Austrian Grand Prix – Qualifying and Sprint

(Skipping straight to the Sprint but I’ll add Quali notes later)

Sprint
Grid: VER, LEC, SAI, RUS, OCO, MAG, SCH, ALO, HAM, GAS, ALB, BOT, PER*, TSU, NOR, RIC, STR, ZHO, LAT, VET
*PER’s penalty for exceeding track limits means he starts P13
Air temperature 21°C; track 36°C
There’s a yellow flag as the grid clears – ALO is still on the jacks and the tyre blankets are still on it!
VER leads everyone else around on the formation lap while the Alpine mechanics push him into the pit lane
Grid forms up, with P8 empty – will ALO be able to start from the pit lane?
ZHO has stopped in the final corner; “The engine switched off!”
Flashing lights – start aborted, extra formation lap
Alpine are pushing ALO into the garage
So now there’s 18 cars on the grid; P8 and P19 are empty; ZHO will start from the pit lane; ALO may get a DNS (did not start) unless they can fire up his car quickly
01/23: SAI takes P2 from LEC into Turn 1
GAS spins; recovers
LEC reclaims P2
02: VER, LEC, SAI, RUS, OCO, MAG, SCH, PER, BOT, ALB, HAM, NOR, RIC, VET, STR, TSU, LAT, GAS, ZHO; out: ALO
Replay of the start shows GAS squeeze HAM into T1 but makes contact and spins
03: VER fastest lap 1:08.654 … although there’s no point for f/lap in the sprint (and position points only go to P8)
04: LEC f/lap 1:08.321
NOR runs wide – ALB left no room
05/23: VER, LEC, SAI, RUS, OCO, MAG, SCH, PER, BOT, HAM
Incident involving ALB and NOR under investigation
06: SAI looks at the inside of LEC but backs off just before there’s contact
07: SAI now tries around the outside but LEC slams the door shut
08: HAM’s taken P9 from BOT
ALB given 5sec penalty for forcing NOR off the track
09: SCH challenging teammate MAG but that just lets PER dive inside and steal P7
10/23: VER, LEC, SAI, RUS, OCO, MAG, PER, SCH, HAM, BOT
VER’s lead just over 3sec
PER takes P6 from MAG
11: Yellow flag – VET’s in the gravel trap at Turn 6; he reverses out
Replay looks like VET made contact with ALB as he passed the Williams
12: PER takes P5 from OCO
13: HAM all over SCH’s rear wing
15/23: VER, LEC, SAI, RUS, PER, OCO, MAG, SCH, HAM, BOT, NOR, RIC, ALB*, STR, TSU, GAS, ZHO, LAT, VET; out: ALO (*ALB has 5sec penalty to be applied)
16: GAS takes P15 from teammate TSU… and ZHO takes P16 from him
18: HAM still looking for a way past the Haas
19: SCH slow out of Turn 3 and HAM almost runs in his rear
20/23: VER, LEC, SAI, RUS, PER, OCO, MAG, SCH, HAM, BOT
BOT now closing on HAM
21: HAM around the outside of SCH but he closes the door
Radio from SCH asking MAG to slow a little so he gets DRS
Black and white flag for TSU for exceeding track limits
HAM finally passes the Haas for P8
Radio for VET telling him to box due to a problem
22: STR closing on ALB but doesn’t need to pass him
VET pits; retires
23/23: VER laps LAT
VER takes the chequered flag
Looks like OCO has stopped on track
Provisional result: VER, LEC, SAI, RUS, PER, OCO, MAG, HAM; SCH, BOT, NOR, RIC, STR, ZHO, GAS, ALB*, TSU, LAT; DNF: VET, ALO
*ALB’s 5sec penalty