After a one-week breather following Canada, F1 charges into a run of races in July before the summer break, starting at the Red Bull Ring before trips to Silverstone, the Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps.
Fresh from celebrating its 100th F1 grand prix victory, Red Bull goes into the first of its two home races as strong favourites given the defending champions have won every race so far in 2023.
Max Verstappen holds a 69-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez at the top of the drivers’ standings, with the Mexican slipping off the pace having been absent from the podium in the last three rounds.
But can Aston Martin, Mercedes or Ferrari take the fight to Red Bull in Austria? Last year’s race in Spielberg was the scene of Ferrari’s last F1 win, but the circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Red Bull in recent years with Verstappen winning in three of the past five seasons.
Austria marks the second sprint race weekend of the 2023 F1 season, which means F1 teams have just one practice session before qualifying on Friday for Sunday’s grand prix, which precedes Saturday’s sprint qualifying and sprint race.
Full 2023 Austrian GP session timings
Friday 30 June 2023
Free Practice 1: 12:30pm-13:30pm BST (1:30pm-2:30pm local)
Qualifying: 4:00pm-5:00pm BST (5:00pm-6:00pm local)
Saturday 1 July 2023
Sprint Qualifying: 11:00am-11:44am BST (12:00pm-12:44pm local)
Sprint Race: 3:30pm-4:00pm BST (4:30pm-5:00pm local)
Sunday 2 July 2023
Race: 2:00pm BST (3:00pm local)
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is only broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £24 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £34.99p per month.
Fans wanting to watch the race for free will have to wait until the Saturday night (sprint qualifying and sprint race) or Sunday night (grand prix) to see the highlights on Channel 4.
How can I watch the Austrian GP?
- Channel: Sky Sports F1
- Channel numbers: - Sky: 406
- Channel numbers: - Virgin Media: 506
Sky Sports has live and exclusive broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom, with the build-up to the F1 Austrian GP race starting from 12:30pm on Sky Sports F1 ahead of lights out at 2:00pm.
When can I watch the Austrian GP highlights?
- Channel: Channel 4
- Start time: Sprint Qualifying and Sprint Race – 7:30pm Saturday, Grand Prix – 6:30pm Sunday
Channel 4 has the rights to show the Austrian GP highlights of the sprint qualifying, sprint race and the full grand prix.
Will the Austrian GP be on the radio?
Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2023 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live or 5 Live Sports Extra stations and via the BBC Sport website.
Coverage of the Austrian GP will start at 2:00pm BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the Austrian GP
The Red Bull Ring is set for warm but mixed conditions throughout the race weekend, with a high chance of thunderstorms on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Highs of 24 degrees Celsius are predicted on Sunday for the start of the race, with cloudy conditions and a good chance of showers.
Most F1 Austrian GP wins
Alain Prost: 3 wins (1983, 1985, 1986)
Max Verstappen: 3 wins (2018, 2019, 2021)
