Grand Prix of Austria – Race

Hamilton starting P8 is a huge help to VET who already leads HAM by 14 points in the Drivers’ Championship. [Qualifying]

5 minutes before the start of the race; air temperature 28°C, track 46°C, but a 60% chance of rain during the race!

All the cars are sitting in their grid spots except WEH who will start from the pit lane instead of P20.
Grid: BOT, VET, RAI, RIC, VER, GRO, PER, HAM, OCO, SAI, HUL, ALO, VAN, KVY, MAG, PAL, MAS, STR, ERI, WEH

Tyre warmers coming off. The top 10 have to start on their Q2 sets, so HAM is on super-softs and the other 9 are on ultra-softs.
Interesting to see MAS and PAL starting on softs.
Expectation is a one-stop strategy (around lap 35) unless of course it rains.

BOT leads the grid (except WEH) away on the formation lap

01/71: Poor start from KVY
RIC up to P4 before Turn 1
VER spins in T1

02: BOT, VET, RIC, GRO, RAI, PER, HAM, OCO, SAI, MAS
KVY and ALO into the pits; VER is still limping back
Radio for VER telling him to pull over and retire the car
ALO is out of his McLaren

03: VET fastest lap 1:10.149
Radio from VET claiming BOT jumped the start
RAI inside GRO for P4

04: BOT f/lap 1:09.940
Replay shows ALO getting a tap from behind, spinning and hitting VER
Replay showing it was KVY who thumped into the rear of ALO

05/71: BOT f/lap 1:09.539
BOT, VET, RIC, RAI, GRO, PER, HAM, OCO, MAS, STR, MAG, PAL, VAN, HUL, WEH, ERI, KVY; retirements: ALO, VER
Incident involving BOT under investigation for jumping the start

06: BOT f/lap 1:09.379
HAM takes P7 from PER
Incident involving KVY under investigation – causing a collision

07: BOT f/lap 1:09.138
HAM filling GRO’s mirrors

08: BOT f/lap 1:09.024
Radio for RIC telling him tyre temps are reaching their peak
HAM uses DRS to pass P5 from GRO

09: BOT f/lap 1:09.019
Radio again from VET hoping for BOT to be penalised – ironic given his behaviour in the last race

10/71: BOT, VET, RIC, HAM, GRO, PER, OCO, MAS, STR, MAG, PAL, VAN, HUL, SAI, WEH, ERI, KVY
Drive-through penalty for KVY for causing the Turn 1 collision

11: BOT f/lap 1:09.000

13: Radio for RAI telling him to make some setting changes (“Fail, C-51”) but RAI having problems with it

14: BOT’s lead is 4.8sec

15/71: BOT, VET, RIC, RAI, HAM, GRO, PER, OCO, MAS, STR, MAG, PAL, VAN, SAI, WEH, HUL, KVY
HUL pits; soft tyres

17: Radio from RAI reporting a blister on his front tyre

19: Radio for VET confirming they’re on Plan A (presumably one-stop)
HAM closing on RAI; almost within DRS range

20/71: BOT, VET, RIC, RAI, HAM, GRO, PER, OCO, MAS, STR, MAG, PAL, VAN, SAI, WEH, ERI, HUL, KVY
Radio for RAI telling him “HAM is 1/10th faster than us in clean air but not scary”

22: BOT f/lap 1:08.989

23: BOT f/lap 1:08.959

25/71: BOT f/lap 1:08.777

26: Incident involving BOT – no further action (re: jump start)
BOT laps ERI, P16

28: BOT laps WEH, P15
HAM closing on RAI again

29: Radio for RAI telling him to make more setting changes; RAI says “I don’t know how”

30/71: BOT, VET, RIC, RAI, HAM, GRO, PER, OCO, MAS, STR, MAG, PAL, VAN, SAI, WEH, ERI, HUL, KVY; retirements: ALO, VER
MAG closes on STR but then suddenly loses speed
Radio from MAG – no power steering; told not to change gear

31: MAG pits, retires

32: HAM pits; ultras; rejoins still P5

33: VAN pits

34: RIC pits from P3; supersofts; rejoins P4
HAM f/lap 1:07.867

35: VET pits; supers; rejoins P3

37: GRO pits from P6; rejoins P8

39: Radio from RAI complaining about VAN not obeying blue flags
Radio from HAM – rear end doesn’t feel good, too much front wing
Incident involving VAN under investigation – ignoring blue flags

40/71: BOT, RAI, VET, RIC, HAM, OCO, MAS, GRO, PER, SAI, STR, PAL, VAN, HUL, WEH, ERI, KVY
Radio from HAM asking if he’s being investigated – told no
Was HAM watching the big screens?

41: BOT pits; right front bit slow going on; rejoins P2 behind RAI who hasn’t stopped yet

43: OCO pits

44: BOT closing on RAI – how much can RAI hold up BOT to let VET catch up?
Actually BOT passes RAI quite easily

45/71: RAI pits; rejoins P5
Drive-through penalty for VAN for ignoring blue flags
Radio for SAI telling him to box and retire the car

46: SAI pits, retires; over the radio he sarcastically says “what a glorious race”

48: MAS pits from P6; rejoins P9

49: BOT just over 4sec clear of VET, who in turn has a 5sec lead over RIC

50/71: BOT, VET, RIC, HAM, RAI, GRO, PER, OCO, MAS, STR, PAL, VAN, HUL, WEH, ERI, KVY; retirements: SAI, MAG, ALO, VER

51: VET f/lap 1:07.713
Radio from HAM – “struggling out here”; told “we’ll look at options”
Blistering on HAM’s front left

53: MAS closing on OCO to challenge for P8
RAI taking about 0.5sec/lap out of BOT’s lead

54: Radio for VET telling him there might be rain showers at the end of the race

55/71: RAI f/lap 1:07.680

56: BOT laps OCO, P8

57: RAI runs wide as he picks up marbles from lapping MAS

59: HAM f/lap 1:07.608

60/71: HAM f/lap 1:07.571 – he’s now about 2.2sec behind RIC

61: Radio from HAM pointing out the blistering; told it’s nothing to worry about

62: HAM f/lap 1:07.511
Radio for RIC – “let’s get through this traffic and then stretch your legs again”

63: RIC laps MAS as HAM closes to about 1.5sec behind the Red Bull
Radio from HAM asking the team to keep an eye on his tyres, “I’m worried about them”

65/71: BOT, VET, RIC, HAM, RAI, GRO, PER, OCO, MAS, STR, PAL, VAN, HUL, WEH, ERI, KVY; retirements: SAI, MAG, ALO, VER
Radio from PER saying he saw a spot of rain

66: HAM f/lap 1:07.424
Radio from HAM – “I need everything now”, i.e. a higher boost engine mode

67: HAM 1.2sec behind RIC – almost within DRS range
VET has suddenly closed to about 1.1sec behind BOT as the leader catches GRO to lap him

68: HAM now inside DRS range of RIC

69: HAM f/lap 1:07.411

70/71: BOT has VET 0.7sec behind
HAM makes a move on RIC but the Red Bull stays ahead

71 = final lap: VET just 0.6sec behind BOT
PER moves out of the way as the top 4 blast past

BOT takes the chequered flag

Provisional result: BOT, VET, RIC, HAM, RAI, GRO, PER, OCO, MAS, STR; PAL, VAN, HUL, WEH, ERI, KVY
DNF: SAI, MAG, ALO, VER

VET says “one more lap” to BOT because the gap was closing rapidly
5th consecutive podium for RIC
VET neglects to remove his cap during the national anthem

Did RIC jump the start of the champagne? 🙂