the team to ride its momentum to a podium finish and likely another win. On the AlphaTauri side look for the usual result which is one car in the points and the other just outside the points.
Elsewhere on the grid, it would be foolish to begin discounting Mercedes as a team who can win anywhere, all of the ingredients are still there despite the championship standings. Following Mercedes look for a battle between McLaren and Ferrari as the nature of this circuit should allow the prancing horse to recover from its poor showing in France. The next team battle to watch will be between Alpine and Aston Martin as both try to use the track to finish ahead of where they normally might. At this point we can expect to see some team cars from the previously mentioned squads. Then look for Williams and and Alfa Romeo to be mixing it up out of the points-paying positions. Bringing up the rear will be the rookie duo at Haas.
US TV SCHEDULE
Formula 1 Steiermark Grand Prix
Practice 1 – Friday, June 25 – 5.25AM – ESPN2
Practice 2 – Friday, June 25 – 8.55AM –
ESPNU
Practice 3 – Saturday, June 26 – 5.55AM – ESPN2
Qualifying – Saturday, June 26 – 8.55AM – ESPN2
Grand Prix Sunday – Sunday, June 27 – 7.30AM –
ESPN
Styrian Grand Prix – Sunday, June 27 – 8.55AM –
ESPN
Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix
Practice 1 – Friday, July 2 – 5.25AM – ESPN2
Practice 2 – Friday, July 2 – 8.55AM –
ESPNU
Practice 3 – Saturday, July 3 – 5.55AM – ESPN2
Qualifying – Saturday, July 3 – 8.55AM – ESPN2
Grand Prix Sunday – Sunday, July 4 – 7.30AM –
ESPN
Styrian Grand Prix – Sunday, July 4 – 8.55AM –
ESPN
CIRCUIT INFORMATION
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*: 1’05.619 (Carlos Sainz, 2020)
Fastest lap: 1’02.939 (Valtteri Bottas, 2020)
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) (2020: Hard (C2), Medium (C3), Soft (C4))
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2020 RESULTS
Race Info.
Laps: 71
Pole: Valtteri Bottas, 1:02.939
Fast race lap: Lando Norris, 1:07.475
Podium:
1. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
2. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
3. Lando Norris, McLaren
Current Standings
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 131
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 119
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull 84
4. Lando Norris McLaren 76
5. Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 59
6. Charles Leclerc Ferrari 52
7. Carlos Sainz Ferrari 42
8. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 37
9. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 34
10. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 30
11. Fernando Alonso Alpine 17
12. Esteban Ocon Alpine 12
13. Lance Stroll Aston Martin 10
14. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 8
15. Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 1
16. Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 1
17. George Russell Williams 0
18. Mick Schumacher Haas 0
19. Nikita Mazepin Haas 0
20. Nicholas Latifi Williams 0
Constructors
1. Red Bull, 215
2. Mercedes, 178
3. McLaren, 110
4. Ferrari, 94
5. AlphaTauri, 45
6. Aston Martin, 40
7. Alpine, 29
8. Alfa Romeo, 2
9. Williams, 0
10. Haas, 0
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