Rolex Grosser Preis Von Osterreich
Location: Spielberg, Austria
Course: Red Bull Ring
Course Length: 4.32km
Laps: 71
Austrian Grand Prix Race Preview
Carlos Sainz Jr. took advantage of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen's trouble last week to capture his first series victory in the British Grand Prix. The race got off to a messy start with a multi-car crash off the grid that immediately brought out the red flag. Once the racing got started, tight battles and contact throughout the field left multiple drivers with damaged machines in the early laps, including Leclerc and Verstappen. However, the Ferrari teammates were fastest on track early and won the pit strategy battle to stay in front, controlling the race and leaving Sainz to ease away to his first career victory. Red Bull Racing's Sergio Perez's late-race charge earned him the second step on the podium, while Lewis Hamilton took advantage of recent Mercedes improvements to finish third in the most competitive race for him yet this season. Verstappen still leads the driver's standings with Perez in second, ahead of the Ferrari teammates in third and fourth. The championship quest continues this weekend in Austria at the Red Bull Ring where Verstappen will be going for his third consecutive win at the tight and twisty alpine track.
Key Stats at Red Bull Ring
- Races: 35
- Winners from pole: 13
- Winners from top-5 starters: 31
- Winners from top-10 starters: 34
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 235.437 kph
Previous 10 Austria Winners
2021 II - Max Verstappen
2021 I - Max Verstappen
2020 II - Lewis Hamilton
2021 I - Valtteri Bottas
2019 - Max Verstappen
2018 - Max Verstappen
2017 - Valtteri Bottas
2016 - Lewis Hamilton
2015 - Nico Rosberg
2014 - Nico Rosberg
Austria's Red Bull Ring has gone by a number of different names through the years but has been a fairly regular fixture on the Formula 1 calendar. The first series race was held at the track in 1970, and it has hosted two races each of the past two years. The track is narrow and twisty with significant elevation changes. Pirelli will bring the softer selection of tires to this year's race with the goal of increasing tire degradation and encouraging more overtaking. The race will also be the second sprint weekend of the season where a short 100km race on Saturday will set the field for Sunday's main event. Sprint race weekends tend to produce closer racing on Sundays, and opportunities for unexpected results increase. Maximizing grip on the tight and undulating track while getting the most out of the brakes are the key areas for teams at Red Bull Ring. The track's tight corners and short lap distance naturally produce close racing with opportunities to pass coming primarily from out-braking opponents into corner entry.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS for the Austrian Grand Prix (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Max Verstappen - $12,000
Charles Leclerc - $11,200
Lewis Hamilton - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Carlos Sainz Jr. - $9,600
Sergio Perez - $9,000
George Russell - $8,400
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Lando Norris - $7,600
Fernando Alonso - $7,000
Valtteri Bottas - $6,600
DraftKings Constructor Values
Red Bull Racing - $11,700
Ferrari - $10,700
Mercedes - $9,800
Formula 1 DFS Picks for the Austrian Grand Prix
Team Captain - Max Verstappen - $18,000
Carlos Sainz Jr. - $9,600
Sebastian Vettel - $5,000
Kevin Magnussen - $4,000
Alex Albon - $3,600
Constructor - Mercedes - $9,800
Verstappen will be the favorite heading to Red Bull's home track. The defending champion will be gunning for his third straight win at the track, but he will have to overcome Saturday's sprint race to get on good footing for that victory. Ferrari's Sainz will make a nice selection as well given his win last week. He has been knocking on the door of wins this season and is likely to be in the mix for the podium again this week. Aston Martin and Sebastian Vettel haven't had the success they want often this season, but Vettel has finished in the points in three of the last four races. A sprint race on Saturday could also jumble things up just enough to give him an advantage for a nice result on Sunday. Kevin Magnussen has consistently been the team leader at HAAS F1 Team this year. His previous best finish at this track was fifth in 2018, and he finished in the points last week at Silverstone, too. Alex Albon has the benefit of having driven for Red Bull at their home track before. In fact, his best finish at the track was the second race in 2020 when he finished fourth. That was his last race at the track and should give him confidence this week to get the most out of his car this weekend. Finally, Mercedes appears to have overcome their early-season challenges. Hamilton was genuinely competitive last week, and the team should be able to build on those gains. Fantasy players didn't get to see what George Russell could do with the developments after his first-lap crash, but both teammates could be considered early contenders for the podium this week, too.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Austrian Grand Prix (Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook)
Race Winner - Charles Leclerc +250
Winning Constructor - Ferrari +150
Winning Margin - Between 5 & 10 seconds +350
Fastest Lap - Sergio Perez +600
Safety Car - No +150
Verstappen may be the early favorite at Red Bull Ring, but Ferrari was fast enough to keep the Red Bull cars behind them last week. Leclerc will be anxious to get another victory to get his championship charge back on track, and taking his odds this week offer a better return for relatively little risk. Similarly, while Red Bull Racing may want to pull out all the stops to win again on their home turf, Ferrari gives much better odds for the victory. Remember, this is a sprint-race weekend, which could introduce some unexpected results. Three of the last four Austrian Grands Prix were won by a margin greater than 10 seconds. However, sprint-race weekends do tend to produce closer races on Sunday. That is why going with the five to 10-second margin could be a better option this time. As far as fastest laps are concerned, Verstappen and Leclerc have been missing out on the points recently. Perez makes a nice option to grab that bonus this week given the circuit is Red Bull's home, along with the recent trends favoring the teammates of the main title contenders. Last season's two Austria races produced just one caution period. That has not been the trend so far in 2022, but with significant runoff room at Red Bull Ring this could be the week that trend reverses itself and the race goes caution-free.
