It is time for the Austrian Grand Prix, the second race of the primary triple-header of the season, going down as standard on the Spielberg circuit, which sits at virtually 700 metres above sea degree. It is a picturesque location within the Styrian hills and it hosts a loud crowd, eager to indicate its assist for Purple Bull Racing, the one Austrian-licensed staff on the grid, though different groups and drivers are additionally standard and with the monitor’s proximity to Italy, there are many Scuderia Ferrari HP flags waving within the grandstands. This weekend sees the return of the Dash format for the third time this season.
Spielberg is likely one of the shortest tracks on the calendar, at simply 4.318 kilometres in size, with a median lap time of little over a minute. Since 1997, the present configuration has changed the well-known sterreichring, constructed within the Seventies. It now options simply ten corners with three consecutive DRS zones, aimed toward offering loads of passing alternatives within the first two sectors. Overtaking is feasible at flip 1, however often it is higher to attend till the lengthy climb to show 3, profiting from the truth that the drivers must brake uphill after which to utilize the tight angle of the nook to show the automotive and get forward with higher traction going into flip 4, the place there’s then a chance for the automotive behind to counter assault. Braking downhill into the final proper hand flip main onto the start-finish line presents one other overtaking alternative.
The Styrian hillside location signifies that the climate is at all times very unpredictable in Spielberg. It may be sensible sunshine one second adopted by a torrential downpour the following, so drivers and strategists should be ready for any eventuality.
Fred Vasseur, Group Principal: The upgrades launched in Spain labored as anticipated, however clearly our rivals haven’t been twiddling their thumbs, and in the intervening time there are 4 groups all inside lower than three tenths of each other. Now we’ve got Austria, a monitor that takes just a bit over a minute to lap, in order that these aforementioned gaps might turn out to be even smaller. We can be focusing fully on ourselves, as a result of in Spielberg every tiny element could make a distinction. This weekend additionally sees the return of the Dash format, so the work carried out again in Maranello turns into much more important, as there is just one hour of free observe previous to qualifying. Everybody within the staff, together with the drivers, should be on prime of their recreation to make sure we do not miss any alternatives that come our approach. That applies to qualifying, particularly when up in opposition to such sturdy opponents and in addition by way of how we execute the race. I wish to see us step up a gear in Austria.
Ferrari on the Austrian GP
GP contested: 35
Debut: 1964 (L. Bandini 1st; J. Surtees ret.)
Wins: 6 (17,14%)
Pole positions: 8 (22,86%)
Quickest laps: 5 (14,28%)
Podiums: 28 (26,67%)
An evaluation of the primary ten races
The Spanish Grand Prix noticed the variety of races up to now this yr attain double figures, a very good second due to this fact for a short take a look at the season up to now and a comparability with the identical 10 race interval in 2023. It is a indisputable fact that final yr after the summer season break, Scuderia Ferrari HP’s efficiency took an upward flip, producing higher outcomes, a development that has carried over into this yr. A fast take a look at the numbers backs this up. All related knowledge factors are up apart from the variety of pole positions, which stays the identical, at one. Each courtesy of Charles Leclerc, in Baku final yr and in his dwelling race, Monaco, this time.
After ten races final yr, the variety of wins was a fairly unhappy zero. Later within the season, Carlos Sainz would go on to take the staff’s solely victory of the yr in Singapore. As of at the moment, the 2024 tally is 2, courtesy of Sainz in Australia and Leclerc who took that actually memorable and long-awaited dwelling win in Monaco. There’s additionally a major 350% improve within the variety of podium placings, up from 2 to 9.
The apparent impact of the figures above is a a lot greater factors complete than at the moment final yr, a rise of 72% from 157 to 270, with a median per race that is gone from 15.7 to 27. The online results of this determine is that the place on the Constructors’ Championship chart can be higher – fourth final yr, second now for Scuderia Ferrari HP, 60 factors behind Purple Bull Racing, whereas final yr the hole was 254, or 76% extra. It is nonetheless not sufficient, however the begin of the season has lived as much as expectations.
Info & Figures
8. The variety of international locations that border Austria, usually thought-about the nation that sits completely on the centre of Europe. Its neighbours are Germany, with which it shares a 784 kilometre lengthy border, Italy (4330), Hungary (366), the Czech Republic (362), Slovenia (330), Switzerland (164), Slovakia (91) and Liechenstein (35). Solely Russia and Germany have extra neighbours with 14 and 9 respectively.
80. The share of electrical energy generated by renewable power in Austria. Contributing to this determine is the mountainous nature of the nation, with loads of dams, superb for the creation of hydroelectric crops.
1905. The yr through which Austrian Bertha von Suttner grew to become the primary lady to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Born in Prague, then a part of the Austrian Empire, she was a author and activist who travelled the world. She was additionally the second ever lady to win a Nobel prize, the primary being the scientist Marie Curie.
1955. The yr through which Austria gained independence. On the finish of the Second World Battle, following the defeat of the Nazis, Austria was dominated by the Allies up till 1955. It was granted its independence on twenty seventh July that yr, provided that it remained impartial between the western and jap blocs. After the collapse of communism in Jap Europe, Austria grew to become more and more concerned in Europe, becoming a member of the European Union in 1995 and adopting the Euro in 1999.
2353. The variety of kilometres {that a} Ferrari has led the Austrian Grand Prix, equal to 515 laps, greater than some other staff. The Maranello marque has an awesome monitor file in Spielberg. It shares the file for probably the most wins, on six, equal with McLaren, it leads the classification for pole positions on eight, podiums 28 and factors 374.5.
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