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 informed us not simply the story of 1 singular race, however slightly the whole 2024 System 1 season.

A 12 months in the past in Barcelona, Max Verstappen cruised to a 24-second victory forward of Lewis Hamilton, and the energy of the RB19 was evident within the closing levels 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 put up the quickest lap of the race within the closing levels, prompting one other legendary request from his race engineer, Gianpietro Lambiase. “Okay,” quipped the engineer often known as GP, “now are you able to deliver it residence inside 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 beautiful double overtake on the opening lap — to get into the lead. And whereas the Purple Bull champion loved an eight-second benefit over Norris within the last act of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, the McLaren driver not solely obtained 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 even perhaps Mercedes have closed the hole to Purple Bull, placing the defending Constructors’ Champions — and Verstappen himself — below strain. After all, placing Purple Bull and Verstappen below strain is one factor, however getting that well-oiled machine to crack below stress is one other. On a Sunday in Barcelona, Purple Bull answered that decision, keeping off the sector for an additional victory.

However will that be the case this weekend in Austria?

Talking on Sunday evening following the Miami Grand Prix Ferrari Crew Principal Frederic Vasseur informed the assembled media, together with SB Nation, that groups have been now capable of put some strain on Purple Bull on the entrance, which may very well 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 a very good job and to place all the things collectively, we’re there, it signifies that we’re placing [Red Bull] slightly bit below strain. They need to take to be a bit extra aggressive with the technique,” began Vasseur in Miami.

“They aren’t anymore within the consolation zone of final 12 months when final 12 months that doesn’t matter what’s occurred after lap two, they have 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 battle with them each single weekend.”

That battle continues this weekend, and is considered one of many storylines to look at.

Have race organizers really solved the observe limits situation?

F1 followers will recall the three commonest phrases used through the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.

“Observe limits exceed.”

Take into account these numbers from final 12 months:

Throughout qualifying alone, 47 laps have been deleted as a result of “exceeding observe limits,” leading to a shaken-up area and many indignant drivers, groups, and followers. Then within the Grand Prix itself quite a lot of drivers have 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 have been levied.

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

These numbers prompted not simply drivers, however distinguished figures inside the sport to marvel if adjustments wanted to be made on the Purple Bull Ring. “The issue is it’s very troublesome 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 Purple Bull Crew Principal Christian Horner, talking earlier than the post-race penalties have 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, it appears that evidently 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. “So as to tackle the difficulty for future occasions we’ll renew our advice to the circuit so as to add a gravel entice on the exit of turns 9 and 10,” mentioned a spokesperson from FIA to RaceFans final season. “We observe that whereas this isn’t a simple answer in relation to different sequence that race right here, it has proved to be very efficient at different corners and circuits with related points.”

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

Will these gravel traps clear up the difficulty? That may be troublesome to perform, given the dimensions of Purple Bull Ring. Measuring in at simply over 4.3 kilometers and with solely ten corners, the circuit is among 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 informed 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 definitely take a look at Bahrain and first by way of 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 by way of Q1 and also you’re all the time on the cusp. Think about, you already know, leaving a little bit of time on the desk can shuffle you down two or three positions in case you’re too protected after which once you add the tires overheating by way of the lap, the wind gusting and altering all through the lap. Even simply having a slight slipstream from the automobile had fully adjustments the nook,” added Sargeant. “You understand, I believe a lot extra goes into finishing rather a lot than individuals understand and likewise having the ability to hold it inside the white traces and nonetheless getting essentially the most out of it. It’s much more advanced than simply, you already know, ‘hold it inside the white traces.’

“There’s, there’s so many variables and, I believe individuals overlook that rather a lot.”

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

Are we witnessing a Mercedes bounceback?

Picture by Clive Rose/Getty Pictures

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 crew.

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

Are we seeing one thing related from Mercedes?

The Silver Arrows obtained out to a gradual begin of their very own this season, however have actually proven progress in current weeks. A sequence of upgrades the crew started to roll out again in Miami have delivered improved efficiency on the observe, and the crew is coming off their two finest 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 crew their first Grand Prix podium of the 12 months, to go together with a P4 from Lewis Hamilton. (Hamilton notched a podium together with his P2 within the F1 Dash Race on the Chinese language Grand Prix again in April).

Final week in Barcelona, the crew loved one other robust 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 by way of with a win in his residence race, capturing the Monaco Grand Prix. Add in a P3 from teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. — and solely eight factors for Purple Bull on the weekend due to a DNF from Sergio Pérez and a P6 from Verstappen — and Ferrari moved 32 factors nearer to Purple Bull atop the Constructors’ Championship standings.

Because the grid shifted to Montreal the Scuderia trailed Purple Bull by simply 24 factors, and the speak of a real title battle was on.

Ideas of a title battle stay, however Ferrari has not helped themselves in current weeks. A disastrous Canadian Grand Prix for the crew noticed the crew depart Montreal with none factors to point out for his or her efforts, and with Leclerc ending fifth in Barcelona, and Sainz sixth, they’ve seen Purple Bull draw back from them a bit within the standings. At the moment, Ferrari sits 60 factors behind Purple Bull, the hole having greater than doubled in current 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 seems to be like in graphic kind, due to our pals at Formula1Points:

In case you are itemizing groups within the area 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 pals at Formula1Points, in case you take a look at the standings in the back of the F1 area you would possibly see one thing attention-grabbing:

Alpine? We owe you an apology, we have been not likely aware of your recreation.

Okay, so maybe apologies should not so as, however it’s actually noteworthy that the crew backmarker crew having essentially the most success over the previous two race weekends is the French-based outfit. Whereas Visa Money App RB F1 Crew 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 into Austria? Can VCARB ship a bounce-back efficiency of their very own? Will Sauber lastly break by way of 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 Purple Bull Ring.

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

Rumors flew by way of the paddock in addition to the whole F1 world that an announcement on the place Sainz would land for 2025 was imminent. Even drivers reminiscent of Kevin Magnussen, who’s going through his personal unsure F1 future, pointed to Sainz because the “cork within the bottle” relating to the 2025 driver market. However a wrench was thrown into these plans within the type of Flavio Briatore, who just lately joined Alpine as an advisor and reportedly made a last-ditch effort to woo Sainz to the French crew for subsequent season.

These talks doubtless bore little fruit, given yesterday’s information that each Mick Schumacher and Jack Doohan have 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 shall be written subsequent.

Watch this area.