Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Live text
Formula 1 Austrian GP

F1 Austrian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & Qualifying

Updates for Friday practice and qualifying at the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring

Live Text

Sort by
Stopwatch
Hamilton, now on softs, has jumped up to P3, 0.6s behind Verstappen.
There are 15 minutes remaining on the clock.
Green flag
The session is back underway again.
Norris' McLaren has now returned to the pit garage.
While the action is halted. Verstappen leads the session from Leclerc, Sainz, Magnussen, Bottas, Alonso, Tsunoda, Russell, Schumacher and Vettel. Hamilton is down in P14.
The debris is being cleared now by marshals. There is a marshal retrieving a thin piece of rubber emanating from run off behind the kerbs.
It appears the stoppage is for some debris at Turn 6. There are 20 minutes left on the clock.
Red flag
Red Flag.
Norris' McLaren is yet to make it back to the garage after stopping on track earlier in the session.
Magnussen locks up and runs wide at Turn 3. The Haas driver however moves to P4 on the medium.
A few more drivers are taken soft tyres for a qualifying simulation. Bottas, Zhou and Latifi now on softs.
Stopwatch
Verstappen responds on the softs to go fastest. The Red Bull driver fires in a 1m06.302s.
Stopwatch
Leclerc goes fastest with a 1m06.650s. Sainz goes to P2, 0.4s slower on the soft tyre. Verstappen has now taken a set of softs.
Russell has put his Mercedes into P4. The Brit is 0.7s shy of Verstappen.
It appears the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz have moved to the soft tyre.
Green flag
The session is back underway with 32 minutes on the clock.
Meanwhile, there is some bad news for Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas. He will start Sunday’s from the back of the grid after the team took a raft of fresh power unit elements ahead of this weekend.

Full Story: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/bottas-to-start-austrian-gp-from-back-of-grid-after-power-unit-change/10334810/
Norris is back in the pit lane and has walked into the McLaren garage to talk to his team. The car is now being removed from the circuit.
It has been tough start to the session for McLaren with Ricciardo sitting P18, 2.1s adrift of pacesetter Verstappen.
So with 37 minutes remaining. Verstappen is fastest with a 1m07.496s ahead of Leclerc, Alonso, Perez, Vettel, Sainz, Ocon, Magnussen, Hamilton and Russell.
Norris has pulled off after running slowly through Turn 5. Norris says there was smoke coming out from under his seat.
Red flag
Red flag. Norris has stopped on track and has climbed out of his McLaren.
Perez now improves to move into P4 in the sister Red Bull.
Leclerc has moved to P2, 0.5s shy with Alonso third, Vettel fourth and Sainz fifth.
So far everyone has been setting times on the medium tyres. Verstappen has lowered his benchmark down to a 1m07.496s.
Hamilton radios his team saying he "doesn't understand" what his engineer has asked him to change. Hamilton sits P8 currently, 1.1s behind Verstappen.
Russell is the top Mercedes in P8 after 15 minutes of running.
Just as we type that, Leclerc slots into P3, 0.6s shy of Verstappen.
Leclerc has improved to move to P7 but remains 1.1s adrift of Verstappen's pace at the minute.
Drivers are complaining about gusty winds.
Stroll is on the pits with the Aston Martin team working on his car.
Albon is running all the latest upgrades on his Williams that debuted at the British GP.
Ferrari are yet to show their hand with British GP winner Sainz in P13 and Leclerc in P14.
Perez has gone off at Turn 4 but rejoins.
Stopwatch
Verstappen back to the top now. The Dutchman fires in the first lap under the 1m08s bracket. The Red Bull driver posts a 1m07.720s.
Magnussen to the top now with 1m08.501s but the Haas driver is beaten by the Alpine of Alonso.
Zhou is among those to log an early timed lap as he rejoins the fray following his huge crash during last weekend's British Grand Prix.
Alonso fires in the first timed lap before Verstappen tops the times with a 1m8.656.
The Verstappen fans have let off their orange flares so that can only mean the cars are out on track.
Green flag
Free Practice 1 is go go go.

By: autosport.com

Published: