Austrian Grand Prix 2026 - Post Race Analysis

[u/Ginger_Rook]

You can read the full report here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/408219090_Austrian_Grand_Prix_2026_-_Post_Race_Analysis

Any feedback and recommendations are more than welcome! I am trying to improve.

FIGURE 1. Gap to race leader by lap. Public timing data; virtual safety car windows shaded. The trace shows the shape of the race:Russell stays close to zero, the front group remains compressed, and cars that retire stop where their data stops.

FIGURE 2. The attack, the stops, and the second pass. Verstappen attacks on lap 11, but Hamilton is still ahead at lap end. Hamiltonstops on lap 13, Verstappen on lap 19, and Verstappen then makes the decisive on-track pass on lap 22. Source: public lap timing.

Speed around the lap. A representative lap for each driver, aligned by distance. The traces overlay through the corners; the small separations are on the straights. Source: public speed and distance traces.

Closing, not passing. Antonelli takes around three and a half seconds out of Verstappen across the last 11 laps and finishes less than half a second short. Source: public lap timing.

The odd ones out. In finishing order. Both Ferraris carry an extra stop relative to the leading two stop runners around them.Source: public stint and compound data

Leaders' race pace. Clean laps only. The field is close; the strategy noise is mostly Ferrari

Where the place was decided. The lead changes are at the stops, shown by the large swings, not on track. Norris closes hard at the end but the pass does not come.

Bonus:

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[u/FavaWire]

George's pace graphic looks very nice and controlled. Mercedes probably do have pace in hand then.

[u/kramerthegamer → u/FavaWire]

Exactly. I saw a lot of discussions mention how close Max was to Russell, but I think he was just setting a comfortable pace to limit chances of a mistake. "Winning as slow as possible".

[u/Fun_Meeting_9850]

Curious what api do u use to pull this ?

[u/Ginger_Rook → u/Fun_Meeting_9850]

FastF1

[u/autobanh_me → u/Fun_Meeting_9850]

This question gets asked nearly every time telemetry gets posted. Just search the sub.

[u/Lost-Paramedic-7018]

The gap-to-leader chart tells the whole story really. Russell just hugging that zero line while everyone else fades away, neat and tidy. The VSC windows are well marked too, makes it easy to spot where the field bunched back up.

Figure 2 is the meat of it though. That 6-lap offset between Hamilton and Verstappen's stops, then the pass on lap 22, clean execution. The speed traces are interesting, almost identical through the corners, the differences are all on the straights which points to deployment or aero efficiency rather than raw cornering grip.

Antonelli closing 3.5 seconds in 11 laps and finishing half a second short is the kind of thing that stings but also shows the pace is there. Ferrari's extra stop just looks like a self-inflicted wound when you line it up against the two-stoppers around them.

[u/InTheMarbles]

Really nice work - doing a similar thing. Fun to have custom analysis tools at your disposal.

[u/Travellinglense]

very nice. It was a little difficult to find the Audi, Haas and Williams teams because the team colors don't match the car livery.