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The 2023 F1 Austrian GP will feature the second weekend, where the sprint format will be used. The format did not enamor too many fans at first, as even Max Verstappen wasn't a huge fan of the whole thing. Since then, though, there appears to be a concerted effort by F1 to give the format its due, at least for now.
This weekend, at the 2023 F1 Austrian GP, however, the sprint format might be welcomed by a few drivers as rain is also expected to play a role. With external factors like rain in play, sometimes it helps release the overall pressure on the driver. All he can do in those crucial moments is just focus on the task at hand.
There are a few drivers on the grid that would be eyeing the 2023 F1 Austrian GP weekend as an opportunity to get a good result. Who are these drivers? Well, let's take a look.
#1 Sergio Perez
In four races, Sergio Perez has gone from being considered a driver that could be a challenge to Max Verstappen in the championship to someone who is severely underperforming.
The fact of the matter is that Perez has seen a dip in form, and although many won't consider it huge, it gets magnified with Verstappen being this unstoppable force.
In the last four races, Sergio Perez has seen himself lose a race where he started in pole position. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen was in P9 and then did not even make Q3 in the three subsequent events.
As a result, a points gap that was only in single digits after Baku is now a whopping 69 points. In all of this, one thing that would put further pressure on Perez is the news of Daniel Ricciardo eyeing a spot in the AlphaTauri.
With rumors giving further strength to these suggestions, it does appear that Red Bull is serious about a possible shootout between Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo. It will be to see who could be the worthy replacement for the Mexican when his contract runs out.
Under all this pressure, heading into the 2023 F1 Austrian GP, Sergio Perez will be focussing on trying to bring a P2 home. A win will be great, but that would mean beating Verstappen, something he does only once a year.
All in all, the Mexican is under some serious pressure to get a result on the board at the 2023 F1 Austrian GP.
#2 Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll will be starting to feel some sort of pressure this season after another average weekend in Canada. The driver was once again left exposed as he struggled to barely finish inside the top 10 while teammate Fernando Alonso was P2 in the race.
One can see the difference in the kind of race the two teammates had by comparing what was the highlight of those 70 laps. In the case of Alonso, it was the pass on Lewis Hamilton for the P2 finish.
On the other hand, for Stroll, it was the last lap pass on a hobbling Alfa Romeo for a P9 finish.
Lance Stroll's future has been a topic of discussion amongst many in the last few races. It will continue to be a discussion in the media. It's almost impossible to think about Lawrence Stroll firing his son from a team that was specifically invested in to give him a better shot at the sport.
Having said that, the aesthetics of Stroll making the Aston Martin look like a backmarker while Alonso garners the love and appreciation of the entire team just seem off. Stroll will be hoping to bring some level of respectability back to the dynamics and have a good strong race this weekend.
#3 Logan Sargeant
Heading into the 2023 F1 Austrian GP, Logan Sargeant has 8 races in the bag, and yes, that's not a lot. Having said that, there's a reason why his name pops up as a driver whose seat could be in danger. And the reason seems to be something that has plagued him from the time of his junior career.
The American is breathtakingly fast over a lap. Not only that, but the impressiveness shines through even more if you see how easily he out-qualified the likes of Oscar Piastri and Liam Lawson in the junior categories.
In all of this, though, there's one thing that holds him back, and that is an inability to replicate that brilliance. Once you're able to replicate that brilliance, everything becomes easy because you have cracked the code.
There have been moments this season when he has beaten even Alex Albon during a practice session. However, heading into the 2023 F1 Austrian GP, he hasn't even once outright gotten the better of his teammate.
At the 2023 F1 Austrian GP, Logan will be hoping to get one over Albon as the threat from a young German under the wings of Mercedes is getting more prominent by the day.
