Renault preview the Austrian Grand Prix

Drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo share their thoughts on the challenges of Spielberg, while Chassis Technical Director Nick Chester gives the latest on the team and on the 2019 package.

Nick Chester, Chassis Technical Director: "The circuit is situated at around 700m altitude, so in comparison to recent races, it’s a bit harder on both the brakes and the engine. It’s the shortest lap of the year at around 64 seconds but, despite its length, it’s a tricky place to get right. It’s very power sensitive with three fairly long straights and therefore a big proportion of the lap is spent at full throttle. There is one slow speed corner but the rest are medium to high-speed and finding the right balance is a challenge."

Nico Hülkenberg: "Austria is a very warm and welcoming event hosted with a nice, chilled out atmosphere. It’s quite close to the German border, so there are usually a number of German fans who make the trip to come and support and that’s really great to see. The circuit is quite surreal as it’s in the middle of nowhere with lots of hills, empty fields and a lot of cows! It’s picturesque, a nice scene for a Formula 1 race and it freshens up this busy period of racing."

Daniel Ricciardo: "On a map, Spielberg looks a short lap but it’s actually incredibly hectic. While it is short, there are some challenging corners and lots to get right. The middle and last sectors, in particular, are really fast. The final two corners are a lot of fun, especially in these current cars there’s little room for error. The race is usually quite full on too and concentration has to be high. You can’t afford to make errors on a lap in Spielberg as even a small mistake costs a huge chunk of your lap time as it’s all very close."

https://www.grandprix247.com/2018/07/01/austrian-grand-prix-verstappen-wins-vettel-leads-mercedes-misery/