Charles Leclerc triumphed in 2022, steaming past the Dutchman in Sunday’s race, but the Scuderia’s lack of top-end performance in 2023 means it’s unlikely Leclerc and Verstappen will lock horns again – the fight now coming from a resurgent Mercedes and Aston Martin. F1 veterans Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso completed a podium made up of multiple world champions last time out in Montreal, joining Verstappen who captured Red Bull’s eighth victory of the season and a 69-point lead in the drivers’ standings.
Although some teams have begun to make significant gains in performance, catching Verstappen’s RB19 is still a moving target – but will a sprint race weekend in Austria provide the first signs of a more equal fight at the front, even on the Dutchman’s most successful circuit?
Here’s how to watch the race.
How to watch F1: live stream and TV details for 2023 Austrian GP and sprint race
The Austrian race weekend follows the new sprint race format, spread over three days. Friday is the only chance to practice ahead of qualifying for the Grand Prix. The sprint race ‘shootout’ qualifying takes place on Saturday morning, followed by the sprint race itself in the afternoon. The Grand Prix remains in its usual Sunday afternoon slot.
Live TV: All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, starting with Free Practice on Friday at 12.30pm.
Live stream: Sky Sports F1 subscribers can watch all the running live on the Sky Go app. Now TV subscribers can also access live coverage of every session via Sky Sports F1. Live timigns are available through the F1 app.
Highlights: Channel 4 is sticking with two shows over the weekend: its Saturday night highlights package will round up Friday qualifying and the sprint race action; Sunday evening’s show will feature the Grand Prix.
F1 live stream and TV schedule
All times in BST
| GP qualifying Friday 30 June |
Sprint shootout Saturday 1 July |
Sprint race Saturday 1 July |
Austrian GP Sunday 2 July |
|
| Session start time | 4pm | 11am | 3.30pm | 2pm |
| Live coverage Sky Sports, Sky Go, NowTV |
3.30pm | 10.30am | 2.30pm | 12.30pm |
| Highlights Channel 4 |
n/a | n/a | 7.30pm | 6.30pm |
Austrian GP circuit details and weather forecast
The 2.6-mile Red Bull Ring is a ribbon of Austrian asphalt located underneath the picturesque Styrian mountain range. Hosting its first F1 grand prix in 1997, victory here has been claimed by many legendary drivers such as Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost but none have been more successful than Verstappen – capturing the top step of the podium five times in nine visits.
Three back-to-back DRS zones means racing is kept close through the first two sectors, with major overtaking opportunities at Turn 1, Turn 3 and Turn 4, while the final sector is composed of high-speed corners and little room for mistakes.
The weekend forecast for the 23-lap sprint and 71-lap grand prix will see most of the circuit covered by heavy rain throughout – providing the perfect opportunity for a mixed grid to end Red Bull’s reign of success on its own turf.
