Austrian Grand Prix 2014 Preview

Written by @OMGitsTarrynLee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!


Austrian Grand Prix | Sunday 22 June | Red Bull Ring | 14:00

Eleven years have passed since the Formula One spectacle last visited the Austrian race track nestled in the Styrian mountains. The circuit has been renamed the Red Bull Ring, after it was purchased by the team and added to the 2014 race calendar. Despite being named after the Red Bulls, neither of the drivers have competed in a Formula One race at the track, a trait that is shared by most of the current drivers barring a handful of the more experienced, who were fresh faces at the Austrian track back in 2003. With the circuit providing a new challenge for most of the teams, expect some interesting racing and possible fumbles as the drivers try their hands at getting it right on the revived track.

Previous Race
Canada certainly didn’t disappoint as Mercedes failed to continue their streak of wins with both cars suffering mechanical faults. Hamilton’s car spluttered to a halt, ending his race on lap 46, while Nico Rosberg’s fate was kinder, leaving the German with second place after his near race-long lead was stolen by Daniel Ricciardo, snaking past a Mercedes that couldn’t fight back. Canada was a brilliant race for the Red Bull team who managed to get both drivers onto the podium. Vettel took third place, but the real star was the younger and fresher addition to the team, Ricciardo. His first win cements him as a worthy rival to his Championship-winning teammate, who seems to be struggling to adapt to the changes in 2014. Felipe Massa found himself in an unfamiliar position at the front of the pack, but his ailing tyres sent him back into the pits. He returned to the group further back than he would have liked and while trying to piggyback on Vettel’s pass on Perez, he collided with the Mexican, ending both of their races just shy of the finish. Their disappointment wasn’t shared by Button, who shot up to fourth with little effort thanks to the crash. Hulkenberg finished behind the former World Champion in fifth while Ferrari had another lacklustre weekend, with Alonso in sixth and Raikkonen just scraping the final points position. Bottas continued his spate of impressive drives, securing seventh for the Williams team to somewhat soften the blow of Massa’s demise. Kevin Magnussen found himself back in the points in Canada but has so far failed to recreate his maiden race finish where he grabbed a podium.

The Track
As one of the most picturesque tracks on the calendar, the Red Bull Ring boasts a backdrop of beautiful forests and the Styrian mountains. The circuit is one of the shortest of the calendar and is mostly a bunch of high-speed straights joined by a few twisty corners. The track has plenty of elevation changes to test the drivers over the 71 laps and a giant statue of an enraged bull reminds the other teams who’s boss in the Austrian hills. There are plenty of overtaking opportunities, Turn One especially being a great place to pull off a pass, and two DRS zones on the straights make it imperative that the drivers edge into the one second window in order to be able to make a move on the driver ahead. The weather is unpredictable and the track is tough on the engines and the brakes, but the surface is not particularly bumpy, so the tyres provided by Pirelli will be the two softest compounds.


To Win Outright
Lewis Hamilton 6/10
Nico Rosberg 7/4
Daniel Ricciardo 14/1
Sebastian Vettel 20/1
Fernando Alonso 33/1
Valterri Bottas 66/1
Felipe Massa 66/1
Nico Hulkenberg 100/1

VALUE BETS
Nico Rosberg (7/4 a win, 1/5 a podium)
Rosberg has outperformed his teammate in the past couple of races and once again finds himself at the top of the World Championship standings. The pretty-boy racing driver has come into his own as of late, proving that he is a strong contender to take home the Driver’s Championship at the end of the year. Despite his car nearly giving up on him in Canada, he still managed to claw his way onto the podium. Considering he drives for what has been the most dominant team of the 2014 season, a bet on Rosberg is never unwise. More than likely we’ll see him on the podium but with little money to be made, a win bet might be preferable.

Daniel Ricciardo (14/1 a win, 1/1 a podium)
Ricciardo surprised pretty much everyone in Canada by ending up on the top step of the podium. The young Aussie has taken to the Red Bull like a duck to water, surpassing his teammate’s 2014 achievements and no doubt shaking the World Champion’s confidence. The circuit is named after the Red Bull team but whether or not Ricciardo can repeat his Canadian performance against a Mercedes at full force remains to be seen. A bet on a podium finish for Ricciardo is more prudent and looks good at even money. However, 14/1 a win is enticing for the risk-takers.

Felipe Massa (Top 6 Finish, 8/10)
Massa is one of the few drivers to have driven the Austrian circuit before, but with eleven years since the last race it’s hard to say whether this will benefit the Brazilian in any way. The Williams team are looking competitive, with Massa poised to claim decent points in Canada before the last lap collision with Perez that squashed any hope of scoring. A podium in Austria might be a far off dream for the experienced driver but at 7/1 there is decent money to be made should he pull it off. A Top 6 finish at 8/10 provides a smaller payout but I would be surprised if Massa finished seventh or below.

POLE POSITION: Lewis Hamilton 6/10
Hamilton will be smarting from his DNF in Canada and with his knack for pulling out a rapid lap in the last seconds of qualifying, my money is on the Mercedes man to prove that he’s not out of the title race yet with a Pole Position in Austria. Hamilton has suffered a bit of bad luck but if his car performs there is a good chance of him not only taking Pole, but of winning the race on Sunday. The Brit is the current favourite to win the Austrian Grand Prix but with little return it may be best to look elsewhere if profit is the end goal.

TO WIN OUTRIGHT: Sebastian Vettel 20/1
Vettel has battled to continue his previous successes into the 2014 season but his podium finish in Canada shows that the current World Champion is on the road to competing for his fifth Championship victory. His teammate’s win will be a motivating factor for the very competitive German, so expect him to really fight for the checkered flag at Red Bull’s home ground. At 20/1 there is a massive payout waiting for anyone willing to risk it on the German; he hasn’t managed a victory yet this season and what better place to take his maiden 2014 win than under the Styrian mountains next to a statue of a giant bull.

Think we’ve got it wrong? Well leave your comments below and tell us how you think this one is going to play out.