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Preview: The 2020 Austrian Grand Prix

Published on 01 Jul 2020 12:28
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By: Fergal Walsh

The Red Bull Ring hosts the opening round of the 2020 season this year, as the coronavirus pandemic has delayed the campaign to June. Having rejoined the calendar in 2014, the track will host two races this year on successive weekends.

The circuit

Spielberg is the location of the Red Bull Ring, hosting its seventh race in the turbo-hybrid era. The very first Austrian GP was held in 1964, not on the current circuit, but at Zeltweg Airfield. The circuit is 4,326 kilometers long and with at roughly 66 seconds, the circuit has the shortest lap time on the calendar.

With a number of long straights, the track is very fast with a relatively simple layout, but that doesn't make the track any easier, as the slightest mistake can have big consequences on this track.

Length of the circuit	4,326 meters
Number of racing laps	71
Total racing distance	307,146 kilometres
Lap record	1:06.957 (Kimi Raikkonen, 2018)

Driving direction	Clockwise
Number of turns	10 (3 to the left, 7 to the right)
Distance from the start to the first corner	216.9 meters
Braking points of more than 2G	6, of which 3 heavy
Percentage on full power	56-65 per cent
Highest lateral G-force	3.7 G in turn 11
Length of the pits below the limiter	359 meters
Duration of the drive through the pits	16.1 seconds
Fuel consumption	Low
Side of pole position	Left
Tyre compounds	C2, C3, C4
The opportunity of a safety car	Average
Chance of rain	Average

Tyre selections

Pirelli has allocated set tyres for the upcoming weekend, meaning all drivers will have the same number of each compound.

Driver	C2	C3	C4
Lewis Hamilton	2	3	8
Valtteri Bottas	2	3	8
Charles Leclerc	2	3	8
Sebastian Vettel	2	3	8
Max Verstappen	2	3	8
Alexander Albon	2	3	8
Carlos Sainz	2	3	8
Lando Norris	2	3	8
Daniel Ricciardo	2	3	8
Esteban Ocon	2	3	8
Pierre Gasly	2	3	8
Daniil Kvyat	2	3	8
Sergio Perez	2	3	8
Lance Stroll	2	3	8
Kimi Raikkonen	2	3	8
Antonio Giovinazzi	2	3	8
Kevin Magnussen	2	3	8
Romain Grosjean	2	3	8
George Russell	2	3	8
Nicholas Latifi	2	3	8

The contenders

With no races yet held in 2020, Mercedes will be the favourites heading into the race, having won every championship on offer since 2014. However, Red Bull has won the last two races in Austria and is hopeful it can fight for the world championship this year - meaning the opening piece of glory will likely either go to Mercedes or Red Bull.

Last year in Austria

Last year, Charles Leclerc secured his second career pole position, beating Verstappen to the top spot. Verstappen looked set to challenge from the get-go, however a poor start saw him drop down the field. That didn't deter the Dutchman, who fought back through the front runners and overtake Leclerc in the final laps to secure his first win of the year.

Best time FP1	1:04.838 (Hamilton)
Best time FP2	1:05.086 (Leclerc)
Best time FP3	1:03.987 (Leclerc)
Best time Q1	1:03.807 (Verstappen)
Best time Q2	1:03.378 (Leclerc)
Best time Q3	1:03.003 (Leclerc)
Fastest racing lap	1:07.475 (Verstappen)
Total race time	1 hour 22 minutes and 01seconds
Average speed	226.1 kilometres per hour
Highest top speed	350.6 kilometres per hour
Podium	Verstappen - Raikkonen - Vettel
Winning strategy	1 stop, on lap 32
Total number of stops	22
Number of retirements	5