Formula 1 drivers are likely to do some wet weather racing at the Red Bull Ring this weekend – though the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday is expected to be dry.
The inclusion of a sprint race means there are qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday, and so the grid for both may also be influenced by the weather.Any rubber that is on the track surface once the F1 paddock arrives will likely be washed off by the time they actually get on track for first practice on Friday afternoon as it is wet and windy at the Red Bull Ring today.
Friday morning will be sunny, but only the support series will be on track then for their practice sessions. That does mean rubber will be laid down on the racing line, particularly as there are 30 cars in the Formula 3 field, but F1 drivers may not be able to benefit as clouds are set to converge over the circuit in the afternoon and stay there throughout, with an increasing chance of rain.
Qualifying for the grand prix will take place towards the end of the day, putting it at greater risk of rain. Even if the wet weather does not appear then the track temperature will be low due to the cloud cover.
The F1 cars will take to the track at midday and again at the end of the day on Saturday, and there is a very high chance of rain throughout according to the official forecast. The predicted air temperature is 19C for the morning’s sprint race qualifying session, falling to 18C for the sprint race, but the 80%-plus chance of rainfall is likely to be the greater concern.
That is cooler than the conditions F1 raced in last year in Austria, which was already one of the coolest races of the season. It ranked only 18th out of the 22 rounds for ambient temperature, and had the 15th highest track temperature.
Sunday’s forecast is far warmer, however, with afternoon sunshine bringing a high of 25C air temperature before the grand prix takes place. Some clouds will remain in the area later in the day, leaving F1 vulnerable to the type of brief showers that cause anxiety on the pit wall as strategists debate whether or not to pit for intermediates tyres before the rain stops and the track dries up again.
NB. The track also held the Styrian Grand Prix in 2020 and 2021.
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Nick T.
28th June 2023, 18:28
We really need rain for the GP too if we’re going to have an exciting race and a better chance for a non-Max victory.
Nick T.
28th June 2023, 18:42
50% chance of precipitation on Sunday, even if forecasted to be light, this far out means we could get anything from real rain to hot and sunny. Austria usually produces very good races on average, rain or shine, compared to other track. So, it’s one of the few races I’m actually expecting to produce a good race (or a solid race if we’re using pre-2019 races as the measuring stick).
Side Bets/Predictions:
-Will De Vries crash. And, if so, will he keep his drive for the next and/or past the summer break?
-What is your projected likelihood of Gasly smashing into someone?
Jere (@jerejj)
29th June 2023, 11:22
Regarding your side bets & predictions:
Maybe, although even if he did, that mightn’t necessarily mean he’d be out before or after the summer break or during the season generally.
I don’t think the likelihood of Gasly specifically smashing into someone is any higher than anyone else doing the same.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th June 2023, 19:05
I’m okay with rain as long as at least qualifying is entirely dry.
Of course, for sprint (& race with a lower probability), if rain affects track action, hopefully, it’d only be relatively light.
Ken
28th June 2023, 22:47
Same here,hope friday ise dry and dont care about the rest of weekend lol
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
28th June 2023, 19:23
Rain might actually make the sprint interesting.
Ironically the sprint format might give us a lot more track action, given that half the time the teams don’t want to go out much if its wet. With only 1x FP, they’ll have to if they like it or not.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
28th June 2023, 21:39
Indeed, so hope it actually materializes.
Markp
28th June 2023, 22:16
As sprint races for me are a seperate thing to the proper main races they should be a stand alone championship (bit like FA Cup in English football). As such wacky experimental ideas can be used as doesnt mess with what a proper race should be so make every sprint race wet. Also as races are short let them run the engines without fuel flow restrictions, experiment with new use of DRS like you can use it for 5 laps in the race and thats it no matter if you are behind or in front without detection zone of 1 second.
Nick T.
29th June 2023, 20:17
There have been a lot of whacky formats and rules throughout F1’s history. So, the idea that’s it some major departure isn’t true.