McLaren and Ferrari both head to Austria seeking redemption after a difficult Canadian Grand Prix, where Mercedes stole the spotlight. At the Red Bull Ring, the drastically different asphalt, tyres, and temperatures compared to Montreal will challenge teams in new ways. McLaren, current leader in the championship, must prove it hasn’t been more affected than others by the recent technical directive on flexible wings.
Tyre degradation in the spotlight
Tyre wear will be the key performance factor in Austria, as is now common in a Formula 1 era marked by minimal gaps between cars. The Styrian track is the shortest on the calendar in terms of lap time, with only eight actual corners, simplifying tyre management during qualifying. However, the race paints a different picture. Pirelli will bring its softest compounds—C3, C4, and C5—repeating the selection from last year, when a two-stop strategy became dominant.
This Grand Prix will be markedly different from Canada, where the smooth new surface, long straights, and lack of fast corners kept thermal tyre degradation low, favouring Mercedes. “The absence of fast corners and the low-porosity asphalt reduced tyre stress and suited the W16,” said Toto Wolff. In Austria, the much older and rougher tarmac increases hysteresis effects that generate heat in the tyres, especially under traction and braking—two crucial performance areas on this circuit. Still, Austria isn’t purely a stop-and-go track like Montreal, as it includes several long, flowing corners.
High degradation, especially on the rear axle, will likely widen gaps during the race, increasing overtaking chances. The three DRS zones also support a race-focused setup rather than a qualifying one. However, car setup might also be influenced by weather variability, with significant temperature swings expected over the weekend.
Altitude promotes lift and coast
The Red Bull Ring sits around 700 meters above sea level, and the 10% drop in air density has multiple implications. The reduced airflow affects the internal combustion engine, forcing the MGU-H to spin the turbo faster to compress enough air. Aerodynamic downforce generation is also impacted, leading teams to use medium-downforce setups despite the high-speed profile of the circuit. Austria has recorded the second-highest full-throttle percentage this season so far.
Cooling becomes even more critical—less air means brakes, tyres, and power units struggle to shed heat. Teams may be forced to adopt lift and coast strategies to avoid relying on oversized cooling inlets, which would compromise aerodynamics and make it harder to bring front tyres up to temperature in short qualifying out-laps.
McLaren under the microscope
McLaren stands out for its excellent thermal and power unit management, gaining crucial tenths in straight-line speed thanks to superior cooling efficiency. On paper, Austria plays to the strengths of the Woking project. The MCL39 will benefit from its agility in turns 3 and 4 and can exploit its long-corner stability seen in Barcelona through the flowing sections of sectors two and three. Moreover, the papaya car thrives in hot conditions and under heavy rear thermal degradation—precisely the scenario Austria presents.
Missing the podium in Canada may have been a natural setback, though some believe McLaren suffered more than others from the flexible wing directive introduced in Spain. The Red Bull Ring is the ideal testing ground to confirm or debunk that suspicion. The new rules have particularly affected car balance across different speed ranges, increasing understeer in slow corners and oversteer in fast ones. After two circuits at opposite ends of the spectrum—high-speed Barcelona and slow-speed Montreal—Austria offers a more varied layout, from 70 km/h hairpins to 200+ km/h sweepers. A collapse of McLaren’s form is unlikely, but if the directive has hurt them more than others, it will show here.
Ferrari seeks a comeback
No team needs a reaction more than Ferrari, which left Canada with a dismal performance. “We’ll have some updates soon, before Silverstone,” said Frederic Vasseur in Montreal, but it remains to be seen if any of those will arrive early in Styria. Ground clearance and floor wear management will be crucial on a track averaging over 240 km/h per lap, where the aerodynamic load generated on the straights pushes the car hard into the tarmac. The violent compression through the final corner adds further wear to the plank.
Ferrari is counting on past form here, where it has often performed well. The high degradation and overtaking chances shift focus from qualifying to race day—good news for a car designed to perform better on Sundays.
Mercedes is chasing a repeat of George Russell’s chaotic 2024 victory, fresh off a win in Montreal. But Austria’s tyre wear presents a challenge the W16 hasn’t always handled well. Still, the abundance of slow corners and traction zones could again highlight the Silver Arrows’ strengths.
Finally, all eyes will be on Max Verstappen, who has a special connection with the Red Bull Ring and a team that has traditionally mastered their home track. However, Max Verstappen must also be careful not to accumulate more penalty points, as one more would result in an automatic race ban—effectively ending his championship hopes.
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