This weekend we head back across the pond to Spielberg for the F1 Austrian Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc chased down polesitter Max Verstappen to take the checkered flag a year ago.
The Red Bull Ring, which has been back on the Formula 1 calendar since 2014, requires a combination of speed and cornering finesse to win the race.
The first half of the track rewards top-end speed and power with three uphill straights. Then, as the drivers come around Turn 4, the second half of the circuit includes a deft touch of downhill speedy corners to maneuver.
The Austrian Grand Prix race weekend calendar also features a Sprint Shootout and Sprint Race on Saturday. It's the second of the season. New for the 2023 season, qualifying after FP1 will set the race grid for Sunday, as the Shootout plus the Sprint Race will be stand-alone events.
Drivers and teams will no longer need to worry about a Saturday mishap affecting the starting race grid for the main event on Sunday.
F1 Picks for Austrian Grand Prix
Red Bull Home-Field Advantage
Through the first eight races of the 2023 season, Red Bull drivers have combined to win all eight grand prix races thus far, have combined for seven poles, and have five fastest laps.
Coming off a third straight victory, it’s no surprise that Max Verstappen is a heavy favorite to win the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday. Depending on where you look, his odds to win outright are in the neighborhood of -300.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find value on him continuing to stay on top of the grid.
I like the recent history at Red Bull Ring as added support for staying on the Max Verstappen train. Of the prior three F1 races at the Spielberg circuit, the reigning two-time champion has sat on pole position all three times, and outside of finishing second to Ferrari, has won the other two races.
Look for Verstappen to win pole position (again) this weekend and continue to lap the field while taking home the checkered flag.
Going into the weekend – unless some unforeseen problems arise – this is the best odds for which you will find Max to win the race, having to parlay it with the fastest qualifier. As an added value play, feel free to add fastest lap to the mix and try and cash in on the plus money bet.
The Picks: Max Verstappen – Fastest Qualifier & Win Race (-200 on bet365, 2 units) | Verstappen – Fastest Qualifier, Fastest Lap & Win Race (+200 on bet365, 0.5 units)
Successful Ferrari Weekend
Race weekend after race weekend, it seems as though Ferrari arrives with high hopes of turning around their season. This weekend in Austria is no different. Ferrari is currently in fourth place in the Constructors Standings, 32 points behind Aston Martin.
Looking to go back-to-back at Red Bull Ring, Charles Leclerc is +1800 right now on DraftKings as an outright winner.
Last year, Leclerc ran fastest in Q1 and Q2, and he was second fastest in both Q3 and the Sprint Race.
New season, new car, and negative trends surround the Ferrari paddock. But this weekend can be the launch point for them to get back into the top-3 race.
Due to the lack of success thus far in 2023, I believe that there's great value to be found surrounding The Prancing Horse out of Maranello, Italy. The SF-23 car is built for power, and both drivers can build upon recent success at this track to showcase this.
I'm turning to the market for Austrian GP matchups and backing both Ferrari drivers against George Russell. For Leclerc, it's a pick'em matchup whereas you can get plus money on Carlos Sainz Jr. in the matchup.
