Leclerc aims to get back on track but history at Austrian GP does not favour Ferrari

Heading to Austria the mood music in Formula 1 has changed dramatically.

There is not only the euphoria of a new winner at Silverstone but the sport having dodged a bullet after emerging unscathed from two massive accidents, as well as one of the best races of recent times.

The last few months had bought increasing noise that the new regulations were not working, but that has been laid to rest – at least for now – by the drama of the British Grand Prix.

Watching a five car battle for second place right to the flag – and even the identity of the winner hanging in the balance until late on – had the capacity 140,000 crowd on their feet and screaming.

But this column has contended before that far from a formula finding its feet the real truth could be elsewhere. Maybe these bigger, heavier cars will only truly shine on the more expansive, old-school circuits like Silverstone, Belgium, Imola and Monza.

Ironically these are the so-called legacy tracks that find their future endangered by new venues with fatter wallets queueing up to join the F1 calendar.

Silverstone is unlikely to be on the chopping block but Spa, a fans' favourite and perhaps the place most suited to the new ground effect cars, is in the last year of its current deal. One source says both Spa and Paul Ricard in France were not on a provisional calendar for 2023 circulated to teams recently.

Monza has two more years and Imola just one more than that. Monaco, as far from an expansive track as you can get admittedly but nonetheless a legacy venue, is out of contract and sweating.

While in the paddock the championship contenders look to Spielberg with contrasting emotions. Austria is a mini-Silverstone in many respects with its string of high speed corners and