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 advised us not simply the story of 1 singular race, however moderately your entire 2024 Components 1 season.

A yr in the past in Barcelona, Max Verstappen cruised to a 24-second victory forward of Lewis Hamilton, and the power of the RB19 was evident within the closing phases of that race. After being given repeated warnings for exceeding monitor limits, Verstappen had such a bonus on the monitor that he felt assured sufficient to publish the quickest lap of the race within the closing phases, prompting one other legendary request from his race engineer, Gianpietro Lambiase. “Okay,” quipped the engineer generally known as GP, “now are you able to carry it residence inside the white traces?”

Final Sunday in Barcelona was a a lot completely different story. Verstappen wanted to overhaul George Russell — after the Mercedes driver’s gorgeous 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 closing act of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, the McLaren driver not solely bought that down to 2 seconds within the closing laps, however he felt that he had the quickest automotive, and will have received.

F1 this season is a complete new ballgame.

Groups like McLaren, Ferrari, and maybe even Mercedes have closed the hole to Purple Bull, placing the defending Constructors’ Champions — and Verstappen himself — below stress. After all, placing Purple Bull and Verstappen below stress 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, heading off the sphere for an additional victory.

However will that be the case this weekend in Austria?

Talking on Sunday evening following the Miami Grand Prix Ferrari Group Principal Frederic Vasseur advised the assembled media, together with SB Nation, that groups have been now in a position to put some stress on Purple Bull on the entrance, which might be a “recreation changer” for the season.

“What’s true is that in comparison with one yr in the past after we are in a position to do a great job and to place all the pieces collectively, we’re there, it implies that we’re placing [Red Bull] somewhat bit below stress. They must take to be a bit extra aggressive with the technique,” began Vasseur in Miami.

“They aren’t anymore within the consolation zone of final yr when final yr 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 possibility 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 combat with them each single weekend.”

That combat continues this weekend, and is one in every of many storylines to look at.

Have race organizers actually solved the monitor limits difficulty?

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

“Observe limits exceed.”

Think about these numbers from final yr:

Throughout qualifying alone, 47 laps have been deleted on account of “exceeding monitor limits,” leading to a shaken-up subject and plenty of indignant drivers, groups, and followers. Then within the Grand Prix itself numerous drivers have been hit with penalties for exceeding monitor 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. An extra 12 penalties have been handed out to eight drivers, and race officers famous that they nonetheless have been unable to evaluate all 1,200 potential incidents of exceeding monitor limits.

These numbers prompted not simply drivers, however outstanding 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 automotive so that you’re simply purely doing it on really feel and the circuit invitations you to go there,” stated Purple Bull Group 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 yr to maybe add extra of a deterrent for the drivers to be drawn onto that a part of the circuit.”

Now, evidently that deterrent has been added.

As was reported by Race Followers final yr the FIA requested race organizers to put in gravel traps on the circuit, specializing in Turns 9 and 10. “In an effort to deal with the problem for future occasions we are going to renew our suggestion to the circuit so as to add a gravel lure on the exit of turns 9 and 10,” stated a spokesperson from FIA to RaceFans final season. “We notice that whereas this isn’t an easy answer in relation to different sequence that race right here, it has proved to be very efficient at different corners and circuits with comparable points.”

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

Will these gravel traps clear up the problem? That is likely to be troublesome to perform, given the scale of Purple Bull Ring. Measuring in at simply over 4.3 kilometers and with solely ten corners, the circuit is likely one of the smallest on the calendar. Whereas each millisecond counts in F1, that’s very true in Austria, significantly in qualifying. Think about what Logan Sargeant advised me about monitor limits earlier this season:

“Yeah, those that drive me loopy are the, ‘[j]ust hold it on [the track]’ like after we’re speaking about monitor limits,” stated Sargeant. “And then you definately take a look at Bahrain and first by twentieth in Q1 is roofed by eight tenths.

“Particularly once you’re on the again finish of that [lap], attempting to make it by Q1 and also you’re at all times on the cusp. Think about, , leaving a little bit of time on the desk can shuffle you down two or three positions for those who’re too secure after which once you add the tires overheating by the lap, the wind gusting and altering all through the lap. Even simply having a slight slipstream from the automotive had fully adjustments the nook,” added Sargeant. “You already know, I believe a lot extra goes into finishing rather a lot than individuals notice and in addition having the ability to hold it inside the white traces and nonetheless getting essentially the most out of it. It’s much more complicated than simply, , ‘hold it inside the white traces.’

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

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

Are we witnessing a Mercedes bounceback?

Picture by Clive Rose/Getty Photographs

A yr 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 yr in the past, when a fourth-place end from Norris banked 12 factors for the crew.

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

Are we seeing one thing comparable from Mercedes?

The Silver Arrows bought out to a sluggish begin of their very own this season, however have definitely proven progress in current weeks. A sequence of upgrades the crew started to roll out again in Miami have delivered improved efficiency on the monitor, and the crew is coming off their two greatest race weekends of the yr. In Montreal, they captured their first pole place of the season, due to a robust efficiency from George Russell, and Russell’s P3 gave the crew their first Grand Prix podium of the yr, 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 definitely come to Brackley, in addition to maybe the subsequent 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 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 discuss of a real title combat was on.

Ideas of a title combat stay, however Ferrari has not helped themselves in current weeks. A disastrous Canadian Grand Prix for the crew noticed the crew go away 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 appears to be like like in graphic kind, due to our associates at Formula1Points:

In case you are itemizing groups within the subject that want a bounce-back efficiency in Austria, Ferrari would possibly simply prime the listing.

What in regards to the again of the pack?

Returning to our associates at Formula1Points, for those who take a look at the standings in the back of the F1 subject you would possibly see one thing fascinating:

Alpine? We owe you an apology, we have been probably not acquainted with your recreation.

Okay, so maybe apologies aren’t so as, however it’s definitely 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 Group 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 entering into Austria? Can VCARB ship a bounce-back efficiency of their very own? Will Sauber lastly break by with factors? What about Haas and Williams, can they shock the sphere 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 the paddock in addition to your entire F1 world that an announcement on the place Sainz would land for 2025 was imminent. Even drivers similar to Kevin Magnussen, who’s dealing with 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 not too long ago joined Alpine as an advisor and reportedly made a last-ditch effort to woo Sainz to the French crew for subsequent season.

These talks seemingly 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 might lastly hear from Sainz on the place his F1 story can be written subsequent.

Watch this house.