#F1 Qatar Airways #AustrianGP 2024 Preview.
Formula 1 Rolex Austrian Grand Prix 2023 Race Start, Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria. Image credit to Mark Thompson/Getty Images. 2024 Austrian GP Preview, F1 Austrian GP Preview, 2024 F1 Austrian GP Preview, Austrian Grand Prix Preview, 2024 Formula 1 Austrian GP Preview.
After Max Verstappen survived a late push by Lando Norris to score victory at the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya, round 11 of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the Red Bull Ring this weekend in Spielberg, Austria for the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Austrian Grand Prix 2024. This will be the 37th running of the Austrian Grand Prix as a round of the Formula One World Championship since the sport began in 1950. This weekend also features the third Sprint Race Format weekend of the year. This is also the second race of a triple header of Grands Prix weekends with the Spanish GP and British GP.
2024 Austrian GP Preview – A look at the Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring (Formerly A1-Ring) is a permanent racing facility in Spielberg, Styria, Austria.
The race circuit was founded as Österreichring and hosted the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from 1970 to 1987. It was later shortened, rebuilt and renamed the A1-Ring, it hosted the Austrian Grand Prix again from 1997 to 2003. When Formula One outgrew the circuit, a plan was drawn up to extend the layout. Parts of the circuit, including the pits and main grandstand, were demolished, but construction work was stopped, and the circuit remained unusable for a few years before it was purchased by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz and rebuilt. It was renamed the Red Bull Ring, and the track was reopened on 15 May 2011 and hosted a round of the 2011 DTM Season and a round of the 2011 F2 Championship.
The old Österreichring was often referred to as being located at Zeltweg, which is bigger and better known. However, the circuit was only modified and never relocated.
In addition, the one-off 1964 Austrian Grand Prix was held at Zeltweg Airfield, so the name was already known.
The Red Bull Ring is a medium downforce circuit featuring fast straights and slow and medium-speed corners with historically just the first three taken in low gear. As such, lap times were low with sub-1:10s lap. Average speeds were high, with the 2003 race seeing Michael Schumacher win with an average speed of 213km/h.
The circuit runs in a clockwise direction and is 4.318km (2.683 miles) in length with ten corners.
The race distance is 306.452km with 71 laps in total.
Carlos Sainz holds the fastest lap record of the circuit set at the 2020 event with a 1:05.619 in his McLaren Racing-Renault MCL35.
Three-time World Champion Max Verstappen holds the record for most wins in Austria with four to his name.
Ferrari is the most successful constructor in Austria with seven victories to their name.
2024 Austrian GP Preview – Onboard Pole Lap of the Red Bull Ring
Here is the onboard pole position lap of the Red Bull Ring from last year’s event set by Max Verstappen in his Red Bull Racing RB19 RBPT-Honda. The Dutchman posted a solid 1:04.391, which you can watch right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wbGOfp7GYg
2024 Austrian GP Preview – The Last Five Winners
2023: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 2022: Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari. 2021: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 2020: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1. 2019: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing.
2024 Austrian GP Preview – Tyres
Pirelli will be bringing to Austria this weekend the softest tyres in its range, the white side-walled C3 Hards, the yellow-branded C4 Mediums and the red-marked C5 Soft rubber along with the green-marked Intermediates and blue-branded Full Wet compounds in-case of rain.
2024 Austrian GP Preview – DRS Zones
There will be three DRS Zones at the Red Bull Ring. The first zone detection point is 160 metres before turn one, with the activation point 102 metres after turn one. The second zone’s detection point is 40 metres before turn three with the activation point 100 metres after turn three. The final DRS zone’s detection point is 151 metres before turn ten with the activation point 106 metres after turn ten.
2024 Austrian GP Preview – Pitlane Speed Limits
Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.
ICYMI: Verstappen survives Norris threat to win Spanish GP
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen increased his championship lead to take his 61st-career victory after withstanding a charging McLaren of Lando Norris who crossed the line second as Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton came home third.
When the 66 lap Spanish GP began, pole-sitter Norris got a solid start as then Verstappen grabbed the inside line on the rundown to turn one then Russell swept around the outside of the duo into the first corner to take the lead.
Verstappen also made his way ahead of Norris into turn two.
On the start of lap two, Russell had a 0.437 second lead over Verstappen with Norris third, Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton fourth and the Ferrari pairing of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz completing the top six.
With DRS assistance down the main straight a tour later, Verstappen got into the slipstream of the Mercedes as Russell covered the inside and the former moved to the outside and overtook Russell into turns one and two.
By the beginning of the fourth lap Verstappen was already out of DRS range from second-placed Russell with a 1.1 second gap.
Norris also had DRS assistance on Russell, meanwhile behind them Sainz overtook team-mate Leclerc around the outside into turn one and with the adjustable rear wing activated.
On lap eight, race leader Verstappen’s gap to Russell was at 1.713 seconds as Norris held third, Hamilton fourth, Sainz fifth and Leclerc completing the top six runners.
At the start of lap ten, Verstappen’s lead increased to 2.190 seconds over Russell as further behind them in the battle for eighth Oscar Piastri was right on the rear of Pierre Gasly’s A524 entry.
Also behind them, Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg was keeping Red Bull’s Sergio Perez at bay in the right for tenth.
Tsunoda and Zhou were the first to make their pit-stops for the C2 yellow-marked mediums, which could have forced them into a three-stop strategy.
On the 13th tour, Verstappen’s lead was up to 2.801 seconds over Russell meanwhile further behind them his Red Bull team-mate Perez made his way ahead of Hulkenberg into turn one to grab tenth from the German.
On the 14th lap, both Ocon and Perez pitted for a set of mediums and softs respectively to emerge in 14th and 15th.
Lap 15 saw Verstappen’s lead up to 3.737 seconds over Russell with Norris third, Hamilton fourth, Sainz fifth as Leclerc rounded out the top six.
Meanwhile eighth-placed Gasly stopped from eighth and had a right-rear slow tyre change and dropped to 13th behind team-mate Ocon.
Meanwhile lap 16, both second-placed Russell and fifth-placed Sainz came in for a fresh set of medium rubber and came out in eighth and ninth respectively.
On lap 17, Hamilton pitted from third for his fresh set of the C2’s and emerged in ninth behind home favourite Fernando Alonso.
Sainz made short-work of Alonso as the Briton came out of the pits.
Hamilton then made his way ahead of Alonso out of the exit of turn five.
On the 18th lap, race leader Verstappen pitted for his fresh set of the medium compound and came out in fourth place behind Piastri.
The next tour with DRS assistance in the fight for sixth place, Hamilton got into the slipstream of Sainz’s Ferrari and made a move onto the inside into the first corner as the pairing made slight contract and squeezed past the SF-24 entry into turn two to take the position.
On lap 20, Alonso pitted for his fresh set of the medium tyre to emerge in 15th-place behind the penalty-hit Magnussen.
The order on the 21st lap was as follows, the-yet-to-pit Norris, Leclerc held the top two places as Verstappen made his way in-front of Piastri who then pits on the following tour from fourth.
The Australian put on a fresh set of the mediums and came out in 11th place behind Hulkenberg.
On lap 23, Norris pitted from the lead for his fresh set of the C2 rubber and came out behind Sainz in sixth place.
On lap 25, Leclerc relinquished the lead and was the final driver to pit in the first round of pit-stops and put on his fresh set of the mediums and emerged in seventh place behind Gasly.
Verstappen’s lead on lap 26 was up to 5.703 seconds over Russell with Hamilton third, Sainz fourth and Norris tucked right behind the Ferrari.
And with DRS on the pit-straight on lap 27, Norris moved up the inside of Sainz’s Ferrari and overtook the Spaniard to grab fourth place into turn one and behind them Leclerc likewise past Gasly’s Alpine with the same manoeuvre to climb into sixth.
A tour later Piastri with the slipstream and DRS assistance, made the move on Perez before reaching turn one to move into ninth place.
The 30th lap saw race leader Verstappen’s gap to Russell now at 7.103 seconds with Hamilton third, Norris fourth, Sainz fifth and Leclerc completing the top six as behind them, Piastri and Perez jumped up a place overtaking Ocon.
The battle for third was intensifying as Norris drew ever closer to Hamilton and with DRS assistance on the main-straight on the 32nd lap, the former made the move on the inside and overtook his fellow British-compatriot into the first corner to take the position.
Meanwhile Perez pitted for his fresh set of the medium compounds and came out in 14th place behind Alonso’s AMR24 entry.
On lap 34, Piastri picked off Gasly with DRS assistance on the main-straight to move up into seventh place.
Lap 35, saw Norris with DRS activated on the main straight made a move on second-place Russell into turn one, then the former made the switch-back swept around the Mercedes into the fast turn three right hander.
Russell then hung it out and retook the position into turn four, as Norris then made the switch-back again and finally got the move done on the former into the fast turns six and seven chicane to take second place.
On lap 37, Russell and Sainz both stopped for a set of the more durable harder rubber and came out in seventh and eighth respectively.
A tour later, Russell and Sainz both made their way ahead of Gasly.
On lap 40, Gasly pitted and put his fresh set of the C2 white-branded hards and emerged in tenth.
Out front on the 41st tour, Verstappen’s lead over Norris was sitting at 6.207 seconds with Hamilton third, Leclerc fourth, Piastri fifth, Russell sixth and Sainz seventh as Gasly made an easy move on Zhou on the main-straight to take ninth in the order.
On the 44th lap, Hamilton stopped from fourth to take on a used set of the C3 softer tyre and returned in seventh place behind Sainz.
Race leader Verstappen pitted for his fresh set of the C3 softs and emerged in third place behind Leclerc.
Norris is told over the radio from his team that this is “your chance now” to make the strategy work.
With 20 laps remaining Norris’s gap was at 11.377 seconds over Leclerc with Verstappen third, Russell moving up to fourth passing Piastri whilst Hamilton followed his team-mate’s lead to pass Sainz to jump into sixth place.
On the 47th tour, Piastri pitted for his fresh set of the softer rubber and came out in eighth place behind Perez.
McLaren tell Norris to “box, box” as he pitted on lap 48 for his set of softs and came out just ahead of Russell in second place as Leclerc also pitted for a set of the C3’s and emerged behind team-mate Sainz in sixth.
On lap 50, Verstappen’s lead was at 6.881 seconds over Norris with Russell third, Hamilton closely behind his team-mate in fourth as both Ferrari’s of Sainz and Leclerc fifth and sixth respectively.
Behind them Perez, made his third and final stop for the C3 softs and rejoined in tenth behind Ocon.
A tour later, Perez quickly moved ahead of Ocon to take ninth as Hamilton drew ever closer in the battle for third.
On the 52nd lap, with DRS Hamilton got into the slipstream and made a move around the outside on team-mate Russell into turn one to jump into the final podium place.
On lap 55, Sainz let his soft-tyre-running team-mate Leclerc by at the first corner to chase for third.
With ten laps remaining, Verstappen’s gap was down to 5.161 seconds over Norris with Hamilton third, Russell fourth, Leclerc fifth and Sainz rounding out the top six runners.
Leclerc was told by his team over the radio that he “needs to pick up the pace” in his quest for a podium.
Norris took another seven-tenths out of Verstappen’s lead on the 57th tour as the McLaren was looking rapid, with Piastri recovering well from a poor qualifying although he looked too far back from sixth-placed Sainz.
Lap 60 in the battle for the lead, Norris brought the gap to race leader Verstappen down to 4.8 seconds as he continued to chase down the championship leader.
With five laps left, Verstappen’s lead to Norris was down to 4.204 seconds with Hamilton third, Russell fourth, Leclerc fifth as Sainz completed the top six.
Leclerc was eating into Russell’s gap and on lap 63 was sitting at 2.006 seconds as the battle for fourth was beginning to heat up.
On the penultimate tour, Verstappen’s lead was down to 2.628 as Norris got a touch closer as behind them Leclerc brought the gap to fourth-placed Russell to 1.062 seconds.
On the last tour with DRS assistance, Leclerc had DRS assistance on Russell on the main-straight but was not close enough to the Mercedes.
Verstappen held on to take the Spanish GP victory by 2.219 seconds over Norris who also took the fastest lap bonus point as Hamilton rounded out the top three and a further 17.190 seconds back from the Dutchman.
Russell settled for fourth and in-front of the Ferrari pairing of Leclerc and Sainz who finished fifth and sixth respectively,
Piastri was seventh and ahead of Perez who came eighth in the order as Alpine duo Gasly and Ocon completed the final points places.
Haas’s Hulkenberg finished outside the top ten in 11th place and in-front of Alonso who finished his home Grand Prix 12th and Sauber’s Zhou who ended the race 13th in the order.
The other Aston Martin AMR24 entry of Lance Stroll was 14th and ahead of RB’s Daniel Ricciardo who came 15th and the second C44 of Bottas who settled for 16th.
The second VF-24 entry of Magnussen who placed 17th and in-front Williams’ Alexander Albon who took 18th as RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and the other FW46 of Logan Sargeant brought up the rear.
2024 Austrian GP Preview – The Situation
The 2024 FIA Formula 1 campaign continues with the third Sprint weekend of the year at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian GP.
F1 has delivered some thrilling races recently as Red Bull’s early season advantage had been wiped out and the rest of the pack have caught up.
Championship leader Max Verstappen has a great record at Red Bull’s home circuit, with five at the venue, but McLaren’s Lando Norris has been strong in Spielberg too, clinching his maiden podium at the 2020 event.
Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton scored his first podium of the season last time out in Barcelona as the Silver Arrows appear to have returned to the battle at the front with Ferrari not too far off either.
The gap is expected to be extremely tight at the Red Bull Ring, which is the shortest track on the calendar in terms of lap time on the schedule and there’s the added challenge of a Sprint weekend.
The new 2024 Sprint format continues to give drivers and teams just one hour-long practice session before the action heats up on Friday evening with Sprint Qualifying.
The 100km Sprint Race follows first thing on Saturday morning, then comes Qualifying in the evening to decide the grid for the 71-lap Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Wet weather is on the forecast for the race weekend too, so there’s potential for a dramatic weekend.
Support categories FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 will also be in action at the Red Bull Ring.
Verstappen heads to Spielberg sitting on top of the World Driver’s Championship standings with 219 points, and a 69-point lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris who is second on 150 points whilst Charles Leclerc is a further 71 points off the Dutchman in third on 148 points.
Oracle Red Bull Racing returns to its home circuit on top of the World Constructor’s Championship with 330 points, and a 60-point advantage over nearest rivals Scuderia Ferrari who are second on 270 points, while McLaren Formula 1 Team are a further 93 points behind the Milton Keynes based-outfit in third place on 237 points.
The Formula 1 Qatar Airways Austrian Grand Prix 2024 weekend kicks off Friday June 28 with Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying, followed by the 100km F1 Sprint and Qualifying Saturday June 29 and the 71 lap Austrian Grand Prix Sunday June 30.
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