08/07/2017
NEWS STORY
Despite the best efforts of the (mainly British) media to keep the Baku incident in the headlines, The Austrian Grand Prix is shaping up to be just as enthralling albeit without much of the drama.
Yesterday we saw Lewis Hamilton set a blistering pace in both sessions, leading one to suspect that the Briton was set to make up for the disappointment of Azerbaijan.
However, it was subsequently revealed that the team had opted to change his gearbox having discovered an issue post-Baku and therefore he would face a 5-place grid penalty.
Quick to dismiss speculation that the gearbox was damaged in 'that incident', Mercedes and Hamilton suffered a further set-back late in this morning's session when the Briton suffered a brake failure while heading into T3 at 200 mph.
To compound Hamilton's misery, Sebastian Vettel suddenly found some pace and ended the morning quickest, around 0.269s ahead of the Briton.
Consequently, what would already have been an exciting session, with Hamilton needing pole in order to try and counter the grid penalty, has been given more relevance as speculation over the Mercedes brakes issue mounts, a situation not helped by the last call not to allow Valtteri Bottas a late qualifying simulation run.
Off the pace for much of the weekend thus far, a late improvement saw Kimi Raikkonen go fourth, while the Red Bull duo, though not as close as yesterday, are still very much in touch.
Best of the rest, certainly based on this morning's session, is Haas and then Honda, while Force India is struggling, though nowhere near as bad as Williams which really looks set for one of those nightmare weekends it has from time to time... and this at a time the Grove outfit is introducing a much-anticipated upgrade.
The Renaults appear to be mixing with the McLarens, Fernando Alonso having reverted to the Spec 2 unit after Honda discovered with his MGU-H.
Although, on the face of it, the track has little in common with Baku, as was the case two weeks ago we have seen everyone go off at almost every single corner. Furthermore, like Azerbaijan, traffic is a major problem, and is certain to have an impact in Q1.
Ahead of Q1, the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature is 46 degrees. It is bright and sunny.
Magnussen gets things underway, the Dane followed by teammate Grosjean, Ericsson, Wehrlein and Vettel. Raikkonen is another early riser, like his teammate he is on the supersofts while everyone else is on ultras.
Magnussen goes quickest of the first group, crossing the line at 6.143. Vettel posts 6.437 to go third and Raikkonen 13.506 to go seventh.
Next time around Magnussen fails to improve while Raikkonen goes second with a 6.165. Elsewhere, Grosjean is off at T7.
A 6.066 sees Ricciardo go quickest, though moents later he is demoted by Vettel who slips in a 5.585.
A massive lock-up means Verstappen can only manage fifth (6.258).
Having gone quickest in S1, Ocon goes third overall with a 6.137.
On his first flying lap Hamilton goes quickest in S1, the Briton on ultras while his teammate is on supers.
Hamilton crosses the line at 5.238 to go quickest as Magnussen heads back to the pits after damaging his rear suspension on the kerb at T3.
Verstappen goes third (5.779), ahead of Ricciardo, Bottas and Ocon.
Posting PBs in all three sectors, Perez goes fifth with a 5.975 as Alonso posts 6.158 to go ninth.
Hamilton improves to 5.064 suggesting we're not far away from a 1:4s lap.
Ocon admits that he hit the kerb at T9 with the left of his car, he asks his team to check for damage.
With 4:20 remaining, Sainz, Palmer, Stroll, Wehrlein and Ericsson comprise the drop zone, with Massa, Vandoorne and Kvyat hovering.
Stroll loses a heap of time in S3 and remains 18th, as Raikkonen, currently eleventh, heads out again.
Sainz goers third with a 5.675, as Raikkonen posts 5.148 to make it a Ferrari 3-4.
Like his teammate, Massa fails to improve, both having one more lap in which to make a difference.
Vandoorne posts a PB in S2, crossing the line at 6.316 to go 15th.
Meanwhile the stewards are investigating an incident involving Palmer and Raikkonen.
Despite their best efforts, neither Williams driver can improve and therefore miss the cut.
Quickest is Hamilton, ahead of Raikkonen, Vettel, Sainz, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Perez and Kvyat.
We lose Palmer, Massa, Stroll, Ericsson and Wehrlein.
Despite making it through to Q2, Magnussen will play no further part in today's action as his suspension is too badly damaged.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Spielberg, here.
Hamilton is first out of the trap for the second phase, the Mercedes driver followed by his teammate. Once again they have split strategies, the Briton on the supersofts and the Finn on ultras.
Vettel heads out, the German also on the purple-banded rubber, likewise teammate Raikkonen.
Woah! Hamilton bangs in a 4.800, the fastest lap of the weekend... and on the supersofts.
While Bottas posts 10.178, Vettel responds with a 4.823, just 0.023s down on Hamilton. The German went wide in T10.
Bottas improves to 4.640 having gone quickest in the first two sectors.
A 5.004 sees Raikkonen go fourth.
Grosjean goes fifth with a 5.319 as Perez goes sixth.
A 5.449 sees Ricciardo go sixth but he is demoted when Verstappen posts 4.948 to go fourth ahead of Raikkonen.
With 8:07 remaining, Hulkenberg is the last driver to head out.
Alonso goes tenth with a 5.602, ahead of Ocon, Vandoorne, Kvyat and Hulkenberg, who has yet to post a time.
Despite PBs in all three sectors, Ricciardo can only manage 5.355 which keeps him seventh.
Hulkenberg's first time is a 5.759 which puts him eleventh. He is joined in the drop zone by Ocon, Vandoorne, Kvyat and Magnussen.
With 3:33 remaining Perez gets the final assault of Q2 underway, the Mexican followed by Grosjean, Ocon and Vettel!
A mistake in T10 means Grosjean fails to improve, though in sixth he should be safe.
The Mercedes duo have also headed out again. Bottas going quickest in all three sectors to consolidate his top spot with a 4.316.
Ocon goes tenth as Kvyat fails to improve as does Hulkenberg.
Quickest is Bottas, ahead of Vettel, Hamilton, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Perez, Sainz and Ocon.
We lose Hulkenberg, Alonso, Vandoorne, Kvyat and Magnussen.
Ahead of the green light, Verstappen is already at the end of the pitlane chomping at the bit. He is joined by his teammate and Hamilton.
Verstappen gets things underway with a 5.110, with Ricciardo, Hamilton and Bottas (4.251) all going quicker.
Vettel goes second with a 4.293 while Ocon posts 12.194 to go sixth.
Remember, with that 5-place penalty, Hamilton needs to be as near the front as possible.
Raikkonen goes fourth with a 4.779.
Despite posting PBs in the first two sectors, Hamilton loses time in S2.
Grosjean goes seventh (5.575), ahead of Perez, Ocon and Sainz.
Having pitted, Verstappen is going out for the second of three runs.
It's a better lap from Verstappen, who improves to 4.983 but remains sixth. He made mistake on both runs suggesting that he's over driving.
With Ricciardo already on track, the Force India duo head out to get the final assault underway.
As Ricciardo backs off, the other big guns head out, including Verstappen for his third run.
Hamilton runs wide in T1 after a mistake, consequently he fails to improve in S1. Indeed, another mistake in T4 sees him abandon the lap.
Out come the yellows as Grosjean spins at T3, while moments later Verstappen is off and in the gravel at T7. It's all happening.
The yellows means the final assault is over before it had even begun, nobody able to make an improvement.
Consequently, Bottas takes pole, ahead of Vettel, Hamilton (who will start eighth), Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Grosjean, Perez, Ocon and Sainz.
Hulkenberg is eleventh, ahead of Alonso, Vandoorne, Kvyat, Magnussen, Palmer, Massa, Stroll, Ericsson and Wehrlein.
An interesting grid, which promises an interesting race, all that we need now is for the weather gods to add to the mix.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Spielberg, here.