The Styrian hills are alive with the sound of hybrid-turbo horsepower, as Formula One returns to Austria for the ninth round of the world championship. Join The Roar for live updates and a blog of the race, starting from 10pm (AEST).
Resurrected by energy drinks giant Red Bull, the former A1-Ring returned to the calendar in 2014 and since then has been dominated by Mercedes AMG.
The 4.3km undulating power circuit allows the authoritative Silver Arrows squad to assert their horsepower advantage over the rest of the competition, as well as Mercedes-Benz customer outfits.
Weather is set to play a factor with scattered showers forecast for Sunday. It certainly showed its hand during qualifying, delivering the most exciting Q3 session of the season so far.
Lewis Hamilton emerged in pole position ahead of his teammate Nico Rosberg, who along with Sebastian Vettel has been consigned to 5-place grid penalties for an unscheduled change of gearbox.
This allows Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg to start on the front-row alongside the reigning world champion and in a surprise, Jenson Button will start from third in what is McLaren’s best qualifying since their reunion with Honda in 2015.
Much cannot be expected of the 2009 world champion however, with the McLaren still struggling in terms of efficiency in race trim. But Hulkenberg has a strong opportunity to claim his belated maiden podium in Formula One.
Ferrari’s pace during the final practice session was quite strong and if dry conditions are on hand during Sunday’s proceedings, then the likes of Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen cannot be ruled out.
Typically, the home team continues to struggle with their lack of power. Daniel Ricciardo will lead Max Verstappen in positions five and eighth respectively. Sister outfit Toro Rosso also had a tough qualifying with fifteenth and twentieth for Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat.
Williams also struggled on a circuit normally accustomed to them. Sixth and tenth is what eventuated for Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa with the penalties applied.
Rubber wise, the soft and supersoft tyres will be accompanied by the ultrasofts. The newly resurfaced asphalt has so far caused many problems with graining on the softest of the trio, hence a three-stop strategy looking likely for the race.
Can Hamilton then, snap his teammate’s two-race winning streak at the Red Bull Ring?
Or shall we see someone outside the Silver Arrows band take victory?
Tune into The Roar from 10pm (AEST) for a full live blog of the Austrian Grand Prix.
anon
Guest
" It looked like he ran Hamilton off the road unnecessarily when Hamilton had made position." I don't think you can claim the position when you are on the outside of a 90 degree corner and you're only a quarter of a car length in front.
anon
Guest
Rosberg just has no race craft. Makes a horrible mistake going into turn 1 of the last lap when the pressure was at its highest. He's the 4th best German driver on the grid. Pascal Wehrlein has gone past Rosberg based on today's effort. That turn 1 mistake wasn't a braking issue because Rosberg made the apex no problem. He took too much kerb. The collision was Rosberg's fault, but it's really no different to what Hamilton did to Rosberg in Austin last year. https://youtu.be/D7Cc7W1T2zQ?t=1m19s Watch that and tell me Hamilton didn't deliberately miss the apex and carried on in order to push Rosberg to the edge of the track. At 1:28 Hamilton actually instinctively turns the wheel right for a split second in order to push Rosberg further wider. Intention was exactly the same in both incidents. Hamilton repeated the dose in Canada this year. Go watch the video from Suzuka last year as well. Hamilton goes off the optimal racing line to force Rosberg off the track limits. Nary a mention from the British media. Then you have the insufferable Sky coverage saying Rosberg left Hamilton no room when he tried to come back on the track. Rosberg doesn't have to. Hamilton was off track and had floored it through the run off area. The onus was on Hamilton to rejoin the track safely. I'm watching the post race now and the Sky coverage is still harping on about Rosberg being on a strategy that allowed him to get ahead of Hamilton. There have been several races where Hamilton has started the race down the grid and Mercedes has put Hamilton on an alternative strategy to Rosberg in order for Hamilton to leapfrog cars in front of him.
Simoc
Guest
It looked to be Rosbergs fault. We'll have to see the stewards outcome. It looked like he ran Hamilton off the road unnecessarily when Hamilton had made position.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
As for the live coverage, that shall be all for this evening. Thank you once again for tuning in and The Roar shall return in 7 days for the heritage British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit. Thanks and good night. :)
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Much to debate then over this final lap incident which is under investigation on Rosberg's side. Feel free to share your thoughts on this blog, as to whether it was Rosberg's fault, Hamilton's fault or racing incident?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
What a controversial conclusion then to the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix, which Lewis Hamilton has won from pole position - despite not leading for the majority of the race. Nico Rosberg, who led the race for the most part due to an upper hand in the strategy, ended up fourth as a result of his collision with Hamilton at Turn 2 of the final corner. It is believed that the German had a failure with his brake-by-wire system, hence his poor turn into that corner. Amid the chaos with the Silver Arrows, a one-stopping Max Verstappen wowed his way a second career podium and a first podium for Red Bull Racing at the Red Bull Ring. Kimi Räikkönen brought home his Ferrari for third, but were left begging and questioning their strategy once again as Sebastian Vettel suffered a tyre blowout on the pit-straight early in the race. It was a fifth place finish for Daniel Ricciardo in the sister Red Bull, ahead of a well deserved sixth for Jenson Button in the McLaren. The rest of the points finishers include Romain Grosjean, Carlos Sainz and Valtteri Bottas. A momentous result for Pascal Wehrlein, scoring his first F1 point in tenth and becoming only the second driver for the Manor team to score points, behind the late Jules Bianchi. Out of the race was Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Daniil Kvyat and Nico Hulkenberg who would be bitterly disappointed after a poor start saw him drop from second on the grid. Vettel as documented suffered a tyre blowout.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
-------- DRIVER'S -------- 153 - Nico Rosberg 142 - Lewis Hamilton 96 -- Sebastian Vettel 96 -- Kimi Räikkönen 88 -- Daniel Ricciardo 72 -- Max Verstappen 54 -- Valtteri Bottas 39 -- Sergio Perez 38 -- Felipe Massa 28 -- Romain Grosjean 22 -- Daniil Kvyat 22 -- Carlos Sainz 20 -- Nico Hulkenberg 18 -- Fernando Alonso 13 -- Jenson Button 5 --- Kevin Magnussen 1 --- Pascal Wehrlein 1 --- Stoffel Vandoorne 0 --- Esteban Gutierrez 0 --- Jolyon Palmer 0 --- Marcus Ericsson 0 --- Pascal Wehrlein 0 --- Felipe Nasr 0 --- Rio Haryanto
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Here are the updated standings following the race: ----- CONSTRUCTOR'S ----- 295 - Mercedes AMG 192 - Scuderia Ferrari 168 - Red Bull Racing 92 -- Williams Mercedes 59 -- Force India Mercedes 36 -- Scuderia Toro Rosso 32 -- McLaren Honda 28 -- Haas Ferrari 6 --- Renault Sport 1 --- Manor Mercedes 0 --- Sauber Ferrari
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lots of boos from the crowd there for Hamilton on the podium. Totally uncalled for regardless of the outcome. It was awful when Vettel used to be booed and also Rosberg in 2014.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
PODIUM INTERVIEWS: HAMILTON - "It was incredibly tough." "I'm here to win." VERSTAPPEN - "Incredible to finish second in a Red Bull car at the Red Bull Ring." RÄIKKÖNEN - "Not an easy day for us." "We didn't really go what we could have."
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
The results from the 71 lap race with it's frantic conclusion: 1 L. Hamilton 2 M. Verstappen 3 K. Räikkönen 4 N. Rosberg 5 D. Ricciardo 6 J. Button 7 R. Grosjean 8 C. Sainz 9 V. Bottas 10 P. Wehrlein 11 E. Gutierrez 12 J. Palmer 13 F. Nasr 14 K. Magnussen 15 M. Ericsson 16 R. Haryanto 17 S. Perez 18 F. Alonso 19 N. Hulkenberg 20 F. Massa RET S. Vettel RET D. Kvyat
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LEWIS HAMILTON wins the Austrian Grand Prix with that final lap maneuver on his teammate Nico Rosberg! With the damage Rosberg sustained on that final lap, it's MAX VERSTAPPEN who finishes second. KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN comes home in third for Ferrari.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 71/71: CONTACT AT TURN 2 BETWEEN HAMILTON AND ROSBERG.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 71/71: FINAL LAP CONTACT!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 70/71: 2 LAPS TO GO Clean air now for Rosberg has the upper hand it seems.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 69/71: And this is where the supersoft tyres have had it on Rosberg's car, in comparison to the softs.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 68/71: A lot of traffic ahead of Rosberg now as Hamilton is right on the rear of his teammate. Crucial final laps now...
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 67/71: FIVE LAPS TO GO 1 second between Rosberg and Hamilton at the front! Räikkönen just 2.8 seconds behind Verstappen and still has a sniff of a podium here.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 66/71: That's Ricciardo blasting past Button for fifth. Whilst his teammate Alonso has another dismal showing and retires from the race. Retiring too is Hulkenberg... Who started second for the race
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 65/71: Massa out of the race, as he drives his Williams into the garage. Hamilton the fastest on track by just 0.2 seconds over Rosberg at present.