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Can anyone catch Max Verstappen and Red Bull?
Can anyone catch Max Verstappen and Red Bull?
On any given race weekend, that is certainly a tough question to ponder. It might even be tougher to ponder at this week’s Austrian Grand Prix, given that it is held at Red Bull Ring, the home race for Red Bull.
Still, teams like Ferrari and Mercedes are doing everything they can to close the gap to Verstappen and company, and with this weekend being one of the season’s sprint races, using the new “Sprint Saturday” format, we can expect the unexpected.
Under this format, teams will have just one practice session ahead of Friday’s qualifying session for the Grand Prix itself. Then Saturday is a separate event, with the new “Sprint Shootout” qualifying taking place before the sprint race itself.
In the previous format, the results of the sprint race would determine the starting order for the grand prix. As a results, drivers and teams would be hesitant to take chances in the sprint race, for fear of hampering their chances on Sunday.
Now, with the two kept separate, there is hope for even more risks — and overtakes — in the sprint race.
But today is all about qualifying for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, and we will have you covered all morning long. So check back early and often and follow along as the 20 drivers take their first true cracks at the Red Bull Ring this season. Qualifying for the Grand Prix gets underway at 10:55 a.m. Eastern, so until then check out the storylines for this week, how to watch all the action, and everything else we have for you at our handy F1 hub.
