Formula 1: Austrian Grand Prix
Venue: Red Bull Ring, Austria
Race Date: 4th July 2021
Race Preview
Following another enthralling weekend in Austria, the second successive race at the Red Bull Ring and Max Verstappen is very much the man to beat – currently sitting pretty at the top of the Formula 1 World standings. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes haven’t been able to hit the heights of previous years and they will need a big performance at Red Bull’s Austrian home. Elsewhere, the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez will be looking to keep the pressure on their team mates above them whilst plenty of other teams on the fringes will be looking to find form here in the Austrian sunshine.
Race Winner
The halfway point of the 2021 Formula One season is almost upon us and with plenty of racing still to be done, it promises to be a thrilling battle in Austria:
18 points separate Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ championship and the Dutchman looks set to sustain a serious challenge this season. Red Bull look to have concocted a very quick car and in Verstappen, they look to have one of the best drivers on the grid in their ranks. Back to back wins at the Styrian and French Grand Prix showed real maturity and whilst beating Lewis Hamilton over the course of the season still looks a long way off, another win here in home conditions would strengthen his title bid significantly.
It has been a tough start to the campaign for seven time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, with some errors of his own and some outstanding performances from Verstappen. He will know from years of experience to call upon that this title race is far from over and he will also see this race in Austria as a real chance to put some pressure on Verstappen and Red Bull. He came up short by 30 seconds on the same track last weekend but rarely fails to learn from experiences and he could be a completely different operator here.
Mexican Sergio Perez picked up his first win for Red Bull at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last month and he looks to be getting to grips with life at Red Bull. Verstappen remains the priority for the team, but Perez has shown plenty of promise since his arrival from Racing Point and few would bet against him going well again here. Driving conditions in Austria should also suit Perez, as he looks to strengthen his grip on third place in the Driver’s Championship.
Top Six Finish
2021 presents a golden opportunity to many drivers in Formula One to make a name for themselves and they will all be looking to do that from the outset here at the Austrian Grand Prix:-
McLaren’s Lando Norris is sitting pretty in fifth in the Driver’s Championship, and he could be one to look out for here. Two podium finishes have been a clear sign of progress this year for the young Brit, and he looks good value to finish in the top 6 at the Red Bull Ring this weekend.
Finishing 7th last weekend will be a wakeup call to Charles Leclerc, who has impressed at times – despite not landing a podium as yet this year. Conditions should suit here in Austria, and he looks excellent value to finish in the top 6 this weekend, provided he can avoid trouble on the grid.
Australian Daniel Riccardo has been a pillar of consistency since joining McLaren and he will be looking to turn that into more substantial points on the board. His racing knowhow is amongst the best on the grid, and he will be looking to get involved in the points once again this weekend.
Betxchange.com F1 Austrian Grand Prix Best Bets:
Race Winner: Max Verstappen
Top Six Finish: Charles Leclerc
