F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Styrian GP Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

A lap around the Red Bull Ring is a 64-second mad dash that includes just 10 corners, but that's all the more reason why every little bit of a car's potential must be extracted over the 4.315km course.

The track's layout is not a power track comparable to Silverstone or Monza, but a healthy dose of engine muscle is still required to produce a good flyer.

The speed trap - located at the end of the stretch between Turns 3 and 4 - placed the Mercedes-powered McLaren boys at the top of the readings with a maximum velocity of 317.8 km/h.

But while Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris shared approximately the same top speed in qualifying, there was a significant disparity between their fastest lap times, with the Aussie lagging his teammate by a massive 0.7s as his car clearly couldn't keep up with Norris' MCL35M in the corners.

At the other end of the spectrum, Ferrari's drivers were the slowest through the speed trap, a fact highlighted by Charles Leclerc who qualified P7 but was puzzled by the SF21's loss of speed in the Red Bull Ring's three DRS zones.

But while those are the cold facts at both ends of the spectrum, anything goes when the lights go out...

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Hulkenberg says Audi’s rivals haven't 'pulled their pants down' yet

Nico Hulkenberg has given F1 fans a vivid image to ponder ahead of the 2026…

1 hour ago

Total mileage and fastest laps from F1 pre-season testing

Under the pale winter sun of Barcelona and the desert glare of Bahrain, George Russell…

3 hours ago

Remembering the man who conquered F1's most thrilling win

Peter Gethin, the man who secured perhaps the most thrilling win ever witnessed in Grand…

4 hours ago

Aston Martin’s nightmare: Honda owns up to power unit meltdown

Aston Martin engine supplier Honda has publicly conceded what the timing screens in Bahrain had…

5 hours ago

Piastri explains management shake-up ahead of 2026 F1 season

As the countdown to 2026 gathers pace, Oscar Piastri has reshuffled his inner circle –…

7 hours ago

Aston Martin F1 secures naming rights in perpetuity amid turmoil

The Aston Martin F1 team will carry its name into Grand Prix racing’s future in…

8 hours ago