Austrian Grand Prix 2018 — Weekend Preview

Round 9 of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship takes the field to Spielberg, Austria. Austrian Grand Prix — Short and Sharp — Every Lap Counts. Lewis Hamilton leads the championship with 145 points, 14 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel.

Driver Championship (entering R9):
P1: Lewis Hamilton — 145 pts (3W, 6P)
P2: Sebastian Vettel — 131 pts (3W, 4P)
P3: Daniel Ricciardo — 96 pts (2W, 2P)
P4: Valtteri Bottas — 92 pts (0W, 4P)
P5: Kimi Räikkönen — 83 pts (0W, 4P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Mercedes — 237 pts
P2: Ferrari — 214 pts
P3: Red Bull Racing — 164 pts
P4: Renault — 62 pts
P5: McLaren — 40 pts

Spielberg is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar.

Recent winners at Spielberg:
- 2026: George Russell (Mercedes)
- 2025: Lando Norris (McLaren)
- 2024: George Russell (Mercedes)
- 2023: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- 2022: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Tyre strategy data will be available after practice sessions provide degradation information.

Battles to watch:

Championship battle: Lewis Hamilton vs Sebastian Vettel — 14 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Daniel Ricciardo (96) vs Valtteri Bottas (92) — just 4 points apart.
P4 vs P5: Valtteri Bottas (92) vs Kimi Räikkönen (83) — just 9 points apart.
P5 vs P6: Kimi Räikkönen (83) vs Max Verstappen (68) — just 15 points apart.