Austrian GP grid: Why Rosberg starts sixth

The FIA has confirmed that Nico Rosberg will only move down to sixth place on the grid for the Austrian Grand Prix, despite his gearbox change penalty.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 W07 Hybrid

Jolyon Palmer, Renault Sport F1 Team RS16

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG F1 W07 Hybrid

Nico Hulkenberg, Sahara Force India F1 VJM09

The German qualified second at the Red Bull Ring and would normally have dropped to seventh place.

However, the way that the FIA makes up the grid in the wake of multiple penalties means he has only lost four places because of Sebastian Vettel's gearbox replacement.

With penalties applied in the orders that they are earned, the FIA first moves Vettel down from fourth place to ninth place.

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Then, Rosberg is moved down from second place to seventh place.

And it is only when all the penalties are applied – which includes the yellow flag punishments for Jolyon Palmer, Felipe Nasr and Rio Haryanto – that the grid is closed up.

So with Vettel unable to take up his fourth slot, the positions behind third are closed up – moving Rosberg up from seventh to sixth.

Austrian Grand Prix provisional grid
	Driver
01	L. Hamilton
02	N. Hülkenberg
03	J. Button
04	K. Räikkönen
05	D. Ricciardo
06	N. Rosberg
07	V. Bottas
08	M. Verstappen
09	S. Vettel
10	F. Massa
11	E. Gutiérrez
12	P. Wehrlein
13	R. Grosjean
14	F. Alonso
15	C. Sainz
16	S. Pérez
17	K. Magnussen
18	D. Kvyat
19	M. Ericsson
20	J. Palmer
21	Rio Haryanto
22	F. Nasr