- Max Verstappen has won four of the last six Austrian Grands Prix
- George Russell has finished ahead of his team-mate in seven races in 2024
- Recommended bets:
- Max Verstappen to win
- George Russell to finish on the podium

Max Verstappen may have extended his lead in the World Drivers’ Championship in Barcelona, but once again he came under heavy pressure from the pacey McLaren of Lando Norris, and Mercedes’ resurgence means that three teams are cutting into Red Bull’s performance advantage.

This weekend, the Formula One circus heads to the home of Red Bull for the Austrian Grand Prix, which acts as the filling sandwiched between the Spanish and British Grands Prix in a thrilling triple-header.

The stats

Max Verstappen has won seven of the 10 Grands Prix in 2024.

Lewis Hamilton has been responsible for just one of Mercedes’ five Austrian Grand Prix victories.

Max Verstappen has won five of his last eight visits to the Red Bull Ring.

Mercedes have finished third and fourth in each of the last two Grands Prix.

Prediction

Red Bull’s advantage in the machinery department may be waning as the chasing pack closes the gap, but Max Verstappen is reminding everybody why he is considered one of the best drivers on the grid.

The three-time world champion clinched his seventh Grand Prix win of the season in Spain last weekend despite the McLaren of Lando Norris seemingly holding an advantage in outright pace, with that nail-biting victory following on from his Montreal masterclass in the wet.

Now, the F1 circus heads to Red Bull Racing’s home Grand Prix in Austria, and it is safe to say that Verstappen has a decent record in the Styrian hills.

The Dutchman has won four of the last six Austrian Grands Prix and also triumphed in the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix around the Red Bull Ring, so expect him to extend his World Drivers’ Championship lead.

Further down the standings, George Russell could be in line to shine in an improving Mercedes.

After a disappointing start to the season, upgrades to the Mercedes have moved them forward on the grid and the Spanish Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton return to the podium for the first time since last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.

That was the Silver Arrows’ second-successive podium following George Russell’s third-place finish in the Canadian Grand Prix, and it is clear the pace is there in the car.

Hamilton may be the most successful driver in F1 history, but his teammate has had the better of him this season and history tells us Austria is not his favourite destination.

The seven-time world champion has been beaten by Russell in seven of the 10 races this season and Hamilton has won only two of his 12 F1 visits to the Red Bull Ring — the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix and the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix.

This is a bafflingly low strike rate for a driver of his stature, especially when you consider that former team-mates Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas have both won two Austrian Grands Prix in the same machinery as the 39-year-old Hamilton.

With the Silver Arrows flying, expect Russell to bounce back on Sunday and clinch a podium finish.

Back Max Verstappen to win at 11/20 with LiveScore Bet
Back George Russell to finish on the podium at 9/4 with LiveScore Bet