Max Verstappen starts from pole for a wet Austrian Grand Prix sprint

The 2023 F1 season resumes this weekend at the home track of the team that has dominated the series for the past two seasons. The Austrian Grand Prix originates from the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Styria and will feature the second sprint weekend of the season.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is entering imperious form, having won the last four races on the trot and sporting a huge 69-point lead in the World Drivers’ Ranking over team-mate Sergio Perez. That’s almost a full three-race lead. Verstappen has won four times in 10 starts at the Red Bull Ring.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Austrian Grand Prix weekend:

Austrian Grand Prix TV/Streaming Schedule

All times Eastern

Friday
7:25 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.: Free Practice 1 (ESPN2, ESPN+)
10.55 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Qualification (ESPN2, ESPN+)

SATURDAY
6:25 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.: Sprint Shootout (ESPN2, ESPN+)
10:25 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Sprint (ESPN, ESPN+)

Sunday
7:30 a.m. – 8:55 a.m.: Pre-race show (ESPN)
8.55 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Austrian Grand Prix (ESPN, ESPN+)

Austrian Grand Prix qualifying results

1. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

2. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari

3. Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari

4. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes

5. Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes

6. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes

7. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes

8. Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari

9. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault

10. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes

11. George Russell (63), Mercedes

12. Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault

13. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes

14. Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari

15. Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

16. Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

17. Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari

18. Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes

19. Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari

20. Nyck De Vries (21), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

Austrian Grand Prix Details

Track: Red Bull Ring (Spielberg, Austria), 2.683-mile, 10-turn permanent racing facility
Duration of the race: 71 laps for 190 miles
Lap record: 1:05.619 (Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 2020)
Tire compounds: C3 (hard), C4 (medium), C5 (soft)
Last year’s winner: Charles Leclerc Ferrari

Returns to Sprint weekend format

In 2021, F1 introduced the Sprint weekend format, which moved traditional qualifying to Friday and put in its place a shortened race that would award minimum points and set the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. A few nominal tweaks later, we have our current format for the 2023 season, which effectively makes Saturday more of an exhibition.

The new format ditches the lame Saturday morning practice session in favor of a faster version of the traditional three-stage knockout qualifying format to set the grid for the sprint race later in the day. The first eight in the sprint will be awarded points in descending order (eight for P1, seven for P2, six for P3, etc.).

McLaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin make improvements

After being overtaken for second place in the World Constructors’ Rankings by Mercedes at the Canadian Grand Prix, Aston Martin is bringing an upgrade package which it hopes will allow it to “attack” the Silver Arrows. Fourth-placed Ferrari will debut new front wing elements, a new floor and a new rear wing which it hopes will make its race performance more predictable. McLaren, mired in sixth place in the constructors’ standings, will begin a series of significant changes to the car starting with Austria.

“I look forward to anything new,” McLaren driver Lando Norris told the Australian Speedcafe.

Norris currently sits 11th in the drivers’ standings after a sixth-place finish in 2022.

Top drivers and best bets for the Austrian Grand Prix

Barring an unforeseen disaster, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be the favorite at every race weekend for the rest of the season as he charges towards his inevitable third consecutive Drivers’ World Championship. He has -275 to win in Austria at his team’s home track according to BetMGM and the second best money line is Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso at +700.

Better chances of winning
• Max Verstappen -275
• Fernando Alonso +700
• Lewis Hamilton +800
• Sergio Perez +900

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week about some worthy props including Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to finish on the podium (-225). He also appreciates that Fernando Alonso finished on the podium in the sprint (-110), pointing to the solidity of the car two weeks ago in Montreal.

Austrian Grand Prix entry list

Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes
George Russell (63), Mercedes
Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari
Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari
Nyck De Vries (21), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes
Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes

Weather for the Austrian Grand Prix

Thunderstorms are expected to impact Friday afternoon’s qualifying session as well as Saturday morning’s sprint penalty shootout qualifying session before conditions potentially improve. Race day is expected to have just a 20% chance of rain, which means that even though the grid is mixed with variable conditions on Friday, the strongest cars like Red Bull, Aston Martin and Mercedes should be able to fight their way through. path on the ground at the end of the grand prix.