Heads up, it’s time for another Grand Prix Preview brought to you by Karting Nation. Last week we saw Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton retain his pole position and win the race outright in southern France ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen who came in second and third, respectively. This puts the Brit 14 points ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel who trails behind in the overall driver standings with 131 points. With the gap at the top too close to keep your eyes off, it’s certainly all to play for in Austria this weekend.
What Time Does The Austrian Grand Prix Start?
Spielberg, Austria has a time difference of +1 hour when compared to BST. So, you can expect this race to start at the later UK time of 2.10pm. This means that you’ll certainly be able to enjoy your Sunday lunch while feasting your eyes on some epic F1 action!
History of The Austrian Grand Prix
This year’s edition of the Austrian Grand Prix will take place on the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, in south-east Austria. This is the second circuit which has been used for the Austrian Grand Prix – the first being the Zeltweg Airfield back in 1964. The Red Bull Ring has been used since 1970, but was formerly known by the names of the Österreichring and the A1-Ring. The Austrian Grand Prix was only recently re-introduced back in 2014 after a serious transformation. This was all thanks to Red Bull, who bought, extended and rebuilt the track – accompanying pits and a grandstand to meet Formula 1 standards.
Consisting of 71 laps overall, the 4.318km circuit is famed for its importance on positioning, as the narrowness of the circuit restricts overtaking. However, the greatest chance to overtake are on the straights, which the Red Bull Ring has an abundance of. Out of the 31 editions of the Austrian Grand Prix over the years, French F1 legend Alain Prost has won the race three times in 1983, 1985 and 1986. McLaren have seen the most wins across the history books at this famous track, with a number of six wins overall. In more recent times, out of the current crop of drivers, only Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have won on this circuit, back in 2016 and 2017.
Who Won The 2017 Austrian Grand Prix?
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas started last year’s race in pole position on the grid. He managed to hang onto first place as he raced across the finishing line with a time of 1:21:48.523. Coming just +0.658 seconds behind in second place was Ferarri’s Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull racer Daniel Ricciardo finished the race in third position with a time of +6.012.
Who Is Likely to Win the Austrian Grand Prix?
This year’s edition of the race in Austria really is up for grabs for anyone to win. But, if we had to predict a winner, it would have to be either Mercedes as they have won here the past four years – with Hamilton and Bottas both claiming victory in the past two. Of course, this winning pattern certainly doesn’t guarantee victory for the world famous team. Rival Sebastian Vettel will be providing some serious competition out there on the track, and we certainly shouldn’t write off Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo just yet.
Final Thoughts
With stunning, picturesque views accompanying some of the best F1 cars and drivers in the world right now, the Austrian Grand Prix is certainly one race you shouldn’t be missing. So, like we always say here at Karting Nation, make sure you tune in so you don’t miss out on all of the action! Whilst the race begins at 2.10pm UK time this Sunday, 1st July, there’s also the practice rounds which start today at 10am BST, followed by qualifying on Saturday 30th June with the action kicking off at 2pm.