Austrian GP Thread (Contains Quali/Race spoilers) - Sponsored by the A1

[GSC]

F1 returns to Austria for the first time since 2003 after a thrilling excursion to North America where Daniel Ricciardo picked up Red Bull's first win of the season - a feat the World Champions will be keen to repeat at their home race.
So read on below as Sky Sports Online provides your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the grand prix weekend.

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Track: The Red Bull Ring. Permanent circuit.

Race start time: 1pm UK time Sunday (2pm local).

Laps: 71.

Track length: 4.326 km.

Tyre allocation: Soft (yellow) and supersoft (red)

Driver steward: TBA.

Lap record: Michael Schumacher - 1:08.670 (Ferrari; 2003).

2003 pole: Michael Schumacher - 1:09.150 (Ferrari).

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Friday 20th June
8:45am - Austrian GP Practice One
12:45pm - Austrian GP Practice Two


Saturday 21st June
9:45am - Austrian GP Practice Three
12pm - Austrian GP Qualifying


Sunday 22nd June
12pm - The 2014 Austrian GP - Race
3:30pm - The 2014 Austrian GP

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Of the current drivers on the grid only Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen have driven at the circuit in the past, with the Finn unique amongst the quartet to stand on the podium having finished second for McLaren in 2003.

[Fernando]

[GSC]

Doesn't look the most interesting track ever if I'm honest

[Fernando]

It's not but their is chance to overtake at pretty much every corner so usually leads to things like this.

[Guest]

Remember this track, pretty average it was, unless rain came. Usually the most excitement is on the first lap into turn 1 & then there is usually a kamikaze attack into turn 3 up the hill. DRS will probably make it easier to overtake, no doubt.

Hamilton needs to start getting his a** in gear.

[GSC]

Probably the last chance for the Mercedes cars to drive home the power advantage before Britain, Germany and Hungary where power isn't as crucial.

[skyeman]

Remember this track, pretty average it was, unless rain came. Usually the most excitement is on the first lap into turn 1 & then there is usually a kamikaze attack into turn 3 up the hill. DRS will probably make it easier to overtake, no doubt.

Hamilton needs to start getting his a** in gear.

I know what you mean. But LH has been the far superior driver at Merc and if it were not for the car letting him down twice. He would have a comfortable lead.

[GSC]

Merc and Ferrari are testing a titanium block designed to make sparks under the car.

For some reason.

Personally if they want to make it more watchable, they should play Highway to the Dangerzone every time Maldonado opens DRS

[Guest]

Another pointless 'artificial' concept, aimed to please the casual fan. Same thing behind the introduction of DRS. Embarrassing.

If you want 'sparks' you'd want to see them at Abu Dhabi or Singapore anyway for best effect. Pointless.

Mercedes dominating.

[Guest]

Looks like Hamilton has the edge on NR, over 3 tenths quicker. NR to be analysing LH telemetry as his bed time reading tonight.

[GSC]

Choke, choke, choke...

Hamilton 9th after he cocks up both quali laps.

Massa on pole, Bottas 2nd.

[Bull]

Looking like a pretty good prediction by me hopefully that's how the race ends.

[Guest]

Hamilton really is bottling this, although he did look like he had some issue with the brakes or something. Anyway, total balls-up.

Congrats Massa & Williams.

[dyrewolfe]

Wow - what a result for Williams!   I am so happy for them...especially Massa. Must admit I got a little choked up for him.

Hoping they can capitalise on this and at least get both cars in the podium places, if not a win. They've certainly looked the strongest so far - can't see any reason why they shouldn't come away with some silverware.

Good performances also from Alonso, Ricciardo, Magnussen and Kvyat too, to make up places 4th to 7th.

[dyrewolfe]

Oh and to all the TOTAL IDIOTS going on about Hamilton "bottling it"...



...can anyone remember a season when Lewis HASN'T had issues of one sort or another?

Pretty pathetic to come crawling out of the woodwork with your bile and vitriol the moment he doesn't look like winning races. Very sad individuals.

He's still starting 9th and has a good chance of making up some places. Remember Rosberg could only manage 3rd, so he's got his work cut out too.

Seems Mercedes still have some problems to iron out, or else Williams have genuinely caught up with them. Only time will tell.

[Guest]

bit of a random attack. he made a clear mistake in the first q3 lap under pressure & he's spun on the second lap. I'm a hamilton fan remember, im not anti-hamilton, i'm just getting frustrated with him & the issues with the car. anymore issues & if rosberg win tomorrow, it's looking very difficult for hamilton to win this title. calm down dyre

[Gerry SA]

Poor old Lewis Hamilton. When he wins he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. He makes Fangio, Senna, Schumacher, Vettel etc look average.

Yet when it goods wrong it's always someone else's fault

Don't make me laugh.

Put pressure on Hamilton and he near enough always crumbles. He's mentally weak.

Come Nico bury him!

Congrats Felipe! Excellent lap

[sportform]

Good to see the Williams at the front of the grid. They have had good pace all season and should have really have had better results. It will be an interesting race to see how the Mercedes go not from the front.

[GSC]

In terms of race pace the Merc is in a class of its own again though, especially on the soft tyre, so I don't expect the Williams to hold up Rosberg for 70 laps. Traffic will be problematic on this track for Hamilton, 2nd is possible but he needs to clear the field quickly

[Guest]

Damage limitation for Hamilton. First lap will be terrible for him, no doubt. Sector 3 there is no overtaking really, going to be hard work. Expect Massa to fly out the blocks, won't take Rosberg long to overtake Bottas, once DRS is enabled, then he will reel in Massa slowly but surely. If Hamilton makes podium, its been a great result.

[GSC]

[Guest]

What a start Lewis, c`mon!

[GSC]

Vettel got Webbers car it seems

[Gerry SA]

Yet more bad luck for Sebastian.

Seb's bad luck, making Ricciardo look half decent.

[Guest]

Hamilton probably needs to play smart now. Hold back, cool those brakes.

[Guest]

Hamilton lost a second in that pit. Typical Williams strategy foul up.

[Guest]

Straight Mercedes fight now for the win. What can Lewis do......

[kingraf]

Calling the wing clip

[Gerry SA]

Yes Nico!!! Excellent driver. Like a world champion in waiting!

Putting it on the overrated Hamilton.

[Guest]

Nico was just in the better positions throughout the race. Good win for him, Hamilton should of done the business yesterday & had poor pitstops today. Well done Williams, although strategy wise they arent great.

[Bull]

Average race. 7/10.

[GSC]

Comfortable in the end for Nico, built a gap and kept Hamilton at arms length. Race pace has been roughly equal for most of this season and its come down to whomever is ahead and gets first call on strategy. Missing out on pole is hurting Hamilton

[sikhlion]

Does Rosbergs performances this year make Schumacher's Mercedes career look better than everybody first thought?

[GSC]

Not really. He's had the rub of the green somewhat, this was probably the first time hes beaten Hamilton on a somewhat level playing field this year (discounting Monaco)

Took him long enough but he finally got his elbows out to stall Hamiltons momentum

[Fernando]

The Hamilton fans are out in force seemingly claiming that Mercedes deliberatly messed up Hamilton's Pit stops so Nico could win.

[liverbnz]

^ That was inevitable really. The worst part of it was SKY actually entertained it as David Croft read out a question from a viewer asking for their thoughts. All a bit pathetic and knee-jerk really. If Hamilton does his job on Saturday then he probably wins the race.

[Guest]

Yeah, knew that was coming. Look, I'm a Hamilton fan but even I wasn't going mental over the stops. Yeah, he lost time but Nico was always just in the better positions all day, mainly due to starting in third & Lewis always playing catch-up. I knew fanboys would go to town on the stops though & agree, Sky did entertain it. Simple fact is, Lewis has had bad luck but he's also making mistakes, which is the more worrying thing. First stop, he over-run the pit stop by a small margin & the second stop, there was damage to the cake tin on the front tyre, so the mechanic had to be careful.

[Fernando]

Personally i think Hamilton would have won if Williams didn't pull out that 2.1 second stop for Bottas. Over that distance i think he'd have been able to get past. Mercedes seem to be having overheating issues recently and tbh Austria & Canada not exactly the warmest places considering what's left on the calendar.

[Guest]

Yeah, certainly an issue for Mercedes to overcome or manage but they are lucky that the opposition isn't strong enough. Silverstone will show Mercedes being dominant again, with it being about aero & having long, fast corners. Williams will drop back, no doubt.

I actually don't even think Hamilton or Rosberg are driving that well, both making mistakes recently & I can only imagine they will show more errors as the tension increases & the amount of races remaining decreases. Would Hamilton have passed, probably, seeing as Rosberg went off on the first corner & Lewis would of used DRS & done & do or die move on Rosberg at turn 4/5, unlike Bottas, who just fell short.

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