The Austrian corner every driver fears

Friday sees the start of the Austrian Grand Prix. It marks the second sprint weekend of the year. F1 drivers will get one free practice session on Friday, before having to qualify for the main race on Sunday. But they will also race for points on Saturday. Where is the best place to overtake?

The Red Bull Ring is one of the fastest and shortest circuits on the calendar. In addition, the track offers plenty of opportunities to overtake. The first opportunity to overtake another driver is already at turn one. Drivers may be able to use DRS on the first straight and can pass other cars if they brake a little later for the tight first corner.

This is soon followed by the place where most overtaking occurs during all Grands Prix, the long straight between turn one and turn three. Once again, drivers can use DRS if they are within a second of the car ahead, and once again the sharp corner three, offers opportunities to overtake: there is a lot of space and the corner is very sharp, forcing drivers to brake hard.

The dreaded fourth corner

This is followed by another DRS zone leading to the dreaded turn four. This corner has plagued many drivers. The inside of the corner offers opportunities to overtake, although it is often covered by the defending side, forcing drivers to take the outside. Is it possible to overtake on the outside there? Yes. Can it fail finically? Absolutely. It is of huge importance that the driver on the inside leaves enough space for the driver on the outside and this has gone wrong on several occasions.

Think of the 2020 Grand Prix, when Alexander Albon tried to go around the outside of Lewis Hamilton, only to find himself in the gravel moments later. Or more recently, last year's Grand Prix. Again, it was a Red Bull driver, Sergio Perez, who tried to go around the outside of a Mercedes driver, George Russell. Again, Max Verstappen's teammate ended up in the gravel.

Will any of the 20 speedsters dare to try the outside of this corner?