Preview VC Styria: Red Bull’s home track and a strong Lando Norris

Austria’s Red Bull Ring will welcome the Queen of Motorsport for two Grands Prix over the next two weekends. Just like last year, it will be the VC of Styria, but this time before the VC of Austria. The weather forecast is currently calling for rain, so let’s see if nature also plays its hand.

In the last 8 races at the Red Bull Ring, no one has won but a Red Bull or Mercedes driver. The very last race, held for the first time ever as the VC of Styria, was won by Lewis Hamilton ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen.

We expect something similar on the podium this year. If anyone outside of the aforementioned trio and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez can win, it would be a big surprise. There could be a few candidates, though.

The first is Lando Norris in the orange McLaren. He did pick up one third and one fifth place in Austria last season. The bronze in the first race of 2020 was Norris’ first career podium finish. In the event of technical problems for one of the top riders, the Briton could definitely attack the higher ranks.

Just like his teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who already knows what victory tastes like on the Red Bull Ring. In 2017, he celebrated here in the colours of the then-domestic Red Bull. He knows the track very well and should have his mental state in good shape after a solid race in France. He too could surprise.

Probably the last major candidate then is Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari. The Monegasque was 2 and a half laps away from winning in 2019 before Max Verstappen came flying in and made the winning manoeuvre after a fierce duel into Turn 3.

The team from Maranello, for whom Leclerc drives, didn’t pick up a point at the Paul Ricard circuit, but even last year’s weak SF1000 monopoly managed to finish second thanks to Leclerc. So let’s not rule the Monegasque out of contention for a decent finish either.

The main favourite is definitely Max Verstappen, who would like to add a 4th win this year. Moreover, the top speed on the straights plays a bigger role on the Austrian circuit, which Red Bull had more than Mercedes in France.