Hill predicts 'getting clear laps' will be a problem in Austria

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Damon Hill believes that clear laps will be few and far between for drivers at the Red Bull Ring next weekend due to the track's very short lap time.

Austria's F1 venue in Spielberg is 4.318 km in length, but with just seven real corners, several of which are taken at full throttle, drivers power around the circuit in less than 65 seconds on average.

Next weekend's event will feature a sprint race which means there will be two qualifying sessions – one on Friday for Sunday's main race, and one on Saturday morning for F1's 30-minute standalone sprint later in the day.

Hill believes traffic issues will come to the fore in both sessions.

"It’s all gonna be crammed into this ridiculously tight short track," said the 1996 F1 world champion, spaking on the latest F1 Nation podcast.

"There’s not much of it, there’s only seven corners in it. It’s all over in about a minute, isn’t it?

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"The number of cars getting clear laps is going to be a problem, as we’ve seen before.

"They’re all getting a bit tetchy because they’re doing their slow-down laps and blocking people inadvertently and getting accused of being unsportsmanlike.

"You can’t make your car disappear. These cars are huge."

After eight rounds, Red Bull remains undefeated while championship leader Max Verstappen will be gunning in Austria for his seventh win in 2023 and a 42nd career victory in F1 that would put him just one win ahead of Ayrton Senna in the sport's stats.

Asked if Verstappen is at risk of being defeated in Red Bull's home race, Hill said: "Very simple, no!"

"I want to see racing, I want to see a challenge, but all things being equal, I think Max is going to have this one in the bag," said the Sky F1 pundit.

"We are on course for Max potentially winning Austria and winning everything else that comes along.

"I don’t know, maybe Silverstone could be more of a challenging circuit. Very tough but we’re jumping ahead of us.

"We’re talking about Austria and for the moment, I’d say Austria is going to be another Max victory."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.