Austrian Grand Prix 2019 — Weekend Preview

Round 9 of the 2019 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 187 points, 36 points ahead of Valtteri Bottas.

Driver Championship (entering R9):
P1: Lewis Hamilton — 187 pts (6W, 8P)
P2: Valtteri Bottas — 151 pts (2W, 7P)
P3: Sebastian Vettel — 111 pts (0W, 4P)
P4: Max Verstappen — 100 pts (0W, 2P)
P5: Charles Leclerc — 87 pts (0W, 3P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Mercedes — 338 pts
P2: Ferrari — 198 pts
P3: Red Bull Racing — 137 pts
P4: McLaren — 40 pts
P5: Renault — 32 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 Valtteri Bottas — 36 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Sebastian Vettel (111) vs Max Verstappen (100) — just 11 points apart.
P4 vs P5: Max Verstappen (100) vs Charles Leclerc (87) — just 13 points apart.