Formula 1 heads straight to Austria’s Red Bull Ring for the second instalment of the championship’s first Triple Header, so don your lederhosen, ring that cow bell and eat that schnitzel, as Motorsport Week previews an event at which Mercedes has been unbeaten since its return.
History
Austria joined the calendar in 1964 at an airbase circuit in Zeltweg, a year after a non-championship event was held, but the race was unpopular, and swiftly dropped.
For 1970, a purpose-built circuit, named the Osterreichring and constructed at Spielberg, not far from Zeltweg, was used, and it remained on the calendar through 1987.
The Austrian Grand Prix returned to the schedule in 1997, using a truncated version of the old layout, but with several characteristics retained, under the A1 Ring banner.
That comeback proved relatively short-lived as the final race was held in 2003, after which the circuit fell into disrepair, before it was rescued by a local energy drinks company called Red Bull.
After a few years several series began competing once more at the updated and refined venue and in 2014 the Austrian Grand Prix re-joined the roster, easing itself back into the European calendar.
Circuit
The Red Bull Ring is a shadow of the ferociously fast and sweeping bends that constituted the Osterreichring, but it is a challenging little circuit nestled in the Styrian Alps.
It (officially) has only 10 corners and the quick lap times – last year’s pole position was in the 1:04s – means any minor mistake is magnified.
The lap begins with a climb uphill to the medium-speed blind right-hand kink at Turn 1, which leads drivers onto a straight that gradually veers left, ascending rapidly to the sharp right bend at Turn 3.
Another ‘straight’ follows on the run to Turn 4 – another right-hander – before the circuit descends and opens up through the medium-speed double left-handers at Turn 4 and 5.
The track switches right as drivers crest the brow of a hill prior to plunging downhill for the medium-speed right-hander at Turn 9, which immediately leads into the final turn – a sharp right-hand kink where the camber means cars can bottom out and easily get sucked into the run-off.
“Austria is a short lap, but a very busy one,” says Daniel Ricciardo, again representing Red Bull on its home turf.
“It’s pretty hectic, the middle and last sectors are really fast, in fact the final two corners are my favourite, especially in the current cars. The race is intense and feels high paced from start to finish so you have to concentrate hard.
“As the lap is so short there is no room for error, one little mistake will cost you, as all the times are very close.”
What happened in 2017?
Valtteri Bottas controlled much of the race after an inch-perfect getaway from pole position to secure the second victory of his Formula 1 career – though the differing performance level of certain cars on certain compounds allowed Sebastian Vettel to apply pressure in the final laps, the duo crossing the line split by just six-tenths.
Daniel Ricciardo gave Red Bull a podium on home soil by keeping Lewis Hamilton at bay, with the Briton having recovered some positions after a gearbox-inflicted grid penalty.
Bottas’ win maintained Mercedes’ strong record on the home ground of rivals Red Bull, after wins for Nico Rosberg (2014, 15) and Hamilton (16), with the team cheekily hanging its three-pointed star on the imposing Bull sculpture after the first of those victories.
Bottas and Hamilton are the only Austrian Grand Prix victors on the current grid, with Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen leaving empty-handed during their 2001-03 experience of the A1-Ring.
Hamilton has twice taken pole position at the event (2015, 16), with Bottas heading qualifying last season.
Other details
Tyre supplier Pirelli has nominated the Ultrasoft (purple), Supersoft (red) and Soft (yellow) tyres for this weekend’s event.
Either the Supersoft or Soft tyres must be run for one stint of the 71-lap Grand Prix, should dry conditions prevail.
There will be three DRS zones, one each along the pit straight, between Turns 1 and 3, and between Turns 3 and 4.
Formula 2 and the GP3 Series will again race alongside Formula 1, with each category set for two races – one on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The event also marks the 200th Grand Prix for Force India since its takeover of the Spyker squad for 2008.
Robert Kubica will be back in action, driving for Williams in the first practice session.
Weather forecast
Friday: Thunderstorms, 21°c
Saturday: Sunny spells, 21°c
Sunday: Sunny, 20°c
Timetable: (GMT+2)
Friday 29 June
FP1: 11:00 – 12:30
FP2: 15:00 – 16:30
Saturday 30 June
FP3: 12:00 – 13:00
Qualifying: 15:00 – 16:00
Sunday 1 July
Race: 15:10 (71 laps or two hours)
What next?
Silverstone will host the 10th round of the season, the British Grand Prix, from July 6 to 8.