Only 60 minutes left before qualification
Verstappen in front – nothing but trouble for Bottas
Welcome to Spielberg at 700 meters above sea level. A wonderful place on earth – and right in the middle, surrounded by mountains, is the 4.318 km long Red Bull Ring. The grandstands filled – after a wet night. The sun came out for the first training session. Fastest: Verstappen ahead of Leclerc.
Published: 2:55 p.m
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Updated: 3 minutes ago
Roger Benoit (text) and Lukas Gorys (images) from Spielberg
And this time (like in Imola) the first 60 minutes of training are very important. Because today from 5 p.m. (TV live) the qualification for the starting grid of the sprint race on Saturday from 4.30 p.m. starts. There are then again world championship points for the first eight pilots: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
The official pole is on Friday
Thanks to this new point system (previously only the first three were rewarded) the sprint race has of course become more attractive. The third rises in the penultimate race in November in Sao Paulo. Six sprint races for 2023 are currently being discussed.
It goes without saying that the first training session right from the start was considered a dress rehearsal for the qualification. After just 20 minutes, all drivers except Stroll had already completed more than ten laps. With the three softest tire compounds.
Bottas backwards
Since today’s qualification also involves the official pole position and internal team duels, it is possible that the pole man will have to start from the back on Sunday. Because he was eliminated first in the sprint race!
But the last starting place at the 11th World Championship round is already reserved: for Valtteri Bottas (32) in the Alfa-Sauber. Since the Finn exchanged all engine components and exceeded the permitted amount, it’s just off to the back.
1000 euros and red
Bottas was super fast in the first practice session – but only in the pit lane. After just three minutes, the FIA box office rang. Because the Finn was caught at 103.7 km/h (instead of the allowed 80), there was a fine of 1000 euros.
After 20 minutes, the first red flag: Norris, seventh in the World Championship, had rolled out in a McLaren Mercedes. Then he complained on the radio: “Smoke is coming up under my seat. I’d better get out…»
Fast «rabbits» in Spielberg
At halftime, the four-time Spielberg winner Max Verstappen in the Red Bull-Honda had taken over from the two Ferrari Leclerc and Sainz. Then Alonso, Magnussen, Russell, Schumi and Jubilar Ocon (100th Grand Prix). Until shortly afterwards Bottas registered with the new engine elements in the front field. Teammate Zhou certainly didn’t risk everything on the first laps after the horror crash at Silverstone. The Chinese: “It is important that you don’t think too long about an accident and can climb back into the cockpit.”
Strong Silver Arrows
Shortly after the first red card (interruption), the second was panned. This time the rubber strips came off in a curve between the red and white color and the green color! In this way, important training minutes were “stolen” from the 20 drivers.
After that it was quiet except for a slip by Bottas on the gravel bed. In addition, Russell and Hamilton with places 3 and 5 in the Mercedes showed that you have to reckon with the Silver Arrows again here in Austria.
Hot World Cup start 2023 in Bahrain
In the morning, the new Arab FIA President Ben S. asked the team bosses to a marathon meeting in his posh hotel “Gabelhofen” near the track. Once again, the upper budget limit, which was too low for some teams, was discussed. The underbody, which was criticized, and its rigidity were also an issue with regard to the bouncing of the cars.
And then the start of the 2023 World Cup was already fixed. Three days of testing in Bahrain – and then only four days off until the first day of training there in the Gulf! Previously, you had ten days to react to a bad car.