Austrian Grand Prix 2023 — Weekend Preview

Round 9 of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship takes the field to Spielberg, Austria. Austrian Grand Prix — Short and Sharp — Every Lap Counts. Max Verstappen leads the championship with 189 points, 71 points ahead of Sergio Perez.

Driver Championship (entering R9):
P1: Max Verstappen — 189 pts (6W, 8P)
P2: Sergio Perez — 118 pts (2W, 4P)
P3: Fernando Alonso — 114 pts (0W, 6P)
P4: Lewis Hamilton — 100 pts (0W, 3P)
P5: Carlos Sainz — 64 pts (0W, 0P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Red Bull Racing — 307 pts
P2: Mercedes — 160 pts
P3: Aston Martin — 150 pts
P4: Ferrari — 111 pts
P5: Alpine — 44 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: Max Verstappen vs Sergio Perez — 71 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Fernando Alonso (114) vs Lewis Hamilton (100) — just 14 points apart.
P5 vs P6: Carlos Sainz (64) vs George Russell (60) — just 4 points apart.