At the second sprint weekend of the season, Red Bull could win 10 consecutive races for the first time and Verstappen could become only the second driver to lead four consecutive races from start to end. Here are the milestones and the records which could be broken at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix!
THE 2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX MILESTONES
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix will be the 1,088th World Championship event in Formula 1 history.
This will be the 38th time that Formula 1 has raced in Austria and the 37th time that the sport has visited the venue now known as the Red Bull Ring.
This will be the 19th race held on the shorter layout of the Spielberg circuit since F1 returned when it was re-named as the A1-Ring back in 1997. That means that after the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, the current layout of the Red Bull Ring will have hosted more rounds of the World Championship than the original Österreichring layout.
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix will be the 550th race in which a Mercedes-powered car has competed.
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix marks Kevin Magnussen’s 150th Grand Prix start. It’s also his 150th start in car number 20. He becomes the ninth driver to have made 150 appearances with a single car number.
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix will be the 42nd Austrian Grand Prix since the event was first held in 1963. It will be the 36th time that the Austrian Grand Prix will be run as a round of the F1 World Championship.
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix will utilise the Sprint format. Qualifying for the Grand Prix will take place on Friday evening, while the Sprint Shootout and the Sprint race itself take place on Saturday. This will be the eighth race to use the F1 Sprint since it was introduced at the 2021 British Grand Prix. This will be the second time that a sprint race has been held at the Red Bull Ring.
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix will be the ninth round of the World Championship to be held on July 2. The last race held on this date was the 2006 United States Grand Prix.
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix makes July 2 only the fifth day of the year to have hosted nine or more Formula 1 races. Read more: Which dates have hosted the most Formula 1 races?
THE FORMULA 1 RECORDS TO BREAK
Having equalled Ayrton Senna’s number of wins at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen could overtake Senna for fifth in the list of most Formula 1 victories at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.
Red Bull equalled their longest winning streak in Formula 1 at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. They’ve now won nine consecutive races on three separate occasions. Another win at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix would make this the first time Red Bull have won ten consecutive Grands Prix. It would be the sixth time that a team has recorded ten wins in a row. Red Bull would be the fourth team to achieve the feat, after McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
Victory for Red Bull would make them only the second team, after McLaren in 1988, to have won all of the first nine races of a Formula 1 season.
Max Verstappen has led all of the last 224 Grand Prix laps. He’s currently fifth in the list of most consecutive laps led in Formula 1. Should he lead every lap of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, he would move up to second in the all-time list.
If he leads every lap of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen would become only the second driver to have led every lap of four consecutive races. The only other driver to have done so is Alberto Ascari, at the 1952 French, British, German and Dutch Grands Prix.
Having led all of the last 320 laps, Red Bull are currently sixth in the list of most consecutive Grand Prix laps led by a single team. If they lead every lap of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, they’ll move up to fifth in the list.
A victory for Max Verstappen would be his fifth consecutive win. It would equal the longest winning streak of his career, having previously won five races in a row between the 2022 French and Italian Grands Prix. Should Verstappen win the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix he would become only the third driver – after Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – to have had two separate winning streaks of five or more races during his Formula 1 career.
Max Verstappen has taken pole position at all of the last three races. Another pole position at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix would see him equal the longest pole streak of his career. He previously took four poles in a row between the 2021 French and British Grands Prix.
Max Verstappen is currently on the longest podium streak of his Formula 1 career, having finished in the top three at all of the last nine races. Another podium this weekend would mark the seventh time that a driver has taken ten consecutive podium finishes. Verstappen would be the fifth driver to achieve the feat.
A points finish for Max Verstappen would see him overtake Kimi Raikkonen as the driver to have scored in the third-most consecutive races. It would be his 28th consecutive points-scoring race. Only Lewis Hamilton has scored in more consecutive races than Verstappen’s current streak.
If both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell reach Q3 at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, it would be the 250th time that both of the Brackley-based team’s cars have appeared in Q3 since the knockout qualifying system was introduced in 2006. They would be the second team to reach the milestone, after Ferrari – who did so at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.
If either Red Bull driver misses out on reaching Q3 at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, this would be the first time since the end of the 2008 season that the team has failed to reach Q3 with at least one car at four consecutive races.
Unless he wins the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, Kevin Magnussen will become the sixth driver to make 150 Formula 1 starts without taking a victory.
A Q1 exit for Kevin Magnussen would be the 60th of his career. It would see him overtake Timo Glock for third in the list of most Q1 exits in Formula 1.
At the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen joined a small group of drivers who’ve won a race from eight different grid positions. Verstappen is one grid position away from equalling Fernando Alonso as the driver to have won from the most different grid slots in F1. Verstappen will equal the record should he win from 5th, 6th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 13th or any grid position further back than 14th.
Max Verstappen could equal Sebastian Vettel as the driver to have taken the fourth-most wins without starting from pole position. Verstappen has won 21 races so far in his career without having taken pole position for the Grand Prix.
Having already won the Saudi Arabian and Singapore Grands Prix, one more victory for Sergio Perez in 2023 would make this the first season in which he has won three Grands Prix in a single year.
If Fernando Alonso wins any race this season, he will become the oldest driver to win a Grand Prix since Jack Brabham at the 1970 South African Grand Prix. Brabham won that race at the age of 43 years, 11 months and 5 days.
A podium finish for either Ferrari driver will make the team the first to record 800 podium finishes in Formula 1.
If Lance Stroll scores five or more points this weekend, he’ll overtake Jacques Villeneuve as the Canadian driver to have scored the most points in Formula 1.
If Fernando Alonso lines up fifth on the grid, he will equal Kimi Raikkonen as the driver to have lined up fifth on the grid on the most occasions in Formula 1. Raikkonen started fifth on 39 occasions during his career.
A fifth place finish for Fernando Alonso in the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix would see him equal Jenson Button for the most fifth place finishes in Formula 1. Button finished fifth on 27 occasions during his career.
If Logan Sargeant picks up two points this weekend, the United States would become the tenth nation to have scored 1,000 points in Formula 1. American drivers have been stuck on 998 points since the 1993 Italian Grand Prix, when Michael Andretti scored the last points of his career with a podium finish for McLaren.
A points finish for Valtteri Bottas at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix would see Finland overtake Italy as the nation to have scored in the fifth most F1 races. Both nations have scored points in 417 races to date.
A podium finish for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri would make 2023 the 50th season in which a McLaren driver has finished on the podium.
If a British driver takes pole position at any race in 2023, it would be the 20th consecutive season in which a British driver has taken pole. It would be a new record for most consecutive seasons in which a nation has taken a pole position, overtaking Britain’s long-standing record of 19 seasons with a pole position between 1955 and 1973.
An eighth place finish for Nico Hulkenberg would see him equal Jenson Button and Carlos Sainz as the driver with the most eighth place finishes in Formula 1. Button recorded his 20th and final eighth place finish at the 2016 German Grand Prix, while Sainz equalled Button’s record at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
A 14th place finish for Lance Stroll would see him set a new record for the most 14th place finishes in Formula 1. He currently shares the record with Pastor Maldonado.
A double Q1 exit for Williams would make them the first constructor to record 70 double Q1 exits. Other teams have done so in the past, but Williams will be the first to do so having had a single constructor name during that time. Other ‘teams’ to have reached 70 double Q1 eliminations are the Silverstone team (Midland, Spyker, Force India, Racing Point, Aston Martin), the Caterham team (Team Lotus, Caterham) and the Manor team (Virgin, Marussia, Manor).
2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX: RECORDS TO BREAK
Victory for Max Verstappen at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix would see him extend his record of most F1 wins in Austria to five. A win for Verstappen would also see him usurp Alain Prost as the driver to have won the Austrian Grand Prix on the most occasions.
Should Charles Leclerc win the race, he would equal the record for most consecutive wins at the venue. No driver has won more than two successive events at the track.
McLaren and Mercedes are currently tied for the most F1 wins at the Red Bull Ring, with six apiece. Either team could set a new outright record at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, while Ferrari could equal the existing record.
Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen currently share the record for most podium finishes in Austria, with seven each. Either driver could set a new outright record this weekend, while Lewis Hamilton could join the pair on seven top three finishes at the track.
Victory for Pierre Gasly or Esteban Ocon at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix would see France equal Britain as the nation to have taken the most wins at the venue.
Mercedes are currently tied with Ford Cosworth as the engine manufacturer to have taken the most wins at the Spielberg circuit, with nine. Mercedes could set a new record at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, breaking Ford Cosworth’s record which has stood since 1973.
A fastest lap for either Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen would be their fourth at the Red Bull Ring, seeing them overtake David Coulthard and set a new outright record for most fastest laps in Austria.
If Lewis Hamilton and George Russell lead 28 laps of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix between them, Mercedes will overtake Ferrari as the team to have led the most laps at the Spielberg venue throughout its time on the Formula 1 calendar.
Should Max Verstappen out-score Lewis Hamilton by two points at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, he will overtake him as the driver to have scored the most points in Austria.
If Lewis Hamilton fails to score at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix and Valtteri Bottas finishes in the top ten, Bottas will equal Hamilton’s record of ten points-scoring appearances at the Red Bull Ring.
Lando Norris has a 100% points scoring rate at the Red Bull Ring. If he scores this weekend, he’ll equal David Coulthard as the driver to have made the most appearances at the circuit without failing to score. Coulthard picked up points on all seven of his visits to the track. Only three other drivers have scored on every appearance.
If he reaches Lap 29 of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton will become the first driver to have raced 800 laps at the Red Bull Ring.
If he leads a single lap, Max Verstappen will become the driver to have led the most laps at the Austrian Grand Prix. He’s currently tied with Nico Rosberg on 144 laps led. Valtteri Bottas could move to the top spot, if he leads two more laps than Verstappen in Sunday’s race.
A second place finish for Lewis Hamilton would see him equal David Coulthard as the driver to have finished as the runner-up on the most occasions at the Red Bull Ring.
A third place finish for Valtteri Bottas would see him set a new record for most third place finishes at the Red Bull Ring. He’s currently tied with Rubens Barrichello, on three.
If they finish the race, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez will set a new record for most finishes at the Red Bull Ring. They would overtake Kimi Raikkonen’s existing record of ten finishes at the track.
Should they retire on the first lap of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon would equal Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Marc Surer and Mario Andretti for most first lap retirements at the venue.
2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX: QUALIFYING RECORDS
A pole position for Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen would see them become the first driver to have taken four poles in Austria.
If Max Verstappen takes pole position for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, he would surpass Rene Arnoux as the driver to have taken the most consecutive poles at the Spielberg circuit. Arnoux took three successive poles at the circuit between 1979 and 1981.
Pole for a Red Bull driver would see the team equal Mercedes as the team with the longest streak of pole positions at the Red Bull Ring. Mercedes took pole at all four Austrian Grands Prix between 2015 and 2018.
Max Verstappen currently holds the record for most front row starts at the Red Bull Ring, with six. He could extend that to seven at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton could equal his existing tally.
Lewis Hamilton has the most top ten qualifications in Austria, with 11. His record could be equalled this weekend by Max Verstappen or Valtteri Bottas, while Hamilton himself could extend his record.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to maintain their 100% Q3 appearance rates at the Red Bull Ring. Nico Rosberg is the only driver to have reached Q3 on every appearance at the venue.
Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso are currently tied for most Q2 exits at the Red Bull Ring, with five apiece. Either driver could set a new outright record at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.
If he’s out in Q1, Sergio Perez will record his fifth Q1 exit at the Red Bull Ring. That would see him equal Kimi Raikkonen and Nicholas Latifi for most Q1 exits at the track.
HAMILTON SEARCHES FOR FIRST VICTORY SINCE 2021
Victory for Lewis Hamilton would see car number 44 equal car number 2 as the car number to have taken the third most wins in Formula 1.
A victory for Lewis Hamilton at any race in 2023 would see him move into the top 20 of the oldest drivers to win a Grand Prix in Formula 1. He would overtake Damon Hill as the third-oldest British driver to have won a Grand Prix.
If Lewis Hamilton wins any race this year, he’ll overtake Kimi Raikkonen as the driver to have had the longest gap between his first and last Grand Prix victories. He’d also be the first driver to have won after the 300th race of his career. Fernando Alonso would break the record if he were to take victory.
A victory for Lewis Hamilton would make him the first driver to have won in 16 different Formula 1 seasons. 2022 is the only season during his career in which Hamilton has not taken a victory.
WILL MERCEDES BE BACK IN THE FIGHT?
A victory for Mercedes would make 2023 the 12th consecutive season in which the team has won a race. They would be only the third team to win in 12 consecutive seasons, after Ferrari (1994-2013) and McLaren (1981-1993).
Pole position for Mercedes would see them become only the second team, after Ferrari between 1994 and 2008, to have taken pole positions in 12 consecutive seasons.
Victory for a Mercedes-powered car would see them become only the third engine manufacturer to have won in 17 consecutive Formula 1 seasons. The only other manufacturers to have done so are Ferrari (20 seasons, between 1994-2013) and Ford Cosworth (17 seasons, between 1967-1983).
If three Mercedes-powered cars finish on the podium, Mercedes will equal Renault’s record tally of seventeen podium lockouts for an engine manufacturer.