The first ever Steiermark Grand Prix, the first time Formula 1 has raced at the same venue for two consecutive races and a chance for Bottas or Verstappen to equal the Austria win record. Here are the milestones and records which could be broken this weekend!
THE MILESTONES:
This weekend’s race will be the 1,020th F1 Grand Prix. It will be the first ever Steiermark Grand Prix and the 33rd F1 race at the Spielberg track.
This will be the first time in Formula 1 history that a venue has hosted two consecutive rounds of a championship, as well as the first time that there has been a second race at a venue in a single season. It’s the first time since 1996 that a country has hosted two consecutive Formula 1 races and the first time since 2012 that there have been two races in the same country in a single season.
At the 2020 Steiermark Grand Prix, Mercedes will equal the number of races started by Force India. The Force India name appeared in 212 races between the 2008 Australian Grand Prix and the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This weekend, Haas will equal the number of races started by the Jaguar team. Jaguar started 85 races, with their last appearance being at the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix.
THE RECORDS TO BREAK:
A win for either Max Verstappen or Valtteri Bottas would see them equal Alain Prost’s record tally of wins at this track. Prost won three races at this circuit (then called the Österreichring) during his career.
Victory for Mercedes would be their sixth win at the Red Bull Ring, equalling the record for most team wins at the circuit. The record of six wins has been held by McLaren since their last victory at the track in 2001.
Britain and France are currently tied for the most wins at this circuit with five apiece. While either nation could extend the record to six, it seems Britain is the nation with the best chance of doing so. Both Finland and Germany have the opportunity to equal the record this weekend.
Despite not taking victory last week, if Max Verstappen wins this weekend, he will become the first driver to have taken wins in three consecutive seasons at the Red Bull Ring.
A victory for a Mercedes-powered car would see Mercedes equal Ford as the most successful engine manufacturer at the Red Bull Ring. Ford-powered cars have won here on nine occasions.
Valtteri Bottas is one lap away from equalling Nico Rosberg as the driver to have led the most Grand Prix laps at the Red Bull Ring. Rosberg led 144 laps of the Austrian Grand Prix during his career, while – after leading every lap last weekend – Bottas has led 143 laps of the circuit. Meanwhile, if Bottas leads fourteen laps of the Styrian Grand Prix, he will surpass Alain Prost as the driver to have led the furthest distance of Formula 1 races in Austria. Prost led 677km at the Österreichring during his career.
Pole position for Valtteri Bottas would see him set a new record for most pole positions at this circuit. It would also make him the sixth driver to have taken consecutive pole positions at the track. Lewis Hamilton could equal the record for most poles at the circuit, currently shared between Bottas, Niki Lauda, Rene Arnoux and Nelson Piquet.
A pole for Charles Leclerc would see him become the sixth driver to have taken pole positions in Austria in consecutive years.
A podium finish for Valtteri Bottas would see him equal David Coulthard as the driver with the most podium finishes at the Red Bull Ring. Coulthard finished on the podium here five times in his career, when the circuit was named the A1-Ring.
A front row start for Valtteri Bottas would see him surpass Rene Arnoux as the driver to have started on the front row the most times at the Red Bull Ring. Arnoux started from the front row four times at the Austrian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton could also equal Arnoux’s tally of front row starts at the circuit this weekend.
If Lewis Hamilton wins, this will be the fourteenth consecutive year in which he has won a Grand Prix. Only Michael Schumacher has won in more consecutive seasons, doing so for fifteen successive years between 1992 and 2006. Similarly, if Hamilton takes pole position, this will be the fourteenth year in which he has taken a pole position. That would be a new record, surpassing Michael Schumacher, who took at least one pole in every season between 1994 and 2006.
If Alex Albon scores eight points, he’ll become the 82nd driver to have surpassed 100 career points.
If Sergio Perez fails to win the 2020 Steiermark Grand Prix, he will surpass Nico Hulkenberg as the driver to have started the fourth most races without winning. Meanwhile, if Perez scores eleven points without winning the race, he would become the first driver to have scored 600 career points without winning a Grand Prix.
If Sergio Perez is eliminated in Q1, he will equal Marcus Ericsson as the driver to have had the most Q1 exits at the Red Bull Ring. Ericsson was eliminated in Q1 on four occasions at this circuit.
A fastest lap for Lewis Hamilton would see him tie with David Coulthard as the driver to have the most fastest laps at the circuit.
A third place finish for Valtteri Bottas would see him equal Rubens Barrichello as the driver to have finished in third place the most times at the Red Bull Ring. Barrichello finished third three times at the Austrian Grand Prix.
If Kimi Raikkonen finishes in the top ten, he would surpass David Coulthard as the driver to have scored on the most occasions at the track. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas also have the opportunity to equal Coulthard and Raikkonen as the drivers to have scored on the most occasions at this circuit. Raikkonen would need to finish in the top ten again next year to equal John Watson’s record tally of nine top ten finishes at the circuit.
A Q3 appearance for Kimi Raikkonen would see him equal Nelson Piquet as the driver to have qualified in the top ten most frequently at this circuit.
Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris will all be hoping to maintain their 100% Q3 appearance rates at the Red Bull Ring. Nico Rosberg is the only other driver who never failed to reach Q3 at this track.
Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris, Nicholas Latifi, Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez will be looking to maintain their 100% finish records at the Red Bull Ring.
A fourth place finish for either Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel will see them equal Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann as the driver with the most fourth place finishes at the Styrian circuit.
