Austria – Qualifications: Bottas on pole just ahead of Hamilton, the others far behind

Valtteri Bottas is the first poleman of the year 2020! Held on a hot track (nearly 50 degrees on the tarmac of the Red Bull Ring), under the sun, the Austrian qualifying session left no room for doubt: the Mercedes team is currently the strongest with its W11, with its new black livery, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Despite the mistake at the end of Q3, Bottas still grabs pole thanks to his first flying lap.

Valtteri Bottas made a mistake on his second flying lap (went into the gravel trap at the third corner and spun in the grass without damage), but the driver #77 had done the job on his first run.

Already faster in Q2 (1:03.015), the Finnish driver broke the circuit record with a time of 1:02.939. Slightly beyond the curb of the first corner on his first attempt, Lewis Hamilton got closer on his final lap but not enough to take the lead: the six-time world champion fell short by 12 thousandths and will occupy the second place this Sunday at the 3:10 PM start.

For his part, Valtteri Bottas earns the 12th pole position of his career, thus joining David Coulthard and Austrian Gerhard Berger.

“Yes guys! Thanks!”@ValtteriBottas runs wide on his final lap but takes pole in Austria! ????#AustrianGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/xoHYERUbPP

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 4, 2020

First in Q1, third at the end of Q3, Max Verstappen surrendered in his Red Bull. The gap is colossal: more than half a second (+0.538) with Bottas. But the Dutchman will start on an alternate strategy with medium, yellow-banded tires. Red Bull Racing did not manage to secure the second row: due to the stunning qualifying performance by Lando Norris, 4th in his McLaren-Renault. Already very quick in qualifying in 2019, the 20-year-old British driver achieved the best performance of his young career on Saturday.

YES team. ????????

Lando qualifies for the #AustrianGP in P4, Carlos P8. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/iVsocsPw9J

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 4, 2020

After almost being eliminated in Q2, Alexander Albon finally secured the 5th fastest time in Q3… tied with the Racing Point of Sergio Pérez, an outsider, in a car heavily inspired by the 2019 Mercedes. The Thai driver had the advantage over the Mexican, having set his time first in chronological order.

A little more in the spotlight during Free Practice 3 after a complicated Friday, Ferrari was crushed in qualifying. Worse, only Charles Leclerc participated in Q3 for the Reds. Poleman in 2019, the Monegasque finished this time in 7th, trailing nearly a second behind Bottas (+0.984).

For his part, Lance Stroll hadn’t made it to Q3 since September 2019, during the 2019 Italian Grand Prix. The Canadian went all-in on a single delayed attempt and finished 9th, behind Carlos Sainz’s McLaren in 8th, but ahead of Daniel Ricciardo’s Renault in 10th.

Slap in the face for Vettel, out in Q2, like Gasly, Ocon, and Grosjean!

The troubles of the SF1000 were noticeable from Q2, with the poor elimination of Sebastian Vettel. Forced to overdrive and climb the curb in the first turn of his final attempt, the four-time world champion ended his session in 11th position, just behind Leclerc, who was 10th at the time of Q2, with a gap of +0.165 between the two drivers.

First Frenchman this Saturday morning (9th) Pierre Gasly was also eliminated, with an honorable 12th place in his AlphaTauri, ahead of his teammate, the Russian Daniil Kvyat (13th).

For his first qualifying session in a year and a half, Renault driver Esteban Ocon (14th) was outperformed by his teammate, losing six-tenths to Daniel Ricciardo in Q2.

In trouble at the start of the weekend, let down by his brakes in FP1, Romain Grosjean still barely made it through Q1 this Saturday afternoon, but was unable to compete in Q2, finishing in 15th place. In the end, all three French drivers were eliminated during the second qualifying session.

Sour faces for Alfa Romeo: Räikkönen and Giovinazzi eliminated in Q1.

Bothered by traffic during one of his attempts, Kevin Magnussen (Haas) got stuck in Q1, the first eliminated (by less than a tenth), in 16th place. More satisfaction for George Russell, 17th, who confirmed Williams’ good winter form.

With a mistake on his last flying lap, having gone through the gravel trap at the third turn, Antonio Giovinazzi recorded the 18th fastest time, ahead of his teammate, veteran Kimi Räikkönen. Both drivers, who scored points last year in Austria, are struggling this weekend with a poorly performing Alfa Romeo. The first driver to crash into the wall this weekend, after his incident at the first corner this Saturday morning, Williams rookie Nicholas Latifi will be at the back of the grid on Sunday with a time five-tenths slower than Räikkönen (1:05.757).

Here is the ranking of these qualifications in Austria: