Official 2021 Styrian and Austrian GP thread **SPOILERS**
Discussion
After a fantastic French GP, we’re onto rounds 8 and 9 in consecutive weekends at the Red Bull Ring, hence one thread for both events.
After three Red Bull wins, you’d be brave to bet against the team taking two more victories here despite Lewis driving outstandingly well. Expect lots of slip-streaming and overtaking.
Styrian GP:
Date(s): Friday 25 June 2021 – Sunday 27 June 2021
Austrian GP:
Date(s): Friday 2 July 2021 – Sunday 4 July 2021
UK Broadcast Timings (and local time)
All sessions are live on Sky F1; currently only highlights are scheduled to be shown on Channel 4
Styrian GP:
Austrian GP:
Live timing for all sessions available here:
https://www.formula1.com/en/f1-live.html
Lap times, PU component use, technical reports and Stewards' decisions for the weekend will appear here:
https://www.fia.com/championship/events/fia-formul...
Weather forecast:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2766824
Tyre Choices:
2020 Styrian GP Result:
2020 Austrian GP Result:
2020 race highlights:
Styrian GP: https://youtu.be/IEB3jc22izI
Austrian GP: https://youtu.be/1Q470aUwi3E
After three Red Bull wins, you’d be brave to bet against the team taking two more victories here despite Lewis driving outstandingly well. Expect lots of slip-streaming and overtaking.
Styrian GP:
Date(s): Friday 25 June 2021 – Sunday 27 June 2021
Austrian GP:
Date(s): Friday 2 July 2021 – Sunday 4 July 2021
UK Broadcast Timings (and local time)
All sessions are live on Sky F1; currently only highlights are scheduled to be shown on Channel 4
Styrian GP:
Austrian GP:
Live timing for all sessions available here:
https://www.formula1.com/en/f1-live.html
Lap times, PU component use, technical reports and Stewards' decisions for the weekend will appear here:
https://www.fia.com/championship/events/fia-formul...
Weather forecast:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2766824
Tyre Choices:
2020 Styrian GP Result:
2020 Austrian GP Result:
2020 race highlights:
Styrian GP: https://youtu.be/IEB3jc22izI
Austrian GP: https://youtu.be/1Q470aUwi3E
Edited by Piginapoke on Monday 21st June 16:22
Edited by Piginapoke on Monday 28th June 08:28
Edited by Piginapoke on Monday 28th June 08:31
DanielSan said:
Possibly my favourite track on the calendar this one, the race is rarely boring and we get it back to back again this year. Lovely old job
It’s just a stunning place as well, once we’re allowed it’s definitely a road trip for my father and I.SturdyHSV said:
Thanks for doing these threads as always 
Whoever gets pole, the first corner is going to be exciting
Can't wait.
It’s usually the second corner that’s the most exciting.Whoever gets pole, the first corner is going to be exciting
Can't wait.
mk1coopers said:
Mercedes will want to turn everything up for the next two weekends so that the gap closes, let hope for another close clean race
No sure they can risk it if you are talking about engine modes. Last year towards the end of the year it was Mercedes units going "bang" the most often. And the Mercedes cars took their new units a race earlier than the Honda units (which one could infer suggests they are nervous of reliability again).Also of note is that the Honda engines that were at end of life had enough grunt around Baku to keep the brand new Mercedes units behind them.
I think Mercedes are not so much on the back foot as on the ropes ...
exelero said:
Steamer said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I pondered this..Especially after hearing Toto mention how much focus Merc were putting into next season and the new regs.
Unless Merc can magic a performance advantage that puts Bottas easily ahead of both Max & Perez then I can see them losing to Red Bull in bothe races.
Lewis is quick and can maximise the car, but Merc have proven time and time again that their real weakness is strategy, without a clear pace advatage for both cars they will lose out in the pits.
Lewis is quick and can maximise the car, but Merc have proven time and time again that their real weakness is strategy, without a clear pace advatage for both cars they will lose out in the pits.
TheDeuce said:
I said the same in another thread... Obviously Toto is going to say they're all focussed on 2022.. but so long as red bull are superior or continuing to develop their car - Mercedes will do the same. At least for as long as they're in contention for the titles.
I actually think it was the opposite. They thought they’d done enough over the winter, but now realise they’re going to be in a proper fight all season long, and are having to pull back resources to the current car. Sandpit Steve said:
TheDeuce said:
I said the same in another thread... Obviously Toto is going to say they're all focussed on 2022.. but so long as red bull are superior or continuing to develop their car - Mercedes will do the same. At least for as long as they're in contention for the titles.
I actually think it was the opposite. They thought they’d done enough over the winter, but now realise they’re going to be in a proper fight all season long, and are having to pull back resources to the current car. 
whatever they thought/hoped it's still the case that they'll continue to develop so long as the RB threat demands it.I'm sure they did hope and would love to be diverting more to next year's car right now, no arguments there. They do have the benefit of having spent years on the new regs car already, they had no budget cap restraint before now, and as a top team with a big budget, spending on the new car early on is a clear way to begin the new era with an advantage.
Of course, RB and Ferrari have also been spending on it for the same length of time..
TheDeuce said:
That's not the opposite whatever they thought/hoped it's still the case that they'll continue to develop so long as the RB threat demands it.
I'm sure they did hope and would love to be diverting more to next year's car right now, no arguments there. They do have the benefit of having spent years on the new regs car already, they had no budget cap restraint before now, and as a top team with a big budget, spending on the new car early on is a clear way to begin the new era with an advantage.
Of course, RB and Ferrari have also been spending on it for the same length of time..
Not sure they expected to do any work on this year’s car at all, after they’d delivered it to testing back in March. whatever they thought/hoped it's still the case that they'll continue to develop so long as the RB threat demands it.I'm sure they did hope and would love to be diverting more to next year's car right now, no arguments there. They do have the benefit of having spent years on the new regs car already, they had no budget cap restraint before now, and as a top team with a big budget, spending on the new car early on is a clear way to begin the new era with an advantage.
Of course, RB and Ferrari have also been spending on it for the same length of time..
They already had everyone on the ‘22 car, and they’ve now realised they’re going to have to drag resources back to the ‘21 car as they’ve got a title fight on their hands.
What’s definitely true, is that the budget cap is annoying the hell out of them. They’ve never before needed to operate under such constraints. They got upset with someone taking their car out of the race, not just because they lost a handful of points, but because it cost them a million quid to rebuild the car!
TheDeuce said:
.. but so long as red bull are superior or continuing to develop their car - Mercedes will do the same. At least for as long as they're in contention for the titles.
Red Bull superiority ?Until we see a long run of front-row lockouts this is not the case.
I suspect viewers will be waiting a long time to see 76 front-row lockouts from Red Bull.
sparta6 said:
TheDeuce said:
.. but so long as red bull are superior or continuing to develop their car - Mercedes will do the same. At least for as long as they're in contention for the titles.
Red Bull superiority ?Until we see a long run of front-row lockouts this is not the case.
I suspect viewers will be waiting a long time to see 76 front-row lockouts from Red Bull.
In the end we'll know, one of the two teams will have been revealed as having built the best machine for the full season worth of circuits. That's a particularly tricky task these days as the circuits raced at keep being substituted for others!
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff