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F1 Austrian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying
Live updates from free practice and qualifying for the F1 Austrian Grand Prix
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Good morning and welcome to live text coverage of FP3 for the Austrian Grand Prix!
Breaking news
Ahead of today's action, Mercedes grabbed headlines by announcing a new two-year deal for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Check out the full story here
Hamilton remaining in F1 is fantastic news, but it's a shame he didn't fancy a career change, what with a spare factory Yamaha up for grabs in MotoGP next year!
Lewis Hamilton, Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1
Photo by: Monster Energy
Turning our attention back to track action, Hamilton headed Friday practice from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, but the former wasn't convinced the small gains made with the car will be enough to topple Max Verstappen and Red Bull this weekend.
Just five minutes to go before cars hit the track for FP3.
Just a reminder, the tyre selection for this weekend's Red Bull Ring contest are a step softer, with the range C5 (soft), C4 (medium), C3 (hard).
Green flag
Pitlane is open and final practice for the Austrian GP is underway.
Nikita Mazepin in the Haas and Williams driver George Russell are first out, followed by the McLaren of Lando Norris.
Norris has gone out on the development tyres Pirelli has brought this weekend to be tested in practice.
Norris puts in the early benchmark with a 1m06.454s.
Ricciardo slots into second, 0.228s behind Norris.
Everyone by the looks of it on track at the moment is on the development tyre.
Pierre Gasly has put his AlphaTauri on top with a 1m06.282s.
One thing to watch for in a bit when we get some proper time attacks, the FIA has clamped down on drivers loitering in the final two turns looking for space.
Nine times on the board so far, Gasly heads Tsunoda, Norris, Leclerc, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Sainz, Mazepin, Schumacher.
Gasly improves to a 1m06.058s.
Track limits are being monitored at the final right-handers at Turns 9 and 10 this weekend.
Norris improves to second but that lap will likely be scrubbed as he appeared to exceed track limits at the final corner.
Tsunoda goes fastest in the other AlphaTauri with a 1m06.045s. Just over 10 minutes of the session gone and still only 10 times on the board so far.
Mazepin has quite a big lock-up into Turn 3 at the top of the hill and flatspots his development tyres.
Still no laps for the Mercedes and Red Bull pair.
And in typical fashion, Hamilton heads out just as we hit send on that last message.
Hamilton is currently on a flying lap on the development tyres.
The world champion's first time is a 1m06.414s to go sixth.
Valtteri Bottas is now out on track and goes onto a flying lap, also on the development tyre.
Bottas has a bit of a moment exiting Turn 5 on this lap on his way to a 1m06.900s to go 12th.
Replay shows Bottas dipped his rear into the gravel but managed to keep it pointing in the right direction.
Norris has ditched the development tyre and is out on a new set of softs. However, he runs wide at the first turn at the start of this flying lap and aborts it.
Norris lost the rear of his McLaren a tad as he picked up the power exiting Turn 1 and was sent wide, grinding the yellow kerb Tony Hawk style.
Russell jumps up to fifth on a soft tyre time attack. He's 0.252s off Tsunoda's benchmark, which was set on the development tyre.
Norris goes fastest with a 1m05.762s. No dramas on this lap for the McLaren driver.
Only Latifi in the Williams and Verstappen in the Red Bull are yet to set a lap time.
With 25 minutes gone, Norris leads Tsunoda, Gasly, Leclerc, Russell, Ocon, Stroll, Hamilton, Giovinazzi, Sainz.
Raikkonen leaps up the order to second, 0.068s adrift of Norris. Looks like the Alfa Romeo driver has also switched to soft tyres.
Ricciardo goes sixth on his first soft tyre lap.
Norris improves at the top of the standings with a 1m05.700s.
Perez has gone out on the hard tyre. Verstappen still in pitlane.
Gasly is on a lap on the soft tyres and is fastest through sector one.
Verstappen is sent out on a fresh set of soft tyres.
Gasly gets it wrong at the final corner and ends up third, 0.048s off Norris in third.
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