Close
The 2022 Austrian Grand Prix will unfold over 71 laps on the 2.683 miles Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, on Sunday, July 10. A total of four Formula One teams are gathered at the Red Bull Ring to test their tires with Pirelli. Introducing a new 18-inch tire for the 2022 season, Pirelli has set a record for the year and will refine the tires by means of 25 trial days over the next few years. As part of the tire test, Red Bull Racing will participate entirely on its own site along with McLaren and Alpine.
Red Bull and Alpine will be on track on Tuesday and Wednesday, while McLaren and Williams will be in action. The Italian tire supplier will run a testing program during the race, where the data can be shared so that none of the teams gets a favorable advantage over one another. Any new parts cannot be tested during the test. FIA has introduced a rule change in response to Ferrari and Mercedes' tire tests.
The 2022 Austrian GP sees Verstappen tied for the most wins at the race with three (2018, 2019, 2021). The only other drivers in this weekend's grid to win at Red Bull Ring are Lewis Hamilton (2016) and Valtteri Bottas (2017, 2020).
It has been a whirlwind for Leclerc since he completely broke the grid during the first three races of the 2022 season. Until the weekend, he hadn't finished on this podium in five straight races, which led to the triumph of his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz. Currently, he is third to Verstappen and Sergio Perez in Formula One Drivers' Standings.
Even so, Leclerc occupies second place on the odds board in Austria. As of last year, he finished eighth, but he came runner-up in 2019 and 2020 to Verstappen and Bottas.
On the odds board, Sainz is third after winning the first race in his career. Since he retired from the three races he won the race in 2022, he has been much better than his Ferrari colleague Leclerc. He was nearly able to even catch Leclerc in the standings as a result.
Although Ferrari looks to gain ground overall, the 27-year-old is focused on building on his success to reach new heights this year.
In recent Austrian Grand Prix events, the weather failed to play much of a role. The Red Bull Ring hasn't held a wet race since it was reopened in 2014. Check out this weekend's weather updates from the circuit.
With only 10 corners and constant elevation changes, Red Bull Ring is one of the most exciting roller coasters in Austria. A P Zero White hard tire is the C3 tire, a yellow medium tire is a C4 tire, and a red soft tire is the C5. From the P Zero White hard tire, Pirelli has three soft tires in its range: C3 and C5.
At the Red Bull Ring last year, two races were held consecutively: this week's race is identical to the first, meaning that it will be more heavily degrading than the first, which will lead to a greater chance of overtaking. At that point, it was a two-stopper strategy: two bouts on a medium tire after one stint on a medium, followed by two bouts on a hard tire. There are, of course, more compounds and structures this year than last.
This weekend is also the second sprint weekend of the season, coming after Imola earlier this year. A set of hard is made up of two, a set of medium is made up of four, and a set of soft is made up of six. As well as six sets of Cinturato Green intermediates and three sets of Cinturato Blue full wets, each team will have up to six sets of mud, should the Styrian hills become wet at any time.
As part of Pirelli's testing program for next year's tires, Alpine, McLaren, Red Bull, and Williams will remain after the F1 Austrian Grand Prix. The other two teams will test for one day, while McLaren and Williams will test for two days each.
“The asphalt at the Red Bull Ring offers reasonably low grip on a low-severity circuit, making it possible to bring the softest tires in the range. This helps us in putting the focus on entertainment at a venue that has often delivered exciting races in the past, thanks to a busy and compact lap that’s essentially a series of short corners. Traction and especially braking are key here: with a particular risk of lock-ups in some tricky downhill braking areas. Maintaining the performance of the rear tires throughout the lap is also vital to ensure adequate traction. Our tire nomination makes a variety of different potential strategies possible,” Pirelli boss Mario Isola explained ahead of the 2022 F1 Austrian Grand Prix.
"In Austria, there will be a couple of corners which haven’t made our car happy in the past, but it’s a constant learning process for us. This year is going to be a pretty tough one to win, but we just need to get our house in order to be properly on top of the car’s performance. It was disappointing for George not to be in the race because the car pace was good, but that’s the regulation, so it is what it is, unfortunately. Lewis Hamilton drove a strong race, we had the win right in front of us before the safety car and were chasing the Ferraris down but then after the safety car, we were never quite in the position to challenge for the front and lost a little momentum. I’m glad it’s a quick turnaround for Austria, another chance for more information which is more learning."
He continued, "Last weekend, we maximized the opportunities available to us and, despite not having the quickest car, took a solid double podium and a good haul of points. Every time we hit the track; we race to win. But, while we missed out on the top step of the podium last time out, there was still plenty to be encouraged by. Our drivers performed well, our pit stops were excellent, and our strategy calls were strong. We head back to the Styrian mountains this weekend with another big challenge on our hands but running on the same circuit on consecutive weekends brings opportunity too. We had an experimental Friday with the car set-up last weekend, and we hope to arrive at FP1 this weekend with the car in a happier place, ready to build from there."
"The tire compounds are also a step softer this weekend, bringing a new challenge for all the teams and fresh possibilities in terms of strategy. This championship is a heavyweight contest over 23 rounds, and we’re just over a third of the way through. There are many opportunities to come, and it’s still all to play for, so we’re excited for round nine," he concluded.
In 1964, the F1 Austrian Grand Prix was first held on the International Circuit to kick off the Formula 1 World Series, initially at the Zeltweg airport and later on at the permanently located Osterreichring, also known as the A1-Ring or the Red Bull Ring, in the decades before. Only Alain Prost has won this race three times, including one where one of the titles ended in a crash.
Top 12 MotoGP 2024 Race Bike Liveries Ranked for 2024 
The Top 10 MotoGP Rivalries of All Time 
MotoGP and Safety: How the Sport Has Changed Over the Years 
"The Most Iconic MotoGP Circuits: A Track-by-Track Guide"