Mercedes’ bounceback amongst key F1 Austrian Grand Prix storylines

As has been argued right here and elsewhere, Lando Norris’ frustration following his second-place end in final weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix instructed us not simply the story of 1 singular race, however quite your complete 2024 Formulation 1 season.

A 12 months in the past in Barcelona, Max Verstappen cruised to a 24-second victory forward of Lewis Hamilton, and the power of the RB19 was evident within the closing phases of that race. After being given repeated warnings for exceeding observe limits, Verstappen had such a bonus on the observe that he felt assured sufficient to submit the quickest lap of the race within the closing phases, prompting one other legendary request from his race engineer, Gianpietro Lambiase. “Okay,” quipped the engineer generally known as GP, “now are you able to carry it house throughout the white traces?”

Final Sunday in Barcelona was a a lot totally different story. Verstappen wanted to overhaul George Russell — after the Mercedes driver’s gorgeous double overtake on the opening lap — to get into the lead. And whereas the Pink Bull champion loved an eight-second benefit over Norris within the remaining act of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, the McLaren driver not solely received that down to 2 seconds within the closing laps, however he felt that he had the quickest automobile, and may have received.

F1 this season is a complete new ballgame.

Groups like McLaren, Ferrari, and maybe even Mercedes have closed the hole to Pink Bull, placing the defending Constructors’ Champions — and Verstappen himself — beneath strain. In fact, placing Pink Bull and Verstappen beneath strain is one factor, however getting that well-oiled machine to crack beneath stress is one other. On a Sunday in Barcelona, Pink Bull answered that decision, heading off the sector for one more victory.

However will that be the case this weekend in Austria?

Talking on Sunday evening following the Miami Grand Prix Ferrari Workforce Principal Frederic Vasseur instructed the assembled media, together with SB Nation, that groups had been now capable of put some strain on Pink Bull on the entrance, which could possibly be a “recreation changer” for the season.

“What’s true is that in comparison with one 12 months in the past once we are capable of do job and to place every thing collectively, we’re there, it signifies that we’re placing [Red Bull] somewhat bit beneath strain. They must take to be a bit extra aggressive with the technique,” began Vasseur in Miami.

“They don’t seem to be anymore within the consolation zone of final 12 months when final 12 months that doesn’t matter what’s occurred after lap two, they had been in entrance and it’s, I believe it’s a recreation changer within the administration of the race,” added Vasseur.

“And this, it’s a chance for us as a result of that if we’re doing one other small step, I believe that we are going to be actually able to combat with them each single weekend.”

That combat continues this weekend, and is one in every of many storylines to look at.

Have race organizers actually solved the observe limits concern?

F1 followers will recall the three commonest phrases used in the course of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.

“Monitor limits exceed.”

Take into account these numbers from final 12 months:

Throughout qualifying alone, 47 laps had been deleted because of “exceeding observe limits,” leading to a shaken-up subject and many indignant drivers, groups, and followers. Then within the Grand Prix itself a lot of drivers had been hit with penalties for exceeding observe limits, and it even led to a post-race protest from Aston Martin, inquiring whether or not all the suitable penalties had been levied.

That protest was upheld, and much more drivers had been hit with penalties hours after the race concluded. An extra 12 penalties had been handed out to eight drivers, and race officers famous that they nonetheless had been unable to assessment all 1,200 potential incidents of exceeding observe limits.

These numbers prompted not simply drivers, however outstanding figures throughout the sport to surprise if modifications wanted to be made on the Pink Bull Ring. “The issue is it’s very tough for the drivers as a result of they’ll’t see the white line from the automobile so that you’re simply purely doing it on really feel and the circuit invitations you to go there,” mentioned Pink Bull Workforce Principal Christian Horner, talking earlier than the post-race penalties had been introduced final season. “So I believe that it’s one thing that must be checked out for subsequent 12 months to maybe add extra of a deterrent for the drivers to be drawn onto that a part of the circuit.”

Now, plainly that deterrent has been added.

As was reported by Race Followers final 12 months the FIA requested race organizers to put in gravel traps on the circuit, specializing in Turns 9 and 10. “As a way to tackle the problem for future occasions we’ll renew our advice to the circuit so as to add a gravel lure on the exit of turns 9 and 10,” mentioned a spokesperson from FIA to RaceFans final season. “We word that whereas this isn’t an easy answer in relation to different collection that race right here, it has proved to be very efficient at different corners and circuits with related points.”

On Tuesday pictures surfaced of latest gravel traps on the circuit, certainly within the neighborhood of Flip 10:

Will these gravel traps resolve the problem? That could be tough to perform, given the scale of Pink Bull Ring. Measuring in at simply over 4.3 kilometers and with solely ten corners, the circuit is without doubt one of the smallest on the calendar. Whereas each millisecond counts in F1, that’s very true in Austria, significantly in qualifying. Take into account what Logan Sargeant instructed me about observe limits earlier this season:

“Yeah, those that drive me loopy are the, ‘[j]ust hold it on [the track]’ like once we’re speaking about observe limits,” mentioned Sargeant. “And then you definately have a look at Bahrain and first via twentieth in Q1 is roofed by eight tenths.

“Particularly once you’re on the again finish of that [lap], making an attempt to make it via Q1 and also you’re at all times on the cusp. Think about, , leaving a little bit of time on the desk can shuffle you down two or three positions for those who’re too protected after which once you add the tires overheating via the lap, the wind gusting and altering all through the lap. Even simply having a slight slipstream from the automobile had utterly modifications the nook,” added Sargeant. “You realize, I believe a lot extra goes into finishing loads than individuals understand and in addition with the ability to hold it throughout the white traces and nonetheless getting essentially the most out of it. It’s much more complicated than simply, , ‘hold it throughout the white traces.’

“There’s, there’s so many variables and, I believe individuals neglect that loads.”

The presence of the traps would possibly assist, however count on to listen to these three phrases typically this weekend.

Are we witnessing a Mercedes bounceback?

Picture by Clive Rose/Getty Photographs

A 12 months in the past McLaren delivered a shocking turnaround, rocketing up the standings following a dismal begin to the season. In some ways, that turnaround started in Austria a 12 months in the past, when a fourth-place end from Norris banked 12 factors for the group.

They entered the Austrian Grand Prix final 12 months with 17 factors to their identify, tallied all through eight race weekends.

Are we seeing one thing related from Mercedes?

The Silver Arrows received out to a sluggish begin of their very own this season, however have actually proven progress in latest weeks. A collection of upgrades the group started to roll out again in Miami have delivered improved efficiency on the observe, and the group is coming off their two greatest race weekends of the 12 months. In Montreal, they captured their first pole place of the season, due to a powerful efficiency from George Russell, and Russell’s P3 gave the group their first Grand Prix podium of the 12 months, to go along with a P4 from Lewis Hamilton. (Hamilton notched a podium along with his P2 within the F1 Dash Race on the Chinese language Grand Prix again in April).

Final week in Barcelona, the group loved one other sturdy weekend, locking out the second row in each qualifying and the Grand Prix, with Hamilton ending third and Russell fourth.

Progress has actually come to Brackley, in addition to maybe the following nice F1 meme above. However can they hold this momentum rolling within the Austrian hills?

Frustration at Ferrari

On the opposite finish of the spectrum, we discover the Scuderia.

Again on the finish of Could Ferrari was on a roll. Charles Leclerc lastly broke via with a win in his house race, capturing the Monaco Grand Prix. Add in a P3 from teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. — and solely eight factors for Pink Bull on the weekend due to a DNF from Sergio Pérez and a P6 from Verstappen — and Ferrari moved 32 factors nearer to Pink Bull atop the Constructors’ Championship standings.

Because the grid shifted to Montreal the Scuderia trailed Pink Bull by simply 24 factors, and the discuss of a real title combat was on.

Ideas of a title combat stay, however Ferrari has not helped themselves in latest weeks. A disastrous Canadian Grand Prix for the group noticed the group go away Montreal with none factors to indicate for his or her efforts, and with Leclerc ending fifth in Barcelona, and Sainz sixth, they’ve seen Pink Bull draw back from them a bit within the standings. Presently, Ferrari sits 60 factors behind Pink Bull, the hole having greater than doubled in latest weeks.

And whereas Ferrari would like to look forward, McLaren is now simply 33 factors behind them, having minimize their 68-point deficit to Ferrari following the Monaco Grand Prix by over half.

Right here’s what that motion appears to be like like in graphic type, due to our mates at Formula1Points:

In case you are itemizing groups within the subject that want a bounce-back efficiency in Austria, Ferrari would possibly simply high the listing.

What concerning the again of the pack?

Returning to our mates at Formula1Points, for those who have a look at the standings behind the F1 subject you would possibly see one thing fascinating:

Alpine? We owe you an apology, we had been not likely accustomed to your recreation.

Okay, so maybe apologies usually are not so as, however it’s actually noteworthy that the group backmarker group having essentially the most success over the previous two race weekends is the French-based outfit. Whereas Visa Money App RB F1 Workforce managed to go away Montreal with 4 factors due to an eighth-place end from Daniel Ricciardo, back-to-back double-points outcomes from Alpine has seen them add six factors to their account, versus the 4 from VCARB.

Which has seen Alpine climb to seventh within the Constructors’ Championship standings.

Can Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly hold Alpine’s momentum getting in Austria? Can VCARB ship a bounce-back efficiency of their very own? Will Sauber lastly break via with factors? What about Haas and Williams, can they shock the sector within the Austrian hills?

Driver information?

Right here is one final storyline because the grid heads to Pink Bull Ring.

Is that this the week we lastly — mercifully? — hear information about Carlos Sainz’s future?

Rumors flew via the paddock in addition to your complete F1 world that an announcement on the place Sainz would land for 2025 was imminent. Even drivers akin to Kevin Magnussen, who’s dealing with his personal unsure F1 future, pointed to Sainz because the “cork within the bottle” concerning the 2025 driver market. However a wrench was thrown into these plans within the type of Flavio Briatore, who not too long ago joined Alpine as an advisor and reportedly made a last-ditch effort to woo Sainz to the French group for subsequent season.

These talks probably bore little fruit, given yesterday’s information that each Mick Schumacher and Jack Doohan had been set to check for Alpine within the coming days, that means that we could lastly hear from Sainz on the place his F1 story will likely be written subsequent.

Watch this area.