Can anyone muscle in on Mercedes' Austria dominance?

Mercedes have been untouchable at the Austrian Grand Prix in recent years, so Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas ought to be confident heading into the weekend. All is not lost for Ferrari and Red Bull, however, with runs of Silver Arrows dominance in China and Canada ending already in 2018. Can the champions keep up their Spielberg streak? Rob Watts takes a look.

CIRCUIT DEBRIEF

• One of the shortest laps on the calendar
• High-grip circuit with several fast, flowing corners
• Several corners are semi-blind due the circuit elevation changes
• Weather can be unpredictable due to mountain location

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SILVER SLICK IN STYRIA

Mercedes have been first to the flag in every Austrian Grand Prix since it returned to the calendar in 2014, and fresh from Hamilton's victory in France, the reigning champions arrive here as favourites to make it two wins in a week.

Hamilton took victory two years ago, but it was Bottas who scored an impressive lights-to-flag win in last year's race. He'll be aiming to repeat that performance this weekend as he searches for his first win of the season.

Surprisingly, Sebastian Vettel has a poor record at this circuit by his standards, and second place in last year's race is his one and only visit to the podium. Following a scruffy weekend in France, he needs a clean weekend to keep the pressure on Hamilton.

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CAN VETTEL AND FERRARI FIGHT BACK?

Vettel's clumsy first-lap contact with Bottas at Paul Ricard cost him dearly, and he's now slipped 14 points behind Hamilton in the drivers' championship. With four races in July, Vettel faces a crucial month if he is to swing momentum back in his favour before the mid-season break.

Fortunately for Vettel, Hamilton has been unable to string a run of wins together like in previous seasons and that has allowed the German to stay in touch, despite his and Ferrari's inconsistent form.

The Red Bull Ring should play to Mercedes' strengths, although Ferrari have narrowed the pace deficit this year, and with Hamilton's home race at Silverstone just a week away, Vettel will be desperate to come out on top this weekend.

RED BULL'S HOME HOPE

Not only will this weekend's grand prix be a home race for the Red Bull team, but their CEO and co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz happens to also own the circuit - so no pressure!

The Red Bull Ring's sweeping corners and long straights share some of the characteristics found at Paul Ricard, where Red Bull showed good pace and were close to securing a double podium finish.

While on paper it has the potential to be a strong weekend for Red Bull, their recent form here suggests otherwise, with just two podiums to show from four visits to their 'home' track.

Despite scoring wins in China and Monaco, Red Bull don't seem to have the consistency to challenge for either championship this season, but we should see them going flat out to reach the top step this weekend.

SILLY SEASON HAS BEGUN

All the talk this week seems to be about driver contracts and who goes where for 2019, so there are a few stories to follow as the weekend unfolds.

With the ever-impressive Charles Leclerc being linked to a Ferrari promotion, Kimi Raikkonen has dismissed suggestions that he could be off to former team McLaren.

The struggling British squad appear to be considering their options, as Stoffel Vandoorne's inability to get the better of Fernando Alonso puts his seat at risk, while the Spanish double champion is remaining tight-lipped on his future plans with a move to IndyCar being suggested as he looks to secure the 'Triple Crown'.

Elsewhere, the drawn-out saga of where Daniel Ricciardo's future lies may reach its conclusion in the coming weeks, with the Australian expected to turn down a big-money offer from McLaren to stay at Red Bull.