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The F1 circus reaches the Austrian GP this weekend at what is a critical juncture in the championship. With 10 races in the rear-view mirror, there are signs of implosion at Ferrari already, and Max Verstappen, enjoying a close to 40 points lead over his main championship rival Charles Leclerc, seems like a lock for the championship.
After spending the weekend at Lewis Hamilton's home race in Silverstone, this weekend, we're at the Red Bull Ring. To make things spicier as a bonus, we have the sprint qualifying as well this weekend. The British GP weekend was pretty much an overload of action and if we are fair, it will be hard to top that.
Moreover, rain is expected to make an appearance this weekend, making the upcoming race worth keeping an eye on. So, let's jump straight to the Preview and Predictions of the 2022 F1 Austrian GP.
Key storylines
#1 Will we finally hear the Red Bull-Porsche announcement?
One of the worst-kept secrets of F1 is that the Red Bull-Porsche alliance is all but done. The only thing left is an official announcement. Earlier in the season, it was expected that the Red Bull-Porsche alliance would be announced on the eve of the 2022 F1 Austrian GP.
Well, the Austrian GP, Red Bull's home race, is going to be held this weekend and we're yet to hear anything from either Porsche or Red Bull. In all likelihood, the deal is done, but once it is officially announced, it will be interesting to see what kind of ripple effect it has on the sport as a brand as big as Porsche makes its way into it.
#2 Ferrari's lack of championship intent in the spotlight
It was somewhat surprising to see a lack of admission from Ferrari that it messed up big time. The 2022 F1 British GP was a golden opportunity for Ferrari to capitalize on Red Bull's misfortune as Max Verstappen struggled at the back of the grid. Yet, the way Charles Leclerc's race was handled and the subsequent loss of opportunity to close the gap in the championship did not seem to be a priority for Mattia Binotto after the Silverstone race.
Leclerc is unequivocally the superior driver at Ferrari and in all probability, he's their only chance for a title this season. Does the team even know that? The way it conducts itself in the 2022 F1 Austrian GP will reveal a lot about Ferrari.
#3 Mercedes' impressive form at the 2022 F1 British GP
It was a refreshing surprise for the F1 fans to see Mercedes back in contention at the 2022 F1 British GP. Lewis Hamilton, although still lacking a tenth or two to the ultimate pace of Ferrari, still had a good run challenging their drivers throughout the race. One contributing factor was the not-so-bumpy surface of Silverstone, which prevented the Mercedes from bouncing violently.
The Red Bull Ring is expected to have a similarly smoother surface. Should that be the case, it will be interesting to see if Mercedes can replicate its 2022 F1 British GP form in this race.
Form Guide
On Form
Alpine's upgrades at Silverstone were a resounding success for the team. Fernando Alonso was able to match and even stay within the range of the McLaren, something we haven't seen often this season (whenever a track has suited McLaren).
The battle for fourth is starting to heat up. Especially because Alpine has two drivers delivering similar results, while McLaren seems to be struggling with Daniel Ricciardo's on-again, off-again form. Alpine is firing on all cylinders now and might just be the favorite for the 'best of the rest' title.
Out of Form
It's hard to call Ferrari, a team that just won the last race, as "out of form". In essence, though, this is the reality of the Italian squad. To be brutally honest, the biggest enemy for Charles Leclerc this season has been his own team. Consistent car failures, dumbfounding strategic calls, and to make matters worse, a lack of awareness of what is at stake, have left everyone questioning what the Italian squad is trying to achieve.
Ferrari needs to make a statement with its lead driver this weekend because if it doesn't, it could just as well kiss the championship goodbye.
Predictions for the 2022 F1 Austrian GP winner
Out of the last 6 GPs held in Austria, Max Verstappen has won 4 of them. And most of this was before Red Bull even became a championship contender (2018 and 2019). The Austrian GP is Red Bull's home race. This is one of the more successful races for Max Verstappen and just to put the final cherry on top, the track layout of long straights appears almost handpicked for Red Bull's 2022 F1 challenger.
It's hard not to give the home team and its favorite son the edge in their home race.
Surprise of the 2022 F1 Austrian GP weekend
Team
Aston Martin was rather impressive at the 2022 F1 British GP at the hands of Sebastian Vettel. The German was able to score some handy points and would have scored more if not for the questionable tire choice during the safety car period. Yet, this was not Aston Martin being as impressive as it was in Baku or in Montréal where it had the speed to run in front of the midfield.
The long straights in Spielberg share some similarities with Baku and Montréal and it will be worth keeping an eye on Aston Martin during the 2022 F1 Austrian GP.
Driver
Mick Schumacher scored the first points of his F1 career at Silverstone and he did that in a rather dominant fashion over his teammate. The thing about Schumacher is that he has shown in his junior career as well that he takes his time to figure things out in a particular category. When he does, however, he does not look back and starts scoring impressive results. Schumacher has been threatening to do that for a few races this season, but Silverstone was a game-changer for him. It will be worth keeping an eye on the German to see what he does next.
Disappointment of the 2022 F1 Austrian GP weekend
Team
What is the one thing in common between Baku and Montréal, where McLaren struggled as compared to its midfield compatriots, and Spielberg? Long straights.
McLaren appears to have a significant deficit when it comes to straight-line speeds and it has hampered the car's performance on tracks where straight-line speed is crucial. Expect more of the same from the Woking-based squad as the team might struggle to keep up on the long straights at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP.
Driver
Lance Stroll hasn't had the best of seasons as the Canadian driver has been overshadowed by Sebastian Vettel, his illustrious teammate. Stroll is not a bad driver by any means. He's got a pole position to his name, multiple podiums, and whatnot, but with Vettel just driving at a different wavelength right now, it's been tough for him to keep up.
The Red Bull Ring is expected to be a track that could suit Aston Martin. Will we see Vettel stretching his lead further over Stroll? Or will we see Stroll getting the better of his teammate? We're betting on the former.
