MotorSportsTalk's Predictions: Austrian GP - MotorSportsTalk

The hills will be alive with the sound of horsepower this weekend as the Formula 1 paddock ventures to Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Red Bull Ring played host to the race for the first time in 11 years in 2014, putting on an exciting and entertaining event as Williams very nearly upstaged Mercedes, whilst Red Bull faded on home soil.

This year is likely to see a renewed fight at the front between title rivals and Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, but can anyone else get in the mix at the front?

Once again, the MST writers have their say ahead of what should be an intriguing Austrian Grand Prix.

Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1)

Race Winner: Lewis Hamilton. Keen to make up for the disappointment of losing in Austria last year and on a high after his victory in Canada two weeks ago, I’m tipping Lewis Hamilton to clinch his fifth victory of the season on Sunday.

Surprising Finish: Valtteri Bottas. Williams may not be able to repeat its pole position theft of 2014 this time around, but you can still expect the British team to run well at the Red Bull Ring. Bottas is in good form after scoring his first podium of the year in Canada, and a second could follow in Austria.

Most to Prove: Red Bull. Its first ever home grand prix in 2014 was nothing short of a disaster. Red Bull really cannot afford to have another embarrassment at the circuit which bears its name, particularly with many of its rivals snapping at its heels.

Additional Storyline to Watch: The Hulk returns. Fresh off the back of his Le Mans win, Nico Hulkenberg is likely to be a man in demand this weekend. It will be interesting to see what the reaction to his victory in the paddock is, and just how he gets on when he returns to the ‘day job’ with Force India.

Predict the Podium

1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes
3. Valtteri Bottas Williams

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno)

Race Winner: Nico Rosberg. More than Hamilton here, I like Rosberg’s chances at a race he won last year. Qualifying will be crucial.

Surprising Finish: Nico Hulkenberg. Why not, right? While Hulk’s F1 chariot isn’t the caliber of his Le Mans winner, he’s coming off a great two-week stretch of points in Montreal and of course his Le Mans victory. Seventh or eighth would be another good, achievable result here even though the car is not the fourth best in the field.

Most to Prove: McLaren. With their persistent reliability issues of late, simply getting both cars home to the finish must be the goal.

Additional Storyline to Watch: Red Bull on home soil. After challenging Montreal, Red Bull heads into its home race in rare territory: with almost no expectations. How well will another poor performance sit at the track that bears its name?

Predict the Podium

1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
3. Felipe Massa Williams

The Austrian Grand Prix is live on NBCSN and Live Extra from 7:30am ET on Sunday.

Follow @LukeSmithF1

Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”.

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California.

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life.

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The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general.

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said. “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

*Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer*

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself.

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg.

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Golden 805 Beer — *Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer*

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle.

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective.

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”

MotorSportsTalk’s Predictions: Austrian GP

Vicki Golden and 805 Beer tell a unique story from an Inverted Perspective

Read more about SuperMotocross