Posted on 29th June 2016
As we head to Speilberg for the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend for the ninth race of the 2016 season, Pirelli have selected the Yellow soft and the Red and Purple Supersoft tyres for Formula One's annual visit to the Red Bull Ring, with its stunning mountain setting.
The Spielberg track is probably the closest that Formula One comes to a rally stage: with big changes of elevation and a sequence of fast and twisty corners. The weather in the region can also be quite unpredictable. Although the circuit only returned to the F1 calendar in 2014, it has its roots in the 1969 Osterreichring, which gives the track quite an old-school character that is still in evidence now.
The first two sectors are fast with the final sector being slower and more technical. The circuit tests a wide spectrum of a tyre's ability, in terms of lateral and longitudinal loading. Tyre wear, degradation and temperatures are quite low, which is why we have the softest tyres being selected by Pirelli for the weekend ahead.
Judging the Red Bull Ring's braking points is quite complex, as there are a number of uphill braking areas. The track surface is generally low-grip and low abrasion, as well as being bumpy in places.
Spielberg is the shortest lap of the year with only eight corners, so precision is vital.
We should not fail to mention that the circuit has been completely re-asphalted this year, with the new asphalt having a similar level of abrasion to before. The fresh bitumen may offer a different amount of grip though: it will be measured by Pirelli's engineers on Wednesday before the race.
Here's my facts and figures as well as my predictions heading into the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend-
Facts and Figures:-
•Austria has hosted the first Grand Prix in 1964 at the Zeltweg circuit before being moved to the Osterreichring circuit in 1970 and then to the A1 Ring in 1997.
•Alain Prost is the most successful driver to win the Grand Prix with seven wins.
•McLaren are the most successful constructor to win the Grand Prix with six wins.
•Race distance: 307.146km (190.848 miles)
•Number of turns:8
•Top speed: 315kph
•Lap record: Michael Schumacher- Ferrari (2003)- 1.08.337
Winners from the last 5 Austrian Grand Prix:-
•2001-David Coulthard
•2002- Michael Schumacher
•2003- Michael Schumacher
•2014- Nico Rosberg
•2015- Nico Rosberg
My five things to look out for this weekend:-
1.Tyre performance-With Pirelli bringing a relatively normal tyre choices to Speilberg, all eyes will be upon Pirelli to see if the tyres will spice up the action at the Red Bull Ring this weekend. But it will be interesting to see how that affects tyre usage and strategy during the race especially given the fact that the circuit has been resurfaced. Will this impact anyone's race on Sunday as a result?
2.Safety Cars- With the demands of the Speilberg circuit, there is no room for mistakes or errors especially at Turns 1 and 9. And if that does happen, the Safety Car will be brought out onto the circuit. But will we see the Safety Car making an appearance this weekend?
3.Performance of Alfonso Celis Jr- With Celis Jr replacing Sergio Perez in FP1 this weekend; all eyes will be upon him to see if he can show why he was signed by Force India in the first place. At the moment, he hasn't performed in the manner that was expected of him and many believe his short spell with Force India is ending sooner than we thought. Question is, how will Celis Jr perform on Friday?
4.Performance of Ferrari- With Ferrari at the moment being Mercedes' closest competitor at the moment, all eyes will be upon Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen this weekend to see if they can translate their form they have shown so far this season. Question is; can they win this weekend and take the fight to Mercedes?
5.Performance of the Mercedes team- With Mercedes being the firm favourites heading into the race this weekend, all eyes will be upon them to see if they will still be as competitive as they were last season. But with Ferrari showing good performance and pace in the first few races, has their advantage and stranglehold on the sport been broken?
Sky Sports F1 are showing uninterrupted coverage of every Practice session, Qualifying and race for the Grand Prix (and every race of the season) and Channel Four also are showing coverage, details for both are below:-
Sky Sports F1:- Friday (Practice 1 and 2) 8.45pm and 12.45pm, [Replays throughout Friday], Saturday (Practice 3 and Qualifying) 9.45pm and 12.00pm, [Replays throughout Saturday], Sunday (Race) 1.30pm
Channel Four– Saturday (Qualifying Highlights) 5.30pm, Sunday (Race Highlights) 6pm
Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa
Track representation by www.grahamandleigh.co.uk
