2014 Austrian Grand Prix – The Grid: Williams Surprises Mercedes

After the qualifying session that took place on Saturday, for which you can read the summary on Motorsinside.com, the editorial team offers you a recap of the starting grid.

Two penalties to report: first, the one received by Max Chilton with a 3-place drop after the Canadian Grand Prix where he collided with Jules Bianchi and the one for Sergio Pérez, with a 5-position drop, for being deemed responsible by the stewards in Montreal and then by those in Spielberg for the collision in the last lap of the previous round.

The tires

After a cloudy and possibly rainy Friday and a warmer but still unstable Saturday, the weather forecast for this Sunday in Spielberg could pose challenges for the drivers and teams in tire management. Pirelli, which has brought its softest compounds—the soft (yellow) and super-soft (red) tires—anticipates two pit stops. Williams, known for their particularly tire-hungry cars, might struggle and potentially choose to adopt a more aggressive strategy to fully exploit the chance for a podium finish.

The forces in presence

A small thunderclap in Styrian territory as for the first time this season, no Mercedes will start from the front row, locked out by the surprising and lively Williams of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. Worse still, while Nico Rosberg is third and will start on the clean side of the grid – thus preserving all his chances of winning, Lewis Hamilton is only 9th. Perhaps an opportunity to liven up the field for the Briton, but also for other drivers such as Sergio Pérez pushed back to 16th position with a car more than capable of competing in the top 10, or even Sebastian Vettel for whom the midfield does not suit perfectly.

It will also be interesting to follow the progress during this race of Fernando Alonso, whose 4th place does not seem to reflect the real level of the Ferrari, as well as Daniel Ricciardo just within the top 5. Also to be closely observed is the behavior of Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat: both have significantly outperformed their respective teammates and will undoubtedly play the card of boldness to the fullest.