As the Formula One season continues its summer tour around Europe, this time visiting Austria, change is afoot again in the sport after Mercedes continued their perfect start to the season.
It felt damning for the F1 bosses Liberty Media after Lewis Hamilton, winner of the French Grand Prix in Le Castellet, even conceded he could understand why people felt F1 was "boring".
The Brit, along with Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg, was invited to give his ideas in a meeting with the senior executives of the sport, who want to make it more competitive with Mercedes in a league of their own.
Eight wins from eight - six for Hamilton, two for team-mate Valtteri Bottas - and it seems the title "race" is already over. Ferrari are improving, as displayed by Charles Leclerc's impressive display last weekend, but it's still not enough.
But ironically, in the midfield battle, things appear to be more competitive than ever.
McLaren's qualifying display in France was their best for years and showed there is plenty for them to look forward to. Renault have improved their development package and Toro Rosso continue to surprise people.
Heading to the Red Bull Ring, it seems like a fitting time for Red Bull to end Mercedes' run by winning on their own patch. If they can, it could prove to be crucial for the future of the sport.
Scroll down for our comprehensive Austrian Grand Prix preview...
Date and UK start time
Just one week after the French Grand Prix, the ninth race of the season rolls into Austria for the next part of the summer European tour.
The final free practice session in Spielberg starts on Saturday, June 29 at 12pm (11am BST).
Qualifying begins later that day at 3pm (2pm BST), with the race starting at 3:10pm (2.10pm BST) on Sunday.
TV channel and live stream
UK viewers will no longer have the luxury of being able to choose between the two rights holders for the race in Austria.
Sky Sports subscribers will be able to tune in for every live race in the 2019 season, but the same does not apply to terrestrial viewers.
Channel 4 recently downgraded their rights package which means they can only show highlights of qualifying sessions and races, with only the British Grand Prix scheduled for live coverage in the 2019 season.
Sky Sports subscribers can watch the entire race weekend live on the Sky Sports F1 channel (channel 408). If you don’t have Sky Sports, you can watch with a NOW TV Sky Sports Pass, which gives you exactly the same coverage without having to sign up for a contract.
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
Race winner
- Lewis Hamilton: 8/11
- Valtteri Bottas: 7/2
- Charles Leclerc: 5/1
- Max Verstappen: 25/1
Fastest lap
- Max Verstappen: 7/2
- Pierre Gasly: 7/2
- Lewis Hamilton: 4/1
- Sebastian Vettel: 5/1
Click here to find the latest race odds and place a bet. Odds correct as of 28/06/2019.
Tickets
Austria is a circuit with some of the most picturesque views on the calendar, with green forest and open land stretching for miles.
Therefore, it boasts some of the best seats of all the races on the calendar.
But that can make getting a ticket a particularly tough task, and on this occasion, all tickets have been sold out for the race weekend, according to F1's official ticketing website.
Prediction
Race winner: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Mercedes have won all eight races so far this season, with Hamilton triumphing in six of those, and there is no reason to question why it won't happen again in Austria.
The only concerning aspect of their perfect season is that the German team are yet to experience a serious technical failure, which means it could still yet to be come.
Red Bull's focus on downforce for their chassis will be a great asset to them at the Red Bull Ring, a short circuit with many downhill curves and tight corners, so don't rule out Max Verstappen springing a surprise.
