2023 F1 Austria Grand Prix: Red Bull favored on home track

After a week’s break following the Canadian Grand Prix, Formula 1 is back in action this weekend. This week marks the first of four races in five weeks. The 2023 F1 Austria Grand Prix precedes the British, Hungarian, and Belgian Grand Prix before the summer break. This means it’s crucial for teams up and down the field to get on the pace. And they start at one of the older races on the calendar.

It’s been the season of Red Bull and Max Verstappen once again. After swapping wins with teammate Sergio Pérez over the first four races, Verstappen’s rattled off four wins in a row. The last race in Canada was relatively uneventful; the most important battles were well behind the defending champion.

This week’s one of the older races, but it’s Red Bull’s home race and, traditionally, an event filled with Verstappen fans. The 2023 F1 Austria Grand Prix will be another sprint race weekend in 2023. The weekend will have the following format:

Friday’s qualifying will set the grid for Sunday’s race. Saturday’s sprint shootout sets the grid for the sprint race later that day. Here’s how the odds look for this weekend:

Verstappen leads the usual favorites for victory

Red Bull and Verstappen have been operating at an extremely high level lately. This weekend marks one of his best tracks. He has more wins in Austria (four) than at all other tracks on the calendar, excluding Mexico. In 10 career races there, he’s managed four wins, three pole positions, and seven podiums.

And that was before he was racing by far the best car on the grid. At -350, he’s a huge favorite for a good reason. Austria is one of the rear-limited circuits on the Formula 1 2023 schedule thanks to slow corners and long straights, and the Red Bull has shined in those circumstances.

Pérez (+600) is second in odds once again. He’s on a run of bad form. He’s managed just one podium (Miami) in the last four races after earning three in the first four. He struggled in qualifying in Canada and could only recover to sixth. Canada and Austria have fairly similar track characteristics. He may be second in odds, but he’d need Verstappen to have terrible luck for a shot at victory.

The same goes for Fernando Alonso (+700). The Spaniard raced well to second in Canada after a rough race at home in Barcelona. He looked good enough in Canada to be considered the next-best option for victory behind Verstappen.

Podium, points-finish favorites

Verstappen (-500), Alonso (-150), Pérez (-120), and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (-110) are favored for a podium finish. Others to consider are Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (+240) and Hamilton’s teammate George Russell (+275).

If you’re looking for a payout on a podium spoiler, Russell’s in better form. The Mercedes package is steadily improving, and had he not hit the wall mid-race, Russell would have been in the mix for a top-four finish. Hamilton’s had the better of him lately, but he could put together a solid weekend.

Oddsmakers have eight drivers favorited for points finish: Verstappen (-800), Alonso (-600), Pérez (-600), Leclerc (-500), Hamilton (-500), Russell (-400), Carlos Sainz (-300), and Lance Stroll (-140).

Those odds reflect how performance has been a race-by-race affair at the back end of the top 10. Outside of the top four teams (Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ferrari), the final two F1 points positions have been a battle among multiple teams.

Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly are both +120 for a points finish in Austria. They’ve been solid in 2023 but often at more front-limited circuits like Spain and Saudi Arabia. Of the two, Ocon’s been in much better form lately with four straight points finishes, including a podium in Monaco.

In Canada, Williams’ Alexander Albon raced superbly to take seventh place. That was his best finish since his last Red Bull race in 2020. Part of that was a result of Russell’s retirement from the race, but he did well to stay ahead of the likes of Stroll and Ocon. At a similar track this week, Albon (+200) is a good choice for a top-10 surprise again.

Lando Norris (+150) races well in Spielberg. Six races have yielded two podiums in cars that were not podium-worthy. He’s had bad luck in the last two races with a questionable penalty in Canada and first-lap contact in Spain. At one of his best tracks, look for him to perform much better than that.

Predictions for the 2023 F1 Austria Grand Prix

It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Verstappen and Red Bull don’t dominate throughout the weekend. They’re both in top form with four consecutive wins coming into a home Grand Prix for the team.

Verstappen’s the pick for pole and the race win. Look for Alonso and Russell to fill out the rest of the podium. For points finishers, look for Ocon and Norris to make it in the top 10.

Can’t get enough? Here’s more!

• Canadian GP Betting Odds: Verstappen favored for fourth straight win
• F1 Aston Martin Team Races Ahead with New Honda Deal
• Spanish GP Results: Verstappen win, close battles down the order
• 2023 Spanish Grand Prix Odds: Red Bull favored again in Barcelona
• Monaco Grand Prix Results: Verstappen’s dominance continues