Formula 1 makes its usual jaunt to the Styrian mountains this weekend with the Austrian Grand Prix, at what may be a critical point of the season.
The hills are alive, with the sound of MGH-Usic!
Just as when it looked as if Mercedes were virtually untouchable, Lewis Hamilton entered the chat in Spain, said “hold my castanets” and took a first win for Ferrari, solidifying second place in the Drivers’ Championship, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli losing ground after a mechanical failure towards the end of the race.
Can the picturesque settings of the Red Bull Ring give Hamilton a platform to climb every mountain, or can the Silver Arrows say so long, farewell, auf weidersehn goodbye to the Scuderia’s challenge?*
*We promise we’ll stop the Sound of Music puns now.
Last year, the race proved to be perhaps one of the dullest of the whole season. Antonelli’s torpedoing of Max Verstappen on Lap 1 did not set the tone for a cavalcade of excitement, as the two McLarens sailed off into the distance, with Charles Leclerc and Hamilton some way back in third and fourth.
Oscar Piastri made some pretty bold and risky attempts to overcome teammate Lando Norris’ lead, but the papaya pair avoided each other and the Brit took some much-needed points towards his eventual title-winning haul.
Can Mercedes recover from its Catalan blip?
Despite the feel-good factor emanating from those wearing red just lately [unless you’re Charles Leclerc], the Red Bull Ring is another fast circuit, and Mercedes must arrive there confident of reversing its Catalan blip.
Antonelli has overcome all stern challenges so far, whether it be the anxiety of nailing that first win; the emotional challenge of calming down after his fierce Sprint Race tussle with Russell in Montreal; the general challenge of mastering Monaco. He’s done them all. A first DNF, and a mechanical one at that, will surely be another he can bat away with some Italian nonchalance.
George Russell is the driver who stands to lose the most. He took points of Antonelli by default, but one lap before, he saw himself defeated by his young teammate once again through a bold overtake. His typically consistent and calm driving style has been left wanting just lately, and aren’t many bites of the cherry to stop this particular rot before the summer break.
Toto Wolff has to negotiate the tricky path of his two drivers’ contrasting fortunes, but as well as a bit of deja vu. In Austria last year, Russell revealed in a Sky Sports F1 interview that his Team Principal was eyeing a move for Verstappen. That set the rumour mill churning a bit earlier and a lot faster than usual, and those rumours rumbled along until Verstappen’s commitment to Red Bull, coming well after the summer break. With talk of Verstappen’s contract clauses giving him a way out of the Milton Keynes-based squad should he so wish, might we see Wolff put under more scrutiny?
Then, of course, there’s the other driver in the car with the red prancing horse on the front. Ferrari has moved to quickly shut down any talk of a title challenge after Lewis Hamilton’s spectacular maiden Grand Prix victory in Barcelona. But momentum is building. Other than Antonelli, he has been the in-form driver of 2026, climbing to second in the standings, just 41 points behind the Italian. Austria is a circuit where the seven-time world champion typically performs well, so the SF-26 could provide Hamilton with another opportunity for victory.
One team that badly needs a competitive breakthrough in Austria is McLaren. Famously, the circuit where their season turned around in 2023, this year looks like it could be as challenging as wading through the North Sea in April while a rip tide drags at you. Reliability continues to dog the MCL40, Barcelona, providing the final irrefutable proof that the reigning champions have been cut off from the front runners, with Ferrari now out-developing them. Austria provides an opportunity for a reset, but thoughts of replicating last year’s dominant one-two are a pipedream.
From the midfield to the back – who will show their best?
But what about the battle to be the best of the rest? Alpine won the latest round in Barcelona, splitting both Racing Bulls. But the latter will be targeting this coveted prize in Austria, given the name of the circuit is quite literally named after its parent team. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad have enjoyed competitive performances of late and, on paper, are more likely to score a double haul of points than Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and the inconsistent Franco Colapinto.
Another driver who will be keeping a close eye on Alpine’s progress in Austria is Fernando Alonso. If rumours are to be believed, the Spaniard is seriously considering making the switch for 2027. Given Aston Martin’s malaise shows no signs of abating, he will likely have plenty of time to consider it as he and teammate Lance Stroll spend another race at the back. Aston Martin was a whopping four seconds off the pace in Barcelona, with both cars retiring. One getting to the chequered flag in Austria must be the only realistic target for the Silverstone marque.
All will be revealed next week – but until then, Auf weidersehn!
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