An exciting weekend in Austria last year saw Williams beat Mercedes to pole position. With some upgrades this weekend, Williams will be hoping to challenge the dominant Mercedes team this weekend. The circuit is called the Red Bull Ring, however the Red Bull team could face grid penalties this weekend for engine changes which may mean their drivers could start at the back of the grid.
Another team facing penalties could be McLaren, with Alonso potentially receiving up to 20 places worth of grid penalties also for changing parts of the engine.
Mercedes could also face some competition from Ferrari this weekend who are hoping to make a step forward in performance after a disappointing weekend in Canada. A chance of rain over the weekend could mix up the field as well.
Mercedes
A brilliant result in Canada last round puts Mercedes even further ahead in the championship. They will be going into the weekend optimistic but also realise the threat from Ferrari and Williams this weekend. Last year they had a bad qualifying session, with Hamilton starting back in 9th. They managed to fight the Williams in the race to take victory but will be hoping to improve their qualifying performance this year. With a high likelihood of rain, this could be another factor they will need to take into account.
Ferrari
In Spain, Ferrari brought some upgrades to their car, but were unable to maximise their performance. Then, in Canada, a poor qualifying for them meant we were unable to see the true potential of the car. This weekend, they are hoping to be able to fight the Mercedes drivers for the win.
Williams
Claiming pole here last year, the team had a brilliant weekend in Austria. They are hoping to have another great race this year and be able to challenge near the front. A circuit highly suited to their car means they are optimistic of their chances. Rob Smedley said:
“It’s a circuit that is very rewarding for power and drag and we know that our car is strong in these areas, so we’re confident,”
The team have also brought some significant upgrades to the weekend which will hopefully help improve their performance.
Red Bull
With a chance of their drivers receiving grid penalties this weekend, Red Bull are not expecting a good race. The circuit features long straights, not at all suited to their car with the power deficit of the Renault power unit. Despite this, Ricciardo is still looking forward to the race:
“It’s short, there aren’t a lot of corners – but the corners that there are good; there are a couple of proper quick turns and plenty to catch you out. It’s a fast track. You can have a good scrap as well.”
Toro Rosso
This is the first circuit so far this year which Verstappen has actually raced at before. He enjoys the track and knows it quite well, which will certainly help this weekend. However, it’s unlikely that they will get good results here, suffering from the lack of power from the engine.
Force India
A strong race here last year for Force India saw Perez lead the race at one point. He finished in 6th and Huldenberg was 9th. However, this year this is less likely to happen as a tough start to this year means they will be happy to score points.
Sauber
Both drivers are looking forward to the race this weekend and are hoping they can make the most of their car’s performance. The track is very similar to Canada, where the team struggled for pace. They will try and improve on that pace this weekend, the rain expected over the weekend could also help them.
Lotus
The team had one of their strongest performances of the year in Canada and could have done better if Grosjean had avoided colliding with Will Stevens. They should be able to finish in the top ten in Austria, a similar circuit to Montreal.
McLaren
Last race was a disaster for McLaren after both cars failed to finish the race. The circuit will be tricky for the team as it requires high power for the long straights. Alonso could potentially face big penalties, with Honda planning to make changes to the engine to improve reliability. After failing to finish the last 3 races, Alonso could have another disappointing weekend here in Austria with the risk of a 20-place grid penalty for the engine changes.
Manor
After brilliant reliability all season, Canada was the first race where Manor saw a car drop out of the race. The team have made small performance improvements in the last few races but are not expecting any amazing results this weekend.