Austrian GP Preview: Is Lewis Hamilton a Title Contender?
6/26/202637 min
Is Lewis Hamilton a genuine title contender, or are we all getting a little carried away after his victory in Barcelona? Harry Benjamin is joined by Abbie Eaton and Andrew Benson to debate whether Hamilton can really mount a championship challenge. They hear from Hamilton himself on whether he believes it's possible, while also discussing Mercedes' reliability concerns, Fernando Alonso's future, and what Formula 1's new heat hazard measures actually mean.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsHarry Benjamin· Host0:00
[engine roaring] Five Live Formula One Is it me or is it a bit hot? Maybe a bit too hot. Some might declare a heat hazard off track and on it. Is the championship heating up? Are Ferrari and Hamilton well and truly in the fight? Can Mercedes get on top of their reliability issues? And is the driver market about to kick off? All that and more to be discussed on your Chequered Flag preview ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix with myself, Harry Benjamin, BBC F1 correspondent, Andrew Benson, and racing driver, Abby Eaton. But before all of that, Abby, you've raced here at the Red Bull Ring several times in W Series, nestled in the beautiful Styrian hills. Is it a fun track?
Abby Eaton· Guest0:46
It is very much a fun track. You've got these long, long straights into super heavy braking zones, and sector three you've got some super fast corners where you, uh, you need a bit of bravery to be fair out the back, and it's a wicked circuit. And as you said, it's beautiful, beautiful setting.
Harry Benjamin· Host1:03
How many corners are you counting, Andrew?
Andrew Benson1:05
[laughs] I think seven, isn't it, the real number? [laughs] They've got 10 down on the official circuit map, but yeah, seven for me.
Harry Benjamin· Host1:11
Well, we will get into everything, uh, that will be coming our way for this weekend. First and foremost, let's bring you up to speed with how the championship standings look coming into what is round eight of the Formula One World Championship, and it is Kimi Antonelli who sits at the top of the standings with 156 points.