Austrian Grand Prix altitude will now expose Ferrari’s power unit design mistake

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Ferrari will be optimistic about their chances at the Austrian Grand Prix, but the Red Bull Ring could be about to cause them all sorts of trouble.

Fresh off Lewis Hamilton’s first win in red in Barcelona, the team are hoping to continue their surge forward. Ferrari are preparing an engine upgrade for Spielberg, which they hope will close the gap further to Mercedes.

The Italians will have reason to be optimistic about the Austrian Grand Prix. Thanks to their reliability issues, Mercedes may have to turn their engine down to solve the problem, which could play into Ferrari’s hands, but they have some issues of their own.

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Ferrari’s pace deficit from the small turbo will be exposed by Austrian GP altitude

The layout of the Red Bull Ring exposes multiple problems for the Maranello outfit. For starters, it is the sixth-fastest track on the calendar, and Ferrari’s average speed data shows they struggle on high-speed corners – over 60% of the lap is done at full throttle.

Then there is the problem of its altitude. The Austrian GP is home to the highest elevation of any European track and one of the highest on the calendar, standing at 660 metres above sea level, or roughly 2,135 ft.

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This, as Honda chief race engineer Shintaro Orihara notes, puts more strain on the turbo. It is why he is predicting Aston Martin to struggle this weekend.

He said: “The Red Bull Ring is in the mountains, at high altitude. This means the turbocharger has to work harder than in other races. Another feature is that it’s a short circuit. Despite its length, it has three important straights that are demanding for the power unit.

“The reality is that we could find ourselves at a disadvantage here compared to other engine manufacturers, but we’ll adapt elements like our energy management and handling to maximise our package.”

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If the Austrian GP’s altitude is a problem for Aston Martin, then it will certainly be an issue for Ferrari.

F1 engineers were worried about Ferrari’s turbo, in pre-season testing. While it gives them extra power off the line, it was feared that it would give them a problem at power-sensitive tracks.

As circuits like Albert Park and Suzuka proved, Ferrari struggled in the high-speed sections and could not generate the power that Mercedes could. They had the advantage over the Silver Arrows in the corners in Barcelona, but in Spielberg, the championship leaders will edge them on the straights.