The Austrian Grand Prix is set to kick off at 6:00 AM UST. The qualifying round at the Red Bull Ring was a tight race, with Max Verstappen leading the pack. Will he maintain his dominance in the race, or will we see a thrilling competition at the front?
On the front row, just like in the Austrian sprint race, we find Lando Norris in his orange McLaren alongside Max Verstappen. Norris is seeking redemption after yesterday’s setback. Will he manage to overtake and stay ahead of the car with start number 1 this time? Or will we see a repeat of the Spanish Grand Prix where George Russell took the lead from P3 right at the start? When two dogs fight over a bone…
Behind them, there’s an intriguing group including both Ferrari drivers, Lewis Hamilton, and Oscar Piastri. The Australian qualified for the third spot, but his time was disqualified, relegating him to P7. McLaren has shown impressive speed all weekend, so he should theoretically be able to quickly climb the ranks.
Tension in the Midfield
At P8, we find Sergio Pérez. Once again, it’s a subpar performance from the Mexican in the qualifiers, so he will be pulling out all the stops to finish higher than his starting position. But the same goes for the drivers in his mirrors: the Haas and Alpine drivers, and Daniel Ricciardo. And what about Yuki Tsunoda at P14? Can we expect another brilliant start from the Japanese driver so that he also mixes in this group?
At the tail of the grid, we find the cars of Williams, Stake F1, and…Aston Martin. The green brigade has slipped to the back of the field and is but a shadow of the successful team from last season. The mood in the brand-new factory in Silverstone must be somewhat subdued by now. Perhaps there is a chance to score a point through some luck and a smart strategy, but that’s all they can hope for today.
