Not a bad circuit for overtaking, Good chance of a competitive race, Beautiful track location .
Disadvantages:
2000 race was fairly dull after lap one . , Not the most exciting track . , No home drivers .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Since its reintroduction to the Grand Prix calendar in 1997, the Austrian Grand Prix has never failed to provide a surprise somewhere along the lines, and this year should be no exception. The A1-Ring generally offers good overtaking opportunities, the standard of competition in Formula One is currently very good and issues of reliability look set to play a vital role.
The Track ------------
At 4.3km, the A1-Ring is the shortest on the Formula One calendar. This, and the general combination of long straights leading into slow corners has earned it an unfortunate reputation as something of a glorified kart track. However, it is precisely this feature that makes the A1-Ring an easier track to overtake on than most other circuits, and its short length can make traffic a major problem for leading cars. Considering its length, the A1-Ring also has a lot of gradient on account of it being situation in the Styrian mountains.
The A1-Ring is fashioned from the once-mighty Osterreichring, though the glorious sweeps of that great circuit are now gone. The start/finish area still leads uphill into the first corner - the right-hand Castrol, taken in second gear at 115kph. There has almost invariably been some incident here on the first lap. Another slightly uphill straight brings the cars up to well over 300kph on approach to the tracks slowest corner Remus, a tight right slightly shorter than a hairpin taken in second or first gear. Traction from this corner is difficult, and the team which has perfected its recently-legalised traction control system the best will make major gains here.
A downhill stretch links Remus and turn three, Gosser, another tight right taken in second at less than 100kph. The track sweeps right from Gosser towards two very fast right hand bends taken in fourth, named after two great Austrian drivers: three times champion Niki Lauda and Gerhard Berger (now liaises between engine supplier BMW and their customer Williams) respectively. The track curves to the right and over a slight rise on the exit of the last bend.
The cars approach the right-hand Jochen Rindt curve (the other Austrian World Champion) which is also taken in fourth at around 190kph. The final bend, the A1-Kurve, is taken in third gear and brings the cars back to the start-finish straight. It is a good circuit, but show a map of it to an F1 romanticist and they'll wearily trace the outline of its even better predecessor.
Lap Times & Strategy ---------------------------
Last year's pole position time was set by Miak Hakkinen at 1m10.410s, and it's not inconceivable that this might dip below 1m10s if the advances made in traction will improve exit speeds from the slower corners enough to cancel out the loss of speed due to less efficient 2001 aerodynamics around the faster bends. With the improved grip brought by the tyre war, I'd expect the pole position time to dip as low as 1m09.5s. In the 2000 race Coulthard set a fastest lap of 1m11.783s, which should dip towards the 2000 pole time in 2001 race trim.
In terms of strategy, the A1-Ring does little to punish a heavy fuel load and so a one-stop strategy is pretty much universal - last year every single driver opted for this strategy. Issues of tyre wear are unlikely to change this, so the crucial question instead becomes exactly when each driver will make their solitary stop. For most teams, this is a question of filling the car brim-full at the start and going as long as possible, a tactic McLaren worked well in Barcelona. Long safety car periods - a common threat on such a short track - and groups of backmarkers can make the timing of the sole stop utterly crucial.
There are two sides to the history of the Austrian Grand Prix - the first covers the old race, held on the wonderful high-speed Osterreichring. After a non-Championship race in 1963 a full Formula One Grand Prix was held the following year and, after a brief hiatus, a race was held every year from 1970 to 1987.
In 1970 home star Jochen Rindt was cheered on by the crowd in what was to become is championship year, though Jacky Ickx won the race. Rindt became famous as the only posthumous F1 Champion, after dying in a crash at Monza some weeks after the Austrian race and becoming champion after his death when his rivals failed to score sufficient points to surpass his total.
Wet weather threw up a memorably odd result in 1975 when Vittorio Brambilla took victory for March as the race was cut short. On his victory lap he raised both hands into the air in joy - and promptly crashed! The following year John Watson took the only victory for the Penske year and in 1977 Alan Jones did likewise for Penske. The 1982 event closed in fantastic style as Keke Rosberg in the Williams drew alongside Elio de Angelis' Lotus while coming across the line, only to see de Angelis clinch victory by 0.05s.
Niki Lauda only won his home event once, en route to his third and final title in 1984. The last race held on the old circuit came in 1987 and was won by Nigel Mansell, although it took three attempts to get the race started after massive crashes at the start line.
The revised A1-Ring made its first appearance in 1997 and saw a stellar drive by Jarno Trulli in the Prost, who lead eventual winner Jacques Villeneuve for half the race. Sadly, Trulli's engine expired shortly after losing the lead. Hakkinen took a dominant win in 1998 after withstanding phenomenal pressure from Michael Schumacher, who subsequently spun off.
Hakkinen's team mate Coulthard ensured there would be no repeat victory however, nerfing his team mate into last place at the second corner in 1999. Coulthard lost victory himself to Eddie Irvine after being baulked in traffic. Hakkinen had revenge in 2000, however, in a lights-to-flag victory which was doubly sweet as title rival Michael Schumacher was hit by Ricardo Zonta at the first turn, ending his race there and then.
This Should Be Good --------------------------
Hakkinen will be not so much hungry for victory as insatiably ravenous after his cruel last-lap disappointment in Spain. He has proved that he is capable of running on the leaders pace but he will have to begin stringing together victories if he wants to think about another World Championship. Schumacher's title hopes are back on track but he will have to keep an eye on both McLarens, especially with David Coulthard still very much in championship contention. Interestingly, Schumacher has never finished higher than third here.
What links Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya? One person: Rubens Barrichello. Unless he finds a serious improvement in performance after his dismal run to retirement in Spain he will have to look elsewhere for employment in 2002 for in the time since the Spanish Grand Prix each of these three drivers has been tipped to replace him. Few people expect Barrichello to be on Schumachers pace, but in Spain he was about 0.8s per lap slower than Schumacher and Hakkinen, which simply isn't good enough.
Williams' lack of development on their traction control system held them back in Spain, but with the improvements they will have made in the mean time and the power of the BMW engine on the A1-Rings three main straights should keep Montoya and Ralf Schumacher in the hunt for a podium place.
The Jordan vs. BAR Honda rivalry remains tipped in Jordans favour at 13 to 7 but BAR have crucially become the first of the two to take a podium finish. Trulli has qualified consistently well and shone here in 1997, though his race pace of late has been unconvincing. Expect Villeneuve to lead the Honda assault. Add the Saubers to this group with Nick Heidfeld leading the assault as he has done pretty much all year long while his even younger team-mate takes the limelight.
Predictions & Who To Watch -----------------------------------
Hakkinen has proved his worth at this circuit before and this time he must make it stick. He has rallied extremely well under pressure before and I expect the same at this race. Coulthards consistent run has been dented - he lost victory from pole in San Marino and had technical problems ruining his Spanish race - but he remains the only driver to have scored points in every 2001 race so far. Nonetheless, I can see Schumacher extending his title lead here.
But it is important to remember that each of the McLaren and Ferrari drivers suffered a technical failure during the Spanish race, so expect the midfield battle to rise to a fight for a podium place, perhaps even a win, meaning any of the eight Williams, Jordan, BAR and Sauber drivers are in with a chance. I expect Ralf Schumachers Williams to lead the offensive with Villeneuve continuing his upturn in form.
Predicted top six:
1. Mika Hakkinen 2. Michael Schumacher 3. Ralf Schumacher 4. Jacques Villeneuve 5. Heinz-Harald Frentzen 6. Nick Heidfeld
Five drivers to keep an eye on:
Mika Hakkinen: Three mechanical failures from five races - it can only get better, but he must start winning to remain in championship contention. He has the speed without question - it's a question of luck and reliability.
Rubens Barrichello: This is his 23rd race for Ferrari of which he has won only one (Germany 2000) and only ever looked like winning one more (Britain 2000). The pressure is on him too, no matter what Ferrari say.
Juan Pablo Montoya: He has demonstrated his speed, he has scored points, but to make it all come together he must qualify better. He has raced here before and the circuit is less complicated than most - given a good position on the grid a repeat of his incredible start in Spain could net him another podium finish.
Pedro de la Rosa: In inauspicious return in Spain, but the A1-Ring is the circuit where he ran third last year before mechanical problems intervened. A repeat performance could give Jaguar their first points of the year.
Fernando Alonso: Underrated driver of the year without doubt, he is consistently qualifying clear of notonly hismore experienced team mate but usually both Benettons and Bernoldi to boot. Given the first-lap fracas we invariably witness in Austria and the reliability problems most teams are experiencing, Alonso could be a worthwhile flutter for a top-six spot.
The Race: Action All The Way ------------------------------
Sitting pretty on pole position after qualifying was Michael Schumacher, and with his key McLaren rivals languishing on the fourth row of the grid his first ever Austrian grand Prix victory was his for the taking. To his visible dismay, however, nothing went quite according to plan.
It went worse for Hakkinen, Heidfeld and both the Jordans, who never even made it off the line with yet more launch control problems. Frentzen never got going, Hakkinen did one lap before retiring and Trulli resumed via the closed pit lance and earned a disqualification for his troubles.
Montoya and Ralf, meanwhile, made blinding starts leapt off up the hill in the lead ahead of Michael, Coulthard and Barrichello. Ralf yielded to Juan-Pablo at turn one and, as in Brazilian, the Columbian shot into the lead. Barrichello meanwhile eased past Coulthard on therun up to turn two.
Ralf's race lasted only ten laps before suspension failure claimed him, and Montoya, struggling for grip on his inconsistent Michelin tyres, quickly fell into the clutches of the Ferraris, Verstappens' Arrows aided into fifth by a two-stop startegy, Coulthard and Panis. Michael, his tail covered by the subservient Barrichello who was also busy fending of Verstappen, made repeated attempts to pass Montoya but the Columbian's braking and car positioning was invariably spot on.
On lap sixteen Montoya held the inside of turn two very tightly but outbraked himself slightly and slid wide, blocking Schumacher who had also braked a shade too late. Schumacher fell to sixth and Montoya seventh. It was not long before Verstappen made his early stop and Schumacher quickly sliced past Panis' BAR and Raikkonen's Sauber, both of which ;defending' their positions in a lamentably ineffectual fashion compared to the highly praiseworthy driving of Montoya.
Thus Barrichello lead from Coulthard and Schumacher, the three compressing to within a second of each other as the sole pit stops loomed closer. The Ferrari mechanics ran out early on lap 45 attempting to provoke a reaction from McLaren (an action supposedly rendered illegal a few years ago) but Schumacher was in on lap 46 anyway, followed by Barrichello on lap 47. McLaren, however, repeating their smart tactical work of Spain, kept Coulthard out longer allowing him to put up a new fastest lap of the race and emerge from the pit lane 0.9s clear of Barrichello.
And so it remained for the last twenty laps of the race, with Coulthard unable to extend his gap and Schumacher, floundering through the gravel on at least two occasions, close behind Barrichello. As was widely expected, Barrichello was ordered to give second place to Schumacher at the last corner as his Ferrari contract stipulates that he must always yield to Ferrari's number one driver.
On the podium Coulthard, mindful of the death on Saturday of McLaren's Ilmor engine technician Paul Morgan, declined to participate in the celebrations. With the two Ferrari drivers striving to outdo each other in glum expressions - Schumacher rueing a victory lost and Barrichello painfully reminded of his subservience - the podium after one of the best races of the year was a thoroughly miserable affair.
And so the championship now is surely between two men - Michael Schumacher on 42 ahead of Coulthard on 38. Hakkinen remains stuck on 4 in equal tenth place, and surely it can only be a matter of time before his chances of winning the 2001 Championship become mathematically impossible and he, like Barrichello, will become the support driver for his team mate.
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