Max Verstappen has recorded back-to-back wins in Canada and Spain to gain some much-needed breathing room in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings, and he will look to further extend his table lead here in the Austrian Grand Prix.
Before Canada and Spain, the Dutchman had a brief stumble in Monaco when he finished outside the podium for only the second time this season, which slightly opened an opportunity for the likes of Ferrari and McLaren to cut the gap.
But given Verstappen’s history at Red Bull Ring, it’ll be more difficult for the Scuderia and the Papayas to catch up. It also doesn’t help that the Silver Arrows are lurking right behind them.
As we look forward to Sunday’s race, learn the latest Austrian Grand Prix 2024 updates here at SBOTOP.
Gloomy mood at Ferrari
Since their one-three finish in Monaco, Ferrari are back to the drawing board after notching poor results in back-to-back races.
The Scuderia experienced the worst possible result in Canada because Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. had a double DNF. Leclerc had to retire in Lap 43 due to an engine failure, while Sainz collided with Valtteri Bottas and Alex Albon on separate occasions.
In Spain, Leclerc and Sainz finished fifth and sixth because their SF-24s were badly outpaced by their rivals. After the race, the two Ferrari drivers were “at odds” with each other because of their early tussle in Lap 3 and the team’s confusing team strategies.
Carlos Sainz Jr. even blurted out that Charles Leclerc tends to complain too much when things don’t go his way, although the Monegasque driver brushed off the comments made by his teammate.
“I’m not worried at all for our relationship going forward. Even in a race where it was a bit more tense, which happened in the past and it may be not the last time, but all the time we’ve managed that by speaking to each other and then it’s all good going forward,” Leclerc said about Sainz.
Because of their recent struggles, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. have dropped to third and fourth in the updated drivers’ standings. McLaren’s Lando Norris has leapfrogged them both after securing two consecutive P2 finishes in Canada and Spain.
Are Mercedes back in the mix?
The Silver Arrows are making a late push in midfield, as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have had better results in Canada and Spain, with back-to-back three-four outcomes.
Russell secured his first podium of the 2024 season in Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (P3), while Hamilton exchanged places with his younger teammate in Catalunya last time out.
By the way, Hamilton’s P3 finish in the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix was his first podium since last year’s Singaporean Grand Prix.
This is an encouraging sign for Mercedes, especially after their lacklustre start to the 2024 campaign. Now that they’re finally getting to grips with the W15, they are reportedly planning to bring in more upgrades to stay competitive in the next few races.
Mercedes still have a long way to go to catch up with McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull, but there’s still enough time remaining to get to the podium in the constructors’ standings with 14 races left.
History
Max Verstappen is the winningest Formula 1 driver here at the Austrian Grand Prix with four wins at Red Bull Ring, including a back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. The three-time Formula 1 champion has also secured three consecutive pole positions for three straight years (2021, 2022, 2023).
Charles Leclerc was the last active driver, not named Max Verstappen, to win the Austrian Grand Prix. He did it in 2022, despite struggling with issues with his car and not starting on pole.
Unfortunately for him, Leclerc has only won one race since then, which was this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Jo Siffert and Alain Prost have three wins apiece, right behind Verstappen, while Ronnie Peterson, Alan Jones, Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, and Valtteri Bottas have two wins each.
What are the odds?
Because of his upturn in form, Max Verstappen is once again favoured by the Austrian Grand Prix 2024 odds to win on Sunday, as the Dutchman is priced at 1.45 compared to 2.13 against any other driver.
Right behind him are Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz Jr. at 1.50, 1.60, and 1.75, respectively. Meanwhile, the Mercedes combo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are valued at 1.87 and 1.95. Furthermore, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez is at 2.28, as he continues to drop further down in the drivers’ standings.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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