Ahead of the eleventh Grand Prix out of 22 this season in the green mountains of Styria, Verstappen is guaranteed to finish the mid-season on top.
The defending champion is 34 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Pérez and 43 over Leclerc.
Hamilton is 6th at 88 units.
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Can Mercedes compete?
Are we finally going to have a three-way match?
After ten races dominated by Red Bull (seven wins) and Ferrari (three), Mercedes hopes to turn its podiums (three for Hamilton, three for George Russell) into success.
The single-seater born from a unique aerodynamic concept - with narrow sidepods - has given its two British drivers a hard time since the start of the year, behind in 5th (Russell) and 6th (Hamilton) places.
But in England last week, the Silver Arrows featured new developments.
which gave them a glimpse of victory.
Even if Russell gave up from the start, sending Zhou Guanyu's Alfa Romeo violently waltzing, the other single-seater driven by Sir Lewis almost returned the star brand to its former glory.
Hamilton found himself for the first time this season in the fight, before finishing 3rd.
In the absence of an eighth world title, a long way off, a 104th victory now seems more accessible.
Still, Spielberg is not a Mercedes track, as Austrian team boss Toto Wolff reminds us: "It's a very different circuit from Silverstone, which hasn't always suited us in the past".
Unlike the fast curves of England, the Austrian circuit, with its "slow" turns, is not necessarily the cup of tea for the Mercedes, who have won only twice in six races since 2018 in the land of strudel.
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Why Verstappen is favorite at Spielberg?
The boss in Austria is Verstappen.
Spielberg is his most successful circuit with four successes out of his 26 victories in F1.
Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen during the British Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 3, 2022 JUSTIN TALLIS AFP/Archives
It must be said that the circuit is called... the Red Bull Ring.
Home of his Austrian team, the track holds no secrets for him.
The perfect opportunity to bounce back after technical problems and a 7th place at Silverstone.
Especially since a sprint race is scheduled for Saturday, with bonus points at stake.
In the stands, Verstappen will still be carried by the thousands of supporters of his "Orange army", ready to invade all the campsites in the area.
At 24, "Mad Max" can propel itself mid-season towards its second title.
Especially since the Batavian has a plan: "I might stop in 2028", at the end of his contract, he told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
If he achieves a clear round by then, Verstappen would have eight titles to his name… One more than the record of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
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Can Leclerc rely on Ferrari?
Charles Leclerc, 4th at Silverstone, grabbed six points from Verstappen.
It is an understatement to say that the Monegasque is not satisfied with it.
In Britain he was leading the race and could hit a big shot.
But when a safety car arrived, and unlike his teammate Carlos Sainz or Hamilton, Leclerc was not called to the pits.
His worn hard tires made him lose the advantage, despite a heroic defense offering anthology passes against Hamilton and Pérez.
Monegasque Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (l.) and Spanish Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr (r.) after the qualifying session for the F1 British GP at Silverstone on July 2, 2022 Ben Stansall AFP/Archives
"If he had stopped, our opponents would have done the exact opposite and would have gained positions", defends as best they can Mattia Binotto, boss of the Scuderia.
The natural leader of Ferrari sees his Spanish teammate, winner of his first GP last week, come back to 11 points.
However, Sainz had rather distinguished himself by his repeated errors while Leclerc more than once shone by his mastery: without Ferrari's engine problems, he would have won in Spain and Azerbaijan, and the failing strategy of his team had already cost him victory in Monaco.
Its last victory, in Australia, dates back already three months: it is urgent to put an end to this bad series.
© 2022 AFP