Verstappen advantage revealed as Austrian GP tyre strategies are confirmed

The four-time world champion is looking to bounce back from a difficult qualifying after he crashed heavily at the end of the final part of the session. It meant that he will line up in fifth for today's race behind polesitter George Russell, the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Blistering conditions are expected in what is likely to be the hottest race of the year, with temperatures expected to hit 34 degrees in Spielberg. Therefore tyres are expected to play a huge part in the Grand Prix and Verstappen could be sitting in the best position.

Verstappen has one extra set of medium tyres available to him than the McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari drivers. Both Verstappen and his teammate Isack Hadjar, who lines up eighth, both having two sets of new mediums available, compared to the one that each of their main rivals possess.

The Dutchman, like his main competitors, also has two sets of new hard tyres available to him. None of the top four teams have any new sets of soft tyres available for Sunday's Grand Prix. Verstappen's extra set of mediums offers him a different strategy option than that of any of his rivals except his teammate. It also could have a part to play in any safety car situation if he can pit onto fresh mediums.

Interestingly, the majority of the field has two sets of new mediums available to them. Only Aston Martin join Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren in only having one set of new mediums available to them. Aston Martin, Williams, Audi, Haas and Cadillac all could venture onto the soft tyres which they still have available to them.

Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli anticipates a two-stop, or even three-stop, race at the Austrian Grand Prix. A medium-hard-hard approach appears to be the most conventional strategy, though the two Red Bulls could approach a medium-hard-medium strategy, meaning they could have the upper-hand in terms of pace towards the end of the race, unless they wear out their tyres too quickly.

Drivers are expected to start on the medium tyres and pit between laps 17 and 24. The middle stint on the hards could see drivers come in for their second stops between laps 44 and 52. Drivers on three stops could start on softs and come in after lap 12 for mediums, around lap 32 for hards and back onto the softs after lap 52.