Austrian Grand Prix - track guide, start time, weather, how to watch, prediction

Two weeks aft Lewis Hamilton's memorable triumph successful Barcelona, Formula 1 heads to Spielberg for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix astatine the Red Bull Ring. 

Kimi Antonelli inactive tops the drivers' championship, though his pb was reduced to 41 points pursuing Hamilton's archetypal triumph for Ferrari

Race Preview

Hamilton eyeing rubric charge

Hamilton is starting to imagination of mounting a superior rubric propulsion aft pursuing back-to-back second-place finishes with a long-awaited triumph successful Barcelona.

Ferrari's determination to opt for 3 pit stops and a nicely timed information car enactment Hamilton successful archetypal place, earlier the British operator proved wherefore helium is simply a seven-time satellite champion arsenic helium raced distant from the tract to triumph by a adjacent 20-second margin. 

After celebrating his archetypal Grand Prix triumph successful red, Hamilton volition privation to proceed to physique the momentum successful Austria, though helium has not stood connected the podium present since finishing successful 3rd spot successful 2022. 

In fact, Hamilton has lone ever won the Austrian Grand Prix connected 1 erstwhile occasion, backmost successful 2016 erstwhile helium collided with his teammate Nico Rosberg connected the past lap. 

Leclerc, Antonelli looking to bounce back

Meanwhile, Leclerc is 42 points down Hamilton aft failing to decorativeness the past 2 races.

The Monagasque operator crashed retired successful Monaco, earlier a hydraulic contented brought his Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix to a premature end. 

Antonelli besides failed to prime up immoderate points successful Barcelona aft helium suffered a terminal powerfulness unit-related contented conscionable moments aft overtaking his Mercedes teammate, George Russell.

Crucially for Antonelli, helium inactive boasts a steadfast pb successful the drivers' championship, though helium volition privation to debar different pointless play and a repetition of past year's Austrian GP, which saw him clang into Verstappen connected the archetypal lap. 

Mercedes volition beryllium keen to robust retired the reliability issues that are threatening to hamper their season, portion Russell volition beryllium hopeless to get the amended of his teammate connected way arsenic helium bids to physique upon his 2nd spot successful Barcelona.

Big play for Red Bull

Red Bull person brought a important upgrade bundle to the team's location race, arsenic they bid to adjacent the spread to Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. 

There is simply a consciousness that Red Bull's performances successful Austria and the upcoming races earlier the summertime interruption could power Verstappen's determination arsenic to whether helium continues with the squad oregon looks for a caller situation for 2027. 

The Dutchman is historically a beardown performer astir the Red Bull Ring, but it would beryllium a astonishment to spot Red Bull situation for the win, adjacent with a raft of upgrades. 

Track Guide - Red Bull Ring

First authoritative F1 Grand Prix: 1970

Circuit Length: 4.318km

Number of laps: 71

Lap record: Kimi Raikkonen 1:06.957 (2018)

Most contention wins: Max Verstappen (4)

The Red Bull Ring held its archetypal F1 contention successful 1970 earlier it spent 10 years disconnected the calendar until its instrumentality arsenic a redesigned, modernised circuit successful the precocious 1990s. 

The circuit spent much clip disconnected the calendar from 2004 to 2013 earlier it returned to the satellite of Formula 1 successful 2014, erstwhile Nico Rosberg claimed the archetypal of back-to-back victories astatine this venue.

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas continued Mercedes occurrence successful Austria implicit the adjacent 2 years earlier Verstappen enjoyed a play of domination with 4 wins successful six years astatine this venue. 

The past 2 editions of the Austrian GP person been productive for British drivers, with George Russell coming retired connected apical successful 2024 earlier Lando Norris got the amended of his teammate successful past year's Grand Prix.

Focusing connected Sunday's Grand Prix, determination volition beryllium 4 designated Straight Mode Zones, 1 on the start/finish straight, past 1 betwixt turns 1 and 3, different from crook 3 and 4 and the last 1 betwixt turns 8 and nine. 

Meanwhile, the detection constituent for Overtake Mode is situated conscionable earlier the last corner. 

Austrian GP schedule

What clip does qualifying commencement for the Austrian GP?

Qualifying volition commencement astatine 4pm section clip and 3pm for UK viewers.

What clip does the Austrian GP start?

Lights retired for Sunday's Grand Prix volition instrumentality spot astatine 3pm section time, making it a 2pm commencement for F1 fans watching from the UK. 

Austrian Grand Prix upwind forecast

Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, has declared the Austrian GP a heat-hazard race, thing that occurs astatine immoderate lawsuit wherever the somesthesia is forecast to exceed 31°C anytime the cars are connected track.

As a result, the drivers tin usage a cooling kit that is fitted connected a fireproof apical worn nether their overalls.

Any operator who decides not to usage the strategy indispensable transportation 5kg of ballast successful their car to forestall immoderate competitory advantage. 

Saturday

As per the F1 website, the ambient somesthesia could scope a precocious of 32°C for Saturday's qualifying session. The way somesthesia could deed 52°C, portion the maximum upwind velocity is apt to beryllium astir 25.2 km/h. 

Sunday

Like Saturday, determination is simply a 0% accidental of rainfall for Sunday's race. The aerial somesthesia is forecast to hit 32°C, and the way somesthesia is apt to beryllium 53°C. As for the winds, expect immoderate gusts to reach 27 km/h. 

How to ticker the Austrian GP successful the UK

TV

Sky customers with the applicable bundle volition beryllium capable to ticker Sunday's Grand Prix connected the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1 channels.

Sky customers with the required bundle volition beryllium capable to ticker Sunday's contention connected Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1.

Streaming

Sunday's contention volition besides beryllium disposable to ticker connected the Sky Sports app and Sky Go. Meanwhile, non-Sky customers tin acquisition a NOW TV pass, which offers the flexibility to motion up for unlimited entree oregon a time pass. 

Highlights

Race highlights volition beryllium disposable connected the Sky Sports F1 YouTube transmission and the Sky Sports app.  

Channel 4 volition besides amusement highlights of the contention from 6.30pm connected Sunday evening. 

We say: Antonelli to win

Ferrari struggled successful Friday's 2 signifier sessions, starring to the content that Mercedes could get backmost to winning ways connected Sunday. 

Antonelli has often shown greater earthy gait than Russell this season, and barring immoderate reliability issues, we deliberation the Italian operator could clinch his seventh Grand Prix triumph of the season.