Will Verstappen rebound at his strongest track? Austria talking points · RaceFans

Will Max Verstappen continue to dominate around the circuit bearing the Red Bull name? And will Lando Norris snatch another podium at a circuit where the McLaren driver has enjoyed repeated success over the years?

Here are five talking points for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s happy hunting ground

The Red Bull Ring may be named for the owners of the world champion’s race team, but it may as well be rebranded as the ‘Verstappen Ring’, given how successful he has been at the Austrian circuit in his Formula 1 career.

In nine total races around the Spielberg circuit in his seven seasons in Formula 1, Verstappen has won four times and taken six podiums at the venue – his best record of any of the 22 circuits on the calendar. Last year, Verstappen emboldened his championship challenge significantly by winning both races held at this circuit from pole position, underlining how strong he is around the 10-turn track.

Despite Ferrari claiming their first victory since April at Silverstone last weekend, Verstappen had been leading the race before a chunk of AlphaTauri found itself in the wrong place at the wrong time and compromised Verstappen’s race.

While Verstappen still holds a commanding lead in the drivers’ championship, he will head into this weekend full of confidence that he can secure maximum points at perhaps his strongest venue. For his title rival Charles Leclerc, out-scoring him here would provide some recompense for the win he lost to his rival at this track in a contentious clash three years ago.

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Second sprint race weekend

Since the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020, the Red Bull Ring has become accustomed to hosting multiple Formula 1 races in the same season, with the Styrian Grand Prix added to both the 2020 and 2021 calendars to help bolster the number of races in the championship.

This year, there will be no Styrian Grand Prix. However, there will be two races in Austria once more as this weekend plays host to the second sprint race event of the 2022 championship. After the first sprint race was held in Imola in late April, this weekend will be the only time the sprint race format is used again until the Brazilian Grand Prix in November.

With its long straights leading into tight corners, the Red Bull Ring naturally presents plenty of opportunities for…