2024 F1 Austrian GP: Preview and Predictions

The 2024 F1 Austrian GP will have a return to the sprint format. A sprint race in the middle of a triple header is something that's going to draw a groan or two from the drivers.

Having said that, looking at the competition in front of us when it comes to the last few races, the top 4 teams have a bigger axe to grind. The race in Barcelona turned heads, and it showed that now there are as many as four teams that could win a race heading into the weekend.

Max Verstappen has won 3 of the last 4 races, but that has not just been a result of the car being fast, there's a lot of excellence involved as well. The Red Bull driver is facing an increasing level of challenge with every passing race from McLaren and Lando Norris.

Ferrari and Mercedes are also not too far behind either and can become a factor in races. With that being said, what can we expect from the F1 Austrian GP? Let's take a look.

2024 F1 Austrian GP: Preview

Key Storylines

#1 The pecking order

The last two races have shown the difference between the top 4 teams to be around two to three-tenths over a lap. That gap is nothing, and it is going to come down even more for the F1 Austrian GP, where the overall lap time is much lower (around 64-65 seconds compared to 75-76 seconds in Barcelona).

Will we once again have McLaren on top? Or will it be Ferrari or Red Bull? Or we have Mercedes taking a shot at it. The best part about F1 is going into a race weekend not knowing who is going to be ahead, and that's precisely what makes the sport great right now.

#2 Lando Norris 'bottling' race wins

After Lando Norris lost the race in Barcelona, there are claims from fans and pundits that the driver has now cost himself multiple race wins. For the Spanish GP, that might be true, but it's not true in general.

More importantly, fans are forgetting that this is Lando's first foray into consistently fighting for wins. Every race, he learns a little more and gains more experience. Max Verstappen knows that as well, and hence we might be looking at another battle in the F1 Austrian GP.

#3 Ferrari driver infighting

Charles Leclerc had a rare moment of agitation against his teammate Carlos Sainz after the F1 Spanish GP. The war of words flew from both sides, but what became apparent was that tensions were on the rise.

This is not the first time this weekend that Charles has been unimpressed by Sainz's on-track antics. He pointed them out in China as well. While Fred tried to calm things down in the media, he had a challenge on his hands if the duo continued to lock horns.

Form guide

On Form

Recent form does suggest that McLaren has the fastest car on the grid. Since the upgrade in Miami, Lando Norris has been right up there fighting for wins regularly. The next race is in Red Bull's den in Austria, and it will be interesting to see how the car works around the track.

Out of Form

87 points compared to 150 for your teammate is a woeful reading for Oscar Piastri. These are the numbers you expect from a number two driver, and that is something no one expected Oscar to have after his junior career or his rookie season.

The Australian will be slowly starting to feel pressure because he's starting to fall back quite a bit from Lando Norris, and that's something that's just not ideal. The F1 Austrian GP is the first weekend where the Australian tries to claw back some of the advantage.

2024 F1 Austrian GP: Predictions

Who will win the race?

The race is in Red Bull's den, arguably Max Verstappen's favorite hunting ground. He's been winning the F1 Austrian GP much before he started dominating the sport. Having said that, what was telling was Max Verstappen singling out tire degradation as one area that could work against Red Bull in Austria.

McLaren has aced that aspect of the car, and we're backing Lando Norris to bounce back and beat the Dutch driver at one of his stomping grounds.

Surprise of the weekend (Team)

Ferrari was 4th best in Barcelona, and that was a major blow for the team. Having said that, there's one area where the car tends to work, and it is out of traction zones and on the straights.

The power unit grunt and the team's straight-line speed mean the car would be competitive here. Expect the team to be a thorn in the side of both Red Bull and McLaren at the F1 Austrian GP.

Surprise of the weekend (Driver)

Charles Leclerc has steam coming out of his ears after the F1 Spanish GP. He was visibly angry at his teammate Carlos Sainz, and the Spaniard's comments about Leclerc complaining all the time are certainly not going to make things better. Charles has been impressive at the F1 Austrian GP.

He won the race two years ago and has racked up some impressive podiums. We're backing him to be a contender for the podium this weekend.

Disappointment of the weekend (Team)

Alpine surprised a lot of people in Barcelona, where the car was the best of the rest. Coming into the F1 Austrian GP, the team will be hoping for a strong result. The problem, however, is the Renault power unit.

The top speed of the car is the slowest on the track and can get exposed in the F1 Austrian GP. Expect the team to struggle this weekend.

Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)

Sergio Perez has never done well at the F1 Austrian GP. He comes here this weekend on the back of a run that has exposed him as a weakling in Red Bull. When that happens, what one needs is the ability to bounce back and beat his teammate.

Perez is fighting a losing battle on that front, and he knows it. Expect the driver to have another disappointing run this weekend.