From the cityscapes and high-rise backdrops of Montreal and Baku, it’s a complete contrast this weekend at the Red Bull Ring which nestles not at the foot of skyscrapers but in the lower reaches of the Styrian mountains, surrounded by green fields and pine forests, and lying some 46 miles from the nearest major conurbation, Graz. It’s a picturesque and compact circuit, and whilst it might not offer any particularly daunting challenges, completing a perfect lap is surprisingly difficult; just ask the Mercedes drivers who have both failed to enjoy an ideal Q3 session in the last two years. In 2014, Hamilton spun under braking and the subsequent yellow flag prevented Rosberg from matching Massa who therefore scored his first pole position in nearly 6 seasons. Last year, braking too late at Turn 1 accounted for Hamilton whereas it was Turn 9 for Nico; neither completed their second run in Q3 but this time they had done enough on their initial forays to secure the front row with the Brit ahead of his German rival on the grid, only to lose that advantage into Turn 1 at the start and indeed for the rest of the race. 
In fact, Rosberg has won both races to have been held here since Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz persuaded Bernie Ecclestone to reinstate the Austrian Grand Prix. It is one of the few venues that Hamilton has so far failed to conquer, but after a disappointing weekend in Azerbaijan he will be super-motivated to add it to his list of accomplishments. Mind you, I’m not sure that the two title protagonists will have it all their own way. This weekend sees the return of the Ultra Soft Pirelli tyre, and when it was used in Monaco and Montreal we saw some very effective opposition from Red Bull and Ferrari. Ricciardo was on pole in Monaco and Vettel was just 0.18s away from pole position in Canada, and both teams felt denied victory in the corresponding races. Getting the best out of the tyre in qualifying is not always straightforward, and we have seen in the past that if there’s an Achilles Heel for Mercedes, it may be in their ability to make the most of the softest compounds. Since last year’s Austrian race, the circuit has also been resurfaced, and that will add another unknown element to the mix.
In addition, we shouldn’t discount Force India or Williams from these ponderings. Despite the track having more of a flow than the last couple, it is still a power-hungry layout and the Mercedes power units will thrive. Perez was genuinely the 2nd fastest qualifier in Baku (admittedly after Hamilton had hit the wall) and Williams have enjoyed a podium visit at this track in each of the last two years, to consolidate that qualifying performance of 2014 that saw both cars on the front row. Bearing in mind that the lap length is relatively short, I can see this being the closest Top 10 shoot out of the entire season. Everybody will be aiming to shave hundredths of a second from their laptimes, and the potential for more errors under braking in those critical areas will expand accordingly. And partly because braking here is such a key to a good lap, I’m going to be keeping a particular eye on Max Verstappen. He has so far been outqualified at every event as team mate to Daniel Ricciardo but his weekend may just be his chance to end that sequence. And if he can mix it up with the Mercedes drivers, that would make Mr Mateschitz a very happy man. 

A new venue, a new country on the F1 calendar is a significant occasion. A change is as good as a rest, and in this hectic 2016 schedule it's healthy for everyone to experience an all new challenge. From drivers learning the fastest lines, to engineers calculating the ideal set-up, to TV directors working out the best angles and spectators seeking out the best vantage points, this weekend provides an opportunity for fresh thinking and quick reactions. Baku is a clean sheet of paper, a chance to forget the past and write a whole new chapter. But will it lead to a different result?
Canada was another tour de force from Mercedes and from Lewis Hamilton. Not only do they have intrinsic speed, they have the ability to work out the best strategy and then make it happen. Hamilton has now driven two races, Monaco and Montreal, during which he took tyre life beyond the expectations of many, and made it look easy. Yes, he has the best car, although the margin of advantage has definitely shrunk, but he also has an innate gift for feeling the grip level in any circumstances and working to maximise that over a long distance. Last time out, he was in a real race with Vettel and you could see from both of their reactions afterwards that they had been absolutely on the limit and relishing a proper contest. It has been rare to see a race where the leaders can push so hard without a rapid loss of tyre performance, but the weather conditions and nature of the circuit in Canada led to just that kind of duel. 
This weekend, the contest will take place on what will be the fastest street circuit seen in F1. The final section could well be the longest full throttle stretch of any track in the world and that includes the run from La Source at Spa right through Eau Rouge and up to Les Combes. The teams are talking about running low downforce set-ups, perhaps even as minimal as at Monza, although the potential slipperiness of a new surface may count against that. Ferrari came close to winning last weekend and there's no reason why they shouldn't be equally competitive in Baku, but then again Red Bull have a great chassis and a much improved engine and it was an inability to make the tyres work to their potential which cost them performance in Canada. Verstappen and Ricciardo come to a circuit where neither has previous knowledge, and that will be a fascinating internal contest. Mercedes will start as favourites, having yet to be beaten in a straight fight when they haven't taken each other out, but their supremacy is beginning to wane. 
The beauty of it is, nobody really knows what's going to happen. There has been no testing, the circuit has only just been completed, and little details of positioning of kerbs and white lines and bumps are all unknown. Simulators can teach drivers the basic layout, but the reality is everyone will be learning it for the first time in free practice on Friday (which I'm glad to say will be covered comprehensively on Channel 4). In the City of Winds, capital of the Land of Fire, who's going to come back down to earth, and who's going to soar beside the shores of the Caspian Sea?

The Canadian Grand Prix is one of my favourite events on the calendar. A thriving cosmopolitan city, a distinctive circuit that is unyielding and unforgiving, and a crowd that loves F1; what isn’t to like? Add in the vagaries of the weather on the St Lawrence Seaway, a relatively low grip surface, and kerbs that need to be jumped in an effort to shave miliseconds from a laptime and it all adds up to a feast of entertainment. 
Daniel Ricciardo comes into this race knowing that he could, and perhaps should, have won the last two Grands Prix, but for factors controlled by the team that went against him. Here at the site of his first ever GP win, he needs to put all of that behind him and focus on what lies ahead. All the great champions in any sport have that ability to bounce back when knocked down, and Ricciardo would appear to have all the necessary character traits to ensure he doesn’t get bogged down in dismal reflections. In the other Red Bull, Max Verstappen will be equally keen to consign his Monaco race weekend to the history books, and his phenomenal ability on the brakes should mean that he’s a force to be reckoned with, but he needs to stay off the walls this time…..
Lewis Hamilton is by far the most succesful driver on the current grid in terms of results in Montreal. Four wins, including his first ever GP win in 2007, signify his affinity for a track that tests a driver’s committment and accuracy like few others. It’s a tightrope of a lap, the car balancing on the edge of adhesion under heavy braking and again as it is threaded through the various chicanes. The layout looks simple enough on a circuit map, but the sheer thrill of driving it well is writ large across the faces of the guys that qualify up front. Lewis finally got the ball rolling in 2016 with win number 44 in Monaco and he’s definitely the man to beat this weekend. Nico Rosberg, by contrast, suffered a pretty dire outing in his home town, and needs to come back fighting if he’s to protect his championship lead. 
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for Ferrari to produce a stand-out performance. What has happened to the team that tested so well in the winter and looked to be on the verge of fighting Mercedes all the way? There have been the odd flashes of speed, but the final part of qualifying has been a real let-down, especially at the last two events. Vettel complains that the tyres are not coming into their ‘window’ effectively, and the black art of deriving grip at just the right moment is proving elusive for the great italian team. But they should take heart here in Canada. This was the venue of Gilles Vileneuve’s first win in 1978, in the Ferrari 312T3 and the team later took wins here with René Arnoux, Michele Alboreto and a solo win for Jean Alesi in 1995. Michael Schumacher’s victories for Ferrari in 1997 and 1998 were against the run of form at the time, and he maintained that success for most of his title winning years in red. I have a feeling that this season is just warming up nicely and that Ferrari’s time may have come; it may take a bit of luck on their side, but if it can happen anywhere, it can happen here.