Formula 1 can expect a very hot Austrian Grand Prix weekend. The heat will eventually give way to thunderstorms – but these aren’t expected until after the race.
Much of Europe is experiencing a heatwave at the moment, with record-breaking temperatures expected. It will be hot at the Red Bull Ring, venue of this weekend’s action, as well. However the Styrian hills will offer some respite from the scorching heat.Even so drivers have expect significantly hotter weather than last year. Race day ambient temperatures peaked at 24C last year, but they could be as much as 10C higher on Sunday. Today, the last day before the track action begins, should see temperatures hit 34C, but they will dip between now and race day.
Three days of near-constant sunshine are expected to start on Friday, with only a moderate breezing keeping temperatures from hitting 30C. It’s likely track temperatures will be north of 50C, as they were at Paul Ricard.
Similar conditions expected on Saturday. Sunday will be hotter still, and last year’s peak race track temperature of 49C will surely be easily beaten. It points to conditions rather similar to last weekend’s race at Paul Ricard, where Mercedes unusually suffered some blistering on its tyres during the race. With the same tyres nominated this weekend – the soft C4s through the hard C2s – that may prove a concern again this weekend, particularly in the hard acceleration zones which stress the rear tyres.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
For more updates on the track conditions during each session keep an eye on RaceFans Live and the RaceFans Twitter account.
2019 Austrian Grand Prix
- 2019 Austrian Grand Prix Star Performers
- Top ten pictures from the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix
- Leclerc denied again as Verstappen’s hard racing gives Red Bull home win
- Six wins and no pole for Verstappen, two poles and no win for Leclerc
- Paddock Diary: Austrian Grand Prix day four
Chaitanya
27th June 2019, 7:36
Now that even Mercs are suffering from blistering will we still hear Horner/Marko and Steiner bicker about “Kinder surprise” tyres?
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
27th June 2019, 9:19
There’s an easy answer to blistering tyres.
It’s called, make a pit stop for a new set of tyres.
Instead Pirelli go into panic mode and change coumpounds, trireme pressures etc just to protect their image.
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
27th June 2019, 9:58
Absolutely true. You have a minimum number of pits, not a maximum. But I fear with these cars it’s more convenient to slow down and administer than change for fresh rubber and flat out.
Far are the days when Michael won by making one more pit and making quali lap after quali lap.
anon
27th June 2019, 19:06
@m-bagattini, the thing is, how many times have we seen teams attempt to run a strategy with an extra stop over their rivals and seen it fail instead?
Yes, Schumacher pulled off that famous four stop strategy in the 2004 French GP, but it’s only because it was so exceptional that we remember it now – that sort of strategy normally wouldn’t work, and only really worked given how dominant the F2004 was that season.
joe pineapples
27th June 2019, 8:35
Racing on a damp/wet track seems a distant memory.
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
27th June 2019, 10:09
> Much of Europe is experiencing a heatwave at the moment
Oh… that explains the blister on my soles
Andrew (@andrewsf1)
27th June 2019, 10:17
So the only hope of not having another boring Merc 1-2 is that maybe their tires will fall apart?
That gave me an interesting idea how tires can be used as success ballast:
What if you gave the top 3 finishers in the last race less tires for the next one? Winner 3 sets less, p2 2 sets and p3 1 less set? Should make car setup and evaluating new parts more difficult
Jere (@jerejj)
27th June 2019, 12:31
At present, the forecast shows 28, 27, and 31 C for practice, qualifying, and the race day respectively, so high-20s to low-30s.
Source: Accuweather.com
https://www.accuweather.com/en/at/spielberg-bei-knittelfeld/25519/june-weather/25519