Photo: Daimler AG
After a damage controlled-race at Montreal, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team is preparing to get back in the saddle for the eight round of the 2014 Formula One World Championship, which will take place in Austria for the first time since 2003.
With the former A1 Ring circuit in Spielberg having been bought and renovated by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, the upcoming Grand Prix is seen as the home race for the Red Bull Renault team, which recently managed to close some of the gap it has in the Constructors' Championship with Mercedes-AMG Petronas.
Despite this, the Anglo-German team is still seen as a clear favorite, as the Montreal disaster didn't happen from a lack of performance but from an engineering miscalculation before the race which led to technical problems with both the F1 W05 Hybrid cars.
Even though some of the drivers on the current grid have driven on the former A1 Ring back in the day when it was part of Formula One or during their time in other types of racing, the new Red Bull Grand Prix will be rather new for pretty much everyone.
Nico Rosberg: “Although it was a really, really tough day, I’m pleased with the result in Montreal. The car was strong throughout the weekend, so to have the problems we experienced in the race was not what we expected. It just goes to show that you can never be too well prepared and our priority has been to make sure the car is bullet-proof for the rest of the season. When you take everything into account, finishing second in that race was quite an achievement for everyone in the team.
But we know we cannot afford to slip up, as our rivals are always there to take advantage. I’m looking forward to the next race in Austria and a chance to get back to our winning form once again. Although I’ve driven the circuit before, that was more than ten years ago in F3: back when it was still called the A1 Ring! Of course, it will be very different in a Turbocharged, V6 Hybrid Formula One car, so it’s basically like starting from scratch for everyone on the grid. Personally, I love that kind of challenge, so I’m excited to get back in the car and go for another top result.”
Montreal's unlucky Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver, Lewis Hamilton, has vastly different expectations from the upcoming race, especially since he is now more down on points in the Drivers' Championship compared with Nico.
Lewis Hamilton: “Montreal was a bit of a strange one for me. I felt I had the pace right from the beginning of the weekend, but things just never quite came together. It’s frustrating when these things are out of your hands. The two DNF’s so far this season have not been ideal but that’s racing and there’s a long, long way to go. I caught up before and I can catch up again. It’s going to take another four wins to make the difference so I’m going to do my best to get those results.
Right now, I’m just looking ahead to the next race in Austria and another chance to catch up to the lead. I’ve never driven the circuit but I’ve been working on it in the simulator and I’m sure I’ll learn it pretty quickly when we get out on track. It’s always exciting to go to a new venue, so it should be an interesting weekend. I’m feeling good in the car right now and I’ll be pushing flat out to come away with maximum points this time around.”
Despite being relatively unknown to the drivers, the Red Bull Grand Prix in Austria will pose a similar amount of pressure on the hybrid power units and brakes as the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal, making for a rather interesting race once again.
The low number of corners and multiple straights should also play the strengths of the hybrid power unit in the two Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows, but we will have to see if the reliability will play its part.
Despite this, the Anglo-German team is still seen as a clear favorite, as the Montreal disaster didn't happen from a lack of performance but from an engineering miscalculation before the race which led to technical problems with both the F1 W05 Hybrid cars.
Even though some of the drivers on the current grid have driven on the former A1 Ring back in the day when it was part of Formula One or during their time in other types of racing, the new Red Bull Grand Prix will be rather new for pretty much everyone.
Nico Rosberg: “Although it was a really, really tough day, I’m pleased with the result in Montreal. The car was strong throughout the weekend, so to have the problems we experienced in the race was not what we expected. It just goes to show that you can never be too well prepared and our priority has been to make sure the car is bullet-proof for the rest of the season. When you take everything into account, finishing second in that race was quite an achievement for everyone in the team.
But we know we cannot afford to slip up, as our rivals are always there to take advantage. I’m looking forward to the next race in Austria and a chance to get back to our winning form once again. Although I’ve driven the circuit before, that was more than ten years ago in F3: back when it was still called the A1 Ring! Of course, it will be very different in a Turbocharged, V6 Hybrid Formula One car, so it’s basically like starting from scratch for everyone on the grid. Personally, I love that kind of challenge, so I’m excited to get back in the car and go for another top result.”
Montreal's unlucky Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver, Lewis Hamilton, has vastly different expectations from the upcoming race, especially since he is now more down on points in the Drivers' Championship compared with Nico.
Lewis Hamilton: “Montreal was a bit of a strange one for me. I felt I had the pace right from the beginning of the weekend, but things just never quite came together. It’s frustrating when these things are out of your hands. The two DNF’s so far this season have not been ideal but that’s racing and there’s a long, long way to go. I caught up before and I can catch up again. It’s going to take another four wins to make the difference so I’m going to do my best to get those results.
Right now, I’m just looking ahead to the next race in Austria and another chance to catch up to the lead. I’ve never driven the circuit but I’ve been working on it in the simulator and I’m sure I’ll learn it pretty quickly when we get out on track. It’s always exciting to go to a new venue, so it should be an interesting weekend. I’m feeling good in the car right now and I’ll be pushing flat out to come away with maximum points this time around.”
Despite being relatively unknown to the drivers, the Red Bull Grand Prix in Austria will pose a similar amount of pressure on the hybrid power units and brakes as the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal, making for a rather interesting race once again.
The low number of corners and multiple straights should also play the strengths of the hybrid power unit in the two Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows, but we will have to see if the reliability will play its part.
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