After Hamilton's victory, Formula 1 arrives in Austria with warmed engines
Formula 1 could see a new chapter in the title race this weekend in Austria, after Lewis Hamilton ended Mercedes' dominant run with his first victory for Ferrari, achieved at the Spanish GP.
The Spielberg circuit hosts the eighth stage of the season with Mercedes named as the favorite. The team has six victories in seven races, including five consecutive victories by championship leader, Italian Kimi Antonelli, as well as seven pole positions to date.
Recent history also favors the German team. George Russell won the Austrian GP in 2024, but Hamilton arrives on a high after recording two second places and a victory in the last three races.
McLaren appears as another candidate for the top. Current world champion, Lando Norris won in Spielberg last season, while his teammate Oscar Piastri set the fastest lap of the race. With seven triumphs, the British team is the most successful in the history of the circuit.
Red Bull is betting on the record of Max Verstappen, owner of four victories in his home race. For Ferrari, Charles Leclerc also knows the path to success in Spielberg - he won in 2022 and finished third last year.
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Expectations for the race increase even more due to Antonelli's expected reaction. The 19-year-old abandoned the race in Barcelona due to a mechanical problem, ending his winning streak.
"It won't be simple, but I'm already looking forward to the next race because I want to get back to where we were before," said the Italian.
Antonelli leads the championship with a 41-point advantage over Hamilton. Leclerc, in turn, also left the Spanish stage zero and is trying to reduce the gap to his teammate.
A new victory for Ferrari would have a special meaning: it would be the team's 250th triumph in the history of Formula 1.
At Mercedes, team boss Toto Wolff admitted that the result in Barcelona served as a warning. According to him, rivals have evolved quickly and the team will need to respond to continue competing for the drivers' and constructors' titles.
"Our biggest weakness so far has been reliability", declared the driver, who confirmed updates to the car for the Austrian stage.
McLaren will also bring new features to Spielberg, including an experimental rear wing that will be tested in free practice on Friday.
After demonstrating good pace in recent stages, Norris and Piastri are once again seen as candidates to challenge Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in one of the most balanced races of the season.
"Without taking anything for granted on such a competitive grid, we are optimistic that the characteristics of the car and drivers will adapt well to the circuit," said Neil Houldey, technical director of applied engineering at McLaren.
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Source: CNN