The Austrian Grand Prix had been dominated by Mercedes since it returned to the Formula One calendar back in 2014.
But last year saw that run come to a disastrous end as both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas both retired due to mechanical issues, which opened the door for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to claim the win at the Red Bull Ring.
But Mercedes and Hamilton will enter this year’s race in absolutely dominant form, and the Briton will once again be a heavy favourite to make it five wins in a row as per the Austrian Grand Prix 2019 odds.
Talking Points
Mercedes aim to avoid repeat of 2018
Last year’s Austrian Grand Prix was nothing short of a catastrophe for Mercedes. They had both drivers starting in the first row as Bottas claimed pole with Hamilton in P2.
Bottas had a poor start which saw him cede the lead to Hamilton. And on lap 14, Bottas retired due to a gearbox failure which was originally caused by hydraulic problems.
Meanwhile, Hamilton lost the lead due to an error in pit strategy and eventually had to retire due to fuel pressure problem.
It was only Mercedes’ third double retirement since returning to F1 as a constructor in 2010 and Hamilton’s first non-finish since the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix.
With that track record of reliability, it’s likely that double retirement was merely a freak occurrence. Nevertheless, Mercedes will be extra-motivated to avoid a repeat of that horrific result this weekend.
Hamilton will also be keen to put the memories of the worst race he can remember for a long time behind him, which is by coming up some Austrian Grand Prix 2019 highlights en route to yet another dominant win.
Who will rise up and challenge Hamilton?
After his win in France, Hamilton has now built up a 36-point lead atop the drivers’ standings through eight races and is well on his way toward a sixth world championship.
Obviously, Hamilton deserves a ton of credit for his incredible dominance. However, it’s also an indictment on the other drivers and their teams that none have been able to mount any sort of challenge.
His team-mate Bottas started the season out strong but has lost steam in recent races. While he finished second in France, he was well off the pace and finished 18 seconds behind the Brit.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has failed to show the type of form befitting a four-time world champion. Just when he was building up some momentum, he was a disastrous seventh in qualifying in France and fifth in the race.
Vettel’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc has shown signs of life recently, but it remains to be seen how long that will last. And despite some strong performances, Red Bull’s Verstappen has been unable to break through into the top two places all season.
Even with a new engine upgrade in France, Verstappen couldn’t even crack the podium as he finished fourth.
Ferrari are apparently expecting better performances at upcoming races, but given how disappointing they’ve been thus far, we’ll need to see it to believe it.
History
Mercedes have a strong history in Austria, and it’s not entirely because of Hamilton. While Mercedes have won four of the five Austrian GPs since its return in 2014, Hamilton has only one of them. Nico Rosberg won the first two races in 2014-15, and Bottas got the chequered flag in 2017.
If Hamilton does get his second-ever win in Austria, it’ll also be his fifth win in a row, which would tie his career-best set back in 2014.
Meanwhile, Vettel is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He’s currently on a career-worst run of 16 grand prix in a row without a win.
What are the odds?
SBOBET odds have Hamilton as the overwhelming favourite to win in Austria. The reigning champion is priced at a mere 1.60 to grab the chequered flag, while his team-mate Bottas is closest to him at 4.00. The Ferraris of Vettel and Leclerc are right behind at 6.00 and 7.00, respectively.
Those numbers say it all. At this moment in time, there just doesn’t seem to be any stopping Hamilton, who looks head and shoulders ahead of his competition.
At some point, his amazing run of consecutive wins has to come to an end. But with Mercedes’ history at this track, it seems unlikely that Hamilton’s streak will come to a halt in Austria.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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