(Motorsports news) F1 resumes this weekend in Austria at the Red Bull Ring. Red Bull Ring which has been the home to the Red Bull team would be looking to provide the finest of the races over the years. After a fantastic win in the Canadian GP, Red Bull would be looking to further their lead at their home race in Austria.
Red Bull had success at the Austrian track even before the year 2021 when it started to take over as the dominant force at the head of the grid. In 2018, Max Verstappen prevailed against Mercedes and Ferrari, who were vying for the championship. In 2019, he won thanks to a thrilling struggle with Charles Leclerc.
In 2023, Max Verstappen will almost be able to claim the F1 Austrian GP as his own because it will be Red Bull’s home race and the course will be covered in a sea of orange. He has four victories on this track, and the support he receives here is only matched by that of Zandvoort. This ought to moderate his negative attitude towards the sprint weekend.
The overwhelming favourite for the championship has made it clearly known that he dislikes the sprint format. He would still be thinking about how his most recent defeat occurred on a sprint weekend. He would want to continue the momentum from the previous four races.
Given the low temperatures in Canada and the low downforce configuration, the Aston Martin really came to life. The vehicle was the most competitive with Red Bull it has been all season, and Fernando Alonso even mentioned “challenging for the win.”
Looking back, there were a number of reasons why Red Bull wasn’t as popular in Canada. However, it’s difficult to dispute the fact that the Aston Martin improvement was something special.
The team asserts that it still has plenty to learn about it and will reach its full potential during the course of the 2023 F1 Austrian GP weekend. If so, it would be wise to pay special attention to how the automobile handles in comparison to Red Bull.
The Baku paddock was not overly enthusiastic about the new sprint format. It was possibly thought to be exhaustive by other people as well, with the possible exception of Stefano Domenicali who seemed to enjoy it.
In terms of the second iteration, the likelihood of rain may add some intrigue. But it will be interesting to observe how spectators and competitors respond to the new format and whether or not it turns out to be a worthwhile endeavour.
The F1 Austrian Grand Prix of 2023 takes place at a pivotal time in the season. After Canada, where the grid was as precise as it had been all season, the circus arrives in Austria.
While Aston Martin and Mercedes are currently in a far more competitive position, Ferrari seems to have discovered something quite spectacular in its race pace.
The margin for mistake is substantially narrower on a race weekend with the sprint format that will be affected by rain. When that occurs, the element of uncertainty rises, which may even result in Red Bull’s eight-race winning streak ending in a home race.
At the 2023 F1 Austrian Grand Prix, keep a watch on Aston Martin because the team has high expectations. The team definitely advanced with the overhaul that was brought to Canada. How large was the step? We’ll have to wait and see how the team does before we can answer that.
Positive signals are there, and Austria’s track characteristics are consistent with those in Canada. As the squad rides the optimism this weekend, keep an eye on Aston Martin.
After Canada, Sergio Perez went from being a championship contender in Baku to a driver whose job is in jeopardy. His title challenge has come to a grinding halt in just four races, and even Christian Horner is beginning to wonder why there haven’t been any victories since Canada.
Perez hasn’t embraced the position of a frontrunner as well as some had anticipated. And he would be attempting to follow Max Verstappen as closely as he could in the 2023 F1 Austrian GP with his title challenge all but ended.
Predictions
Max Verstappen is difficult to look past, especially given that we’re talking about Austria. The driver has enjoyed having success on the Red Bull home track.
Even though Red Bull struggled in the race last year and Charles Leclerc won the Grand Prix on Sunday, the challenge this time around doesn’t seem to be as strong.
At the 2023 F1 Austrian GP, Max Verstappen is the favourite to win both the sprint on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
Weekend’s biggest surprise
In recent races, George Russell has lost a little bit of his prominence in Formula One. With the kind of remarks he’s made off the track and his actions on the race, the driver hasn’t exactly put himself in a favourable light. Despite everything, George is still a superb driver—some could even argue a future world champion. We are supporting the Mercedes driver to make a great comeback and serve as a reminder to the rest of the field of how brilliant he is at the 2023 F1 Austrian GP.
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