Austrian Grand Prix Predictions & Tips

Max Verstappen is one victory away from being the most successful driver at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

The Austrian Grand Prix takes place at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday and Verstappen is currently level with French great Alain Prost with three wins apiece.

Verstappen is the current world champion and leads the overall standings with 181 points thanks to his six victories this season.

Last season, he was involved in an entertaining battle with Lewis Hamilton for the title, which went down to the final lap of the season. Hamilton has not been great this year due to a poor car, but he still shows glimpses of his brilliance.

Hamilton is sixth overall with 93 points but has yet to win a race in 2022. He showed his grit and determination last time out when he finished on the podium in third with Verstappen only managing a seventh-place finish.

It would be great for the sport to see Verstappen and Hamilton battle it out week in week out, so I am praying and hoping that we get to see the best of them in Austria this weekend.

I still expect Verstappen to be quicker than Hamilton, but I am backing for them to both be on the podium at the end of the race for the first time together this season.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc looks to have dropped off the pace in recent weeks, but his team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr is breathing down his neck. Leclerc is third with 138 points, while Sainz is next in line with 127 points.

I am backing Sainz to be on the podium with Verstappen and Hamilton. Sainz has finished on the podium six times this season – with his only victory being in last weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Austrian Grand Prix Predictions & Tips: Circuit Guide

The Austrian Grand Prix has been part of the Formula 1 calendar since 1963 – on and off – and it has taken place at this venue in Spielberg, Styria since 1970. Originally known as the Osterreichring before being renamed the A1-Ring in 1997, this circuit has been known as the Red Bull Ring since it ended a 10-year exile by returning to the Formula 1 schedule in 2014. The circuit has undergone a host of changes over the years, with the biggest coming between 1995 and 1996 when the venue was completely rebuilt due to safety concerns. Fast sweeping corners were replaced by tight bends a long straight was added to provide further opportunities for drivers to overtake. Mercedes have dominated the circuit since the Austrian Grand Prix returned to the calendar, winning five of the eight races since 2014, but only one active Formula 1 driver has won this race on more than one occasion – Max Verstappen thanks to his three wins in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Alain Prost and Verstappen hold the record of the most successful driver in the history of this circuit having both won three races each.

Location: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria
Number Of Laps: 71
Lap Length: 2.683 miles
Lap Record: Max Verstappen, 1min 6.200 seconds (2021)

Austrian Grand Prix Winners