Formula 1 Qatar Airways Austrian Grand Prix
Location: Spielberg, Austria
Course: Red Bull Ring
Course Length: 4.32 km
Laps: 71
Austrian Grand Prix Race Preview
The European stretch of the Formula 1 calendar kicked off a week ago at Barcelona where Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing came out on top again. Their gap to the rest of the field has closed, though. The Spanish circuit was the best indicator of what fans should expect in terms of competitiveness amongst the teams in the coming races. In Spain, McLaren and Lando Norris had the edge in qualifying, but it was Verstappen's Red Bull that managed the race distance the best. As predicted, the upgrades Mercedes delivered have improved their fortunes, too. Lewis Hamilton finished third and teammate George Russell came home fourth. While the championship battle is getting tighter, Red Bull appears likely to retain its advantage through the next stops at Austria, Hungary, and Belgium. Both Austria and Belgium feature a mixture of slow and fast turns, which is what the Red Bull excels at. The best chance for McLaren, Mercedes (or even Ferrari) to take a race will be if weather or mistakes shake up qualifying or the coming races. If one of those drivers can get to the lead at the start and manage the race ahead of Verstappen, their chances for victory will increase.
Key Stats at the Red Bull Ring
- Races: 37
- Winners from pole: 14
- Winners from top-5 starters: 32
- Winners from top-10 starters: 35
- Fastest Race: 235.437 kph
Previous 10 Red Bull Ring Winners
2023 - Max Verstappen
2022- Charles Leclerc
2021 ii - Max Verstappen
2021 i - Max Verstappen
2020 ii - Lewis Hamilton
2020 i - Valtteri Bottas
2019 - Max Verstappen
2018 - Max Verstappen
2017 - Valtteri Bottas
2016 - Lewis Hamilton
The modern Red Bull Ring in Spielberg Austria was introduced in 2014. The current track is one of the shorter circuits on the calendar, but it packs a good variety of turns and significant elevation changes. The long straights offer room for three DRS zones while the tighter middle sector of the lap requires a good handling car as it races downhill. Significant elevation changes make the short lap quite eventful. The lowest point is at the starting line, but the cars climb more than 200 vertical feet by the time they reach the second turn. From turn 2 onward, the track is a quick run downhill through eight medium- to high-speed turns. Austria's preferred pit strategy is typically just a single stop. That strategy doesn't leave much opportunity for teams to make up ground if they get started on the backfoot. Therefore, winners at this track typically come from the front row, and fantasy players will want to pay special attention to the starting order before finalizing their choices for Sunday.
DraftKings Value Picks for the Austrian Grand Prix
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Max Verstappen - $15,400
Lando Norris - $12,000
Charles Leclerc - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
George Russell - $9,000
Oscar Piastri - $9,200
Carlos Sainz Jr. - $8,800
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Lewis Hamilton - $8,600
Sergio Perez - $8,200
Fernando Alonso - $6,200
Daniel Ricciardo - $4,200
DraftKings Constructor Values
Red Bull Racing - $11,500
McLaren - $11,300
Mercedes - $9,500
Formula 1 DFS Picks for the Austrian Grand Prix
Captain - Lewis Hamilton - $12,900
Lando Norris - $12,000
Pierre Gasly - $5,000
Lance Stroll - $4,800
Valtteri Bottas - $3,600
Constructor - Red Bull Racing - $11,500
Last week's race at Barcelona was a good indicator of how close the rival teams have come to catching Max Verstappen and Red Bull. While the Red Bull still has the advantage over a full race distance, the gap has closed remarkably. Mercedes and McLaren have led that charge. Lewis Hamilton, though leaving for Ferrari in 2025, was able to stand on the podium at Barcelona despite teammate George Russell taking the race lead in the first turn. Mercedes appear to have a good handle on their car and getting the most out of it. That is great news for Hamilton through the next few races, including Austria where he is a two-time winner. Lando Norris is Verstappen's closest challenger right now, though. His McLaren has the potential to take pole position and is likely to start on the front row again this weekend. If Norris can take the lead at the start and manage the race through the pit stops, he stands a good chance of scoring his second victory. He was second last week at Barcelona and finished on the podium twice at Austria.
Further down the price list, fantasy players may keep Pierre Gasly in mind. He finished ninth in Spain and sits ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon in the championship standings. Gasly finished 10th at Austria last season and has a pair of seventh-place finishes at the track, too. Lance Stroll is a riskier selection, but his price is right this week. The Aston Martin driver has four finishes of 10th or better at Austria from seven tries, and he finished ninth in last year's race. Lastly, Valtteri Bottas is also an inexpensive option. He didn't have the best race last week but is a two-time Austria winner hoping to score his first points of the season.
The driver selections above, when coupled with Red Bull Racing as constructor, comprise a roster that touches all of the top teams barring Ferrari. Red Bull obviously boasts Max Verstappen, plus fantasy players get the added benefit of Sergio Perez should he have a good weekend. The selection of the team as constructor versus Verstappen as driver offers significantly more flexibility to include drivers like Norris and Hamilton in the driver portion of the lineup.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Austrian Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 7:00 PM ET Thursday
Race Winner – Max Verstappen (-200), Lando Norris (+285), George Russell (+2200)
Fastest Qualifier - Max Verstappen (-135), Lando Norris (+330), Charles Leclerc (+850)
Winning Constructor – Red Bull Racing (-225), McLaren (+275), Mercedes (+900)
Safety Car – No (+110)
Verstappen and Red Bull showed a week ago at Barcelona that they remain the team to beat through a full race distance. Currently, the most likely to challenge Verstappen's race dominance is Lando Norris. His odds reflect that potential this week, too. The best value when choosing a winner may thus fall to George Russell. A victory from him would certainly be an upset, but those looking for a riskier play might lean his direction given how much more competitive the Mercedes cars were in Barcelona. However, Verstappen remains the favorite and my top choice to win this week at Austria. The constructor odds reflect the same opportunities, but if anyone wishes to choose Norris over Verstappen, the better odds will be if they choose McLaren over Red Bull for the race win.
The odds for pole position are much more intriguing. While Verstappen is the man to beat over a race distance, he has been vulnerable on a single lap, including last week. McLaren and Norris have the pace to capture the top starting spot on a variety of tracks, Austria's included. For that reason, the top choice this week for pole, and maybe the best bet on the board, is Norris for pole. He grabbed it last week at Barcelona, can he do it again?
Finally, last week's race on a traditional circuit with plenty of run off room generated no safety cars. While Austria is a different track, the same traditional layout with plenty of runoff room lowers the likelihood of a caution. This race had two cautions for six laps last season, but there were none in 2023.
