F1, in Austria Verstappen plays at home. Ferrari hunting for confirmations, Leclerc: “The renewal? We’re talking about it”
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Max Verstappen for home arena jubilation, sul Red Bull Spielberg Ring. Charles to remember the happiness: here the latest success of Leclercand of Ferrari, one year ago. Ups and downs of memories, on the Austrian hills where in the rarefied air (about 700 meters above sea level) the F1 back on track for the ninth race of the year and for the second weekend with the sprint race format: just one free practice session on Friday morning, qualifying for the starting order of the gp immediately in the afternoon. Saturday entirely dedicated to the mini race: in the morning qualifying, in the afternoon the 100 km.
Red hope: Leclerc-Ferrari, peace and awakening
by Alessandra Retico
Verstappen, hunting for the 7th success
In the cradle full of Dutch fans (“Don’t get drunk and have fun”), after joining Senna with 41 hits in Montreal, Verstappen books the 7th hit of the year. He is leader in the standings with 195 points, +69 behind his teammate Sergio Perez. And even if he doesn’t particularly like sprints, “we want to honor the memory of Dietrich Mateschitz”. The founder of the soda company, who disappeared a year ago.
A track that favors overtaking
The track is among the shortest in the championship (4318 metres), but the engines have to do breathing exercises on the three long initial straights and then between the only 10 following corners where it is difficult to stay within the limits of the track. You need a medium-high aerodynamic load. There are three areas in which to activate the mobile wing which gives Red Bull an enormous advantage over the others. Even if it’s easy to pass here: last year, 135 overtakings were completed.
Ferrari, in Austria a new front wing
Just last year, an era ago, when Ferrari and Leclerc celebrated their last victory. Sainz, who instead broke the engine and was deprived of the podium, speaks of a growing red and which in Montreal, in fact, convinced above all in the race pace that this year represents the greatest weakness of the SF 23: “Finishing 4th and 5th ° is not our goal, but the race in Canada has given us confidence. But it would be naïve to think that with the updates we will be able to take Red Bull, the gap with them at the moment is big”. Maranello brings other updates to Austria, after those introduced in Barcelona: in particular, a completely new front wing and a revised underbody. “In the factory they worked hard and made enormous efforts, we will do our best to make them work”.
