01Homeward bound
There are certain things in F1 that let you know you’ve come to a proper, old-school racetrack. Hillside layout with plenty of elevation changes, fast, sweeping corners named after people and places rather than numbers, the heady bouquet of smoking gear oil mixed with burning sausages, and last, but by no means least, camp sites. Let’s face it, if your track doesn’t have fields full of caravans decked out in racing colours and a full plethora of eurotrance anthems being blasted at deafening volume at 8am, then you can’t call yourself a proper circuit.
Our home circuit has all of these things and more. With a history dating back to F1’s golden age – when it was wild and woolly Österreichring – the Red Bull Ring has heritage in spades. Nestled in an impossibly pretty valley and with panoramic views of the Styrian mountains all around, it’s got one of the most beautiful backdrops in all of motorsport. And with over 100,000 Dutch fans packing caravans into the campsites and turning the grandstands into a sea of orange every year, it also has one of the wildest vibes of any race on the calendar.
And we’ve given those fans plenty to cheer about since the race returned here in 2014 following a decade away from the sport. With four wins, Max has been on the top step at the Austrian Grand Prix more than any other driver. Add in a fifth win, at the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix, and from 12 outings at the Red Bull Ring, Max has won a staggering 42% of the races he’s been involved in at this track and featured on the podium a whopping 66.6.% of the time.
As for Yuki, it’s a place he loves – “I like the food, especially the schnitzel!” – and fuelled by the hearty Styrian cuisine there’s every chance it will mark Yuki’s return to the points.
So, what are the Bulls up against on home soil this time around. Let’s take a look…
02Challenges and Key Factors
Track Limits – The faintly ridiculous extremity of the Red Bull Ring’s track limits issues came in 2023 when the FIA had to deal with 1200 potential infringements in the race. Changes made last year, with the usable kerb area reduced by painted lines and with a gravel strip beyond the kerb providing a natural deterrent largely eradicated the problem, particularly in Turns 9 and 10. However, there are still areas of the track where the limits are hard to find. Turn 6 is a case in point, and in 2024, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri lost his final flying lap and third on the grid when he went over the lines there. Three other drivers – Yuki, Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc – had laps deleted at Turn 6 in qualifying so the risk still exists here.
Tried and trusted tyres – It’s a case of ‘if it ain’t broke’ in Austria, with Pirelli making its usual choice of C3, C4 and C5 compounds for this weekend. The pit lane has been resurfaced for this year, but the track itself is the same as ever and while it is old and abrasive, lateral forces on the tyres across the lap aren’t that high so wear is surprisingly low given the slightly rough nature of the surface. Overheating can be a problem, however, particularly with the rears, so management is a factor.
Strategy – The last three editions of the Austrian Grand Prix have been won on two-stops. Max looked to be on course to turn a medium-hard-medium race into victory, but a slow stop dropped him into a battle with Lando Norris and when they collided George Russell, on a medium-medium-hard race, was gifted the win. Max had a cleaner 2023 event, running a medium-hard-medium race from pole to victory. In 2023, it would almost certainly have been a C4-C3-C3 win, but with a strong gap, race winner Charles and Max in P2 chose to pit under a late VSC for a final set of mediums. Expect two stops again this time.
Weather – If there was a game of F1 commentator word bingo in play this weekend, the term ‘microclimate’ would surely earn a major prize. Usually reserved for the forested hills of Spa-Francorchamps, it’s also frequently rolled out for the foothills of the Styrian mountains – and with good reason. In high summer the temperatures can be ferocious here, storm clouds can roll in quickly and torrential rain can follow. Saturday at the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix is the perfect example, with FP3 cancelled due to rain and qualifying disrupted due to downpours. The current weekend forecast is for 30˚C+ temperatures (which could provoke use of cooling kits) but no rain. That could change though.
03Red Bull Ring: Track Layout & Key Features
Short, sharp and shockingly rapid, the Red Bull Ring has an average lap time of just over a minute and with the action coming thick and fast, there’s very little time for a driver to catch breath over its 10 corners.
The first sector features a quick blast to Turn 1 where a move is possible and then it’s the long climb to Turn 3. The DRS zone on the way up the hill makes T3 a prime overtaking spot but if you guard the inside well enough passing here can be tricky. However, if you’re defending, it can leave you exposed on the following downhill DRS zone to Turn 4 where there’s another hood opportunity to pass. After the sweeping T5 and the arc of T6 you’re into the final sector and the double right-hander at Turns 9 and 10. There’s a final overtaking opportunity under braking on the way down into Turn 10, though the final DRS zone comes straight afterwards.
