Red Bull’s race to lose?

Last weekend’s French Grand Prix sent a clear message to the Formula 1 w💃orld that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are 🔜favourites for this year’s championships.

The Circuit ♒Paul Ricard has been a Mercedes stronghold wit🐎h Lewis Hamilton dominating the 2018 and 2019 races from pole position.

Max Verstappen’s pole position ﷺon Saturday resulted in a bold statement from team boss Christian Horner: “If we can beat them here, then we can beat them anywhere.”

Red Bull came out on top on race day as Verstappen stormed to his third victory of the season, backed up by Sergio Perez in third which allowed it to ex♛tend its advantage in the constructors’ championship to a whopping 37 points. 

It was a landmark day for Red Bull as Mercedes was beaten and ouꩵtsmarted by a tactic of its own - deployed in the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year.

Verstappen’s second pit stop caught Mercedes out as Hamilton and Bottas were forced to complete the race oไn the one-stopper.

While Mercedes arguably had the faster race car, it was outdone by Verstappen’s outstanding undercut at the first stop then outmanoeuvred with a swiꦅtch to a two-stop, as well as Perez’s impressive long stint allowing him t𝔍o get amongst the action in the latter stages.

Aܫ decisive point from the Paul Ricard weekend was Red Bull’s straight-line speed advantage over Mercedes.

Mercedes was forced to run more downforce to ensure it had enough speed through the final sector, while Red Bull could run less wing while still enꦐjoying enough pac🏅e in the corners, as a consequence of its high rake concept and the benefits that brings.

L𝓰ooking ahead to this weekend in Austria - a venue Mercedes dominated last year - Red Bull’s advantage on the straights could prove decisive. 

“It’s a power-hungry circuit, it’s got those long, long straights, so we could see something similar to this 🐠weeken🔯d with the straight-line speed of the Red Bull,” Hamilton said after France. 

“But we’ve got three days to try and see if we c🔯an make some adjustments and improvements, and maybe if we maximize on absolutely everything then maybe we can give them a run for their꧟ money.”

Red Bull is 🐟surely the favourite 🐎going into its home race...

Spielberg specialists 

Like Sochi, the Red Bul༒l Ring is a track that Valtteri Bottas has flourished at during his time with Mercedes.

Bottas has of꧅ten had the upper hand over Hamilton, out-qualifying him 3-2 and out-racing him 3-1 - with the pair both retiring from the 2018 race prematurely. 

While the seven-๊time champion has two wins and several podium finishes at the Red Bull Ring, you can argue it is one of his weaker tracks relative to teammate Bottas.&♑nbsp;

Although, rain is on the forecast, which 𓆉could be𝓡 good news for Hamilton.

Verstappen has two wins to his name on Red Bull soil, most memorably overtaking Charles Leclerc late on for the w♒in in 2019.

History doesn’t tend to dictate the f☂uture but it certa🌳inly bodes well for another four-way fight at the front.

More Ferrari suffering? 

Ferrari endured ꧑its worst race of th🌄e season last time out at Paul Ricard.

Significantly worse tyr꧃e wear meant Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc d൩ropped outside of the points-paying positions in France as they finished 11th and 16th.

Team boss Mattia Binotto has already stat✃ed that Ferrari cannot solve its current tyre woes nor does it fully understand them.&nb💦sp;

The consolation for ♑Ferrari is that its qualifying pace tends to be clear of its midfield rivals and Binotto remains confident the tyre issues it suffered in France won’t necessarily affect them at every race. 

Conversely, McLaren took a significant step forward in the race f♏or third in the constructors’ championship as both Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finished in ﷺthe top six last time out.

Oppo♔site⛦ to Ferrari in that McLaren struggles more so over one lap while faring much better on race day and its handling of the tyres. 

Norris 🌺shone brightly last year in Austria, taking his maiden podium in the first race and a top-five finish in the s🌠econd Styria round.

It could be more Ferrari suffering this weekend.

Can Ocon deal with the Alonso magic?

After a slow start to 💞his return to F1, Fernando🐈 Alonso looks back to his best in the last two rounds.

10th to sixth on the restart at Baku was followed up by another strong drive to eighth at Le Castellꦯet. 

The Spaniard was consistently faster than teammate Esteban Ocon across the last two weekends, a stark contrast to the opening part of the season where the Frenchman out-qualified and out-raced Alonso for foᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚur consecutive races.

On theౠ back of a new three-year deal with Alpine, Ocon was expected to go well at his home race at Paul Ricard. 

Anဣonymous and lacking pace - Ocon was never on it. 

It’s sti🍒ll early days but Alonso will only get comfortable and on top of the 2021 Alpine. 

After a strong start to the season, Ocon will need to bounce back with a strong performance at 🐷oꦑne of these two Austria rounds.

Rain in the air?

Early forecasts for this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix suggest all three days will be hit with ra🧸in and potential thunderstorms.

Any wet qualifyinไg or race session is usually exciting, offering potential for unpredictability. 

Hamilton’s record in the wet is exemplary, while Verstappen is no slouch in these conditions😼 given that he won at Imola comfortably.

George Russell scored Williams’ bes✱t resul♚t of the season last time out with 12th.

On merit, Rus♉sell beat both Alfas, Yuki Tsunoda and Charles Leclerc. 

As he goes in search of his first points for the Gr𒈔ove-based outfit, changꦆeable conditions might give him the opportunity he needs to get off the mark.

But knowing F1, the rain will pass as we get closer to the race w𒀰eekend