Hamilton sets pace in Austria

Spielberg (Austria), July 3: Defending six-time champion Lewis Hamilton topped the times ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas as Formula One roared back at Friday’s opening practice at the belated and surreal season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.

Three months after the cancellation of the original campaign starter in Australia and six months on from the last race meeting, it was business as usual for the dominant black arrows with Max Verstappen third for Red Bull ahead of McLaren’s Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz.

After a slow start on a damp surface at the Red Bull Ring, following overnight rain, Hamilton, sporting a new Black Lives Matter helmet to match his black race suit, was on the pace immediately in his W11 car of the same colour.

It was as if the lengthy delay created by the Covid19 pandemic had no affect on the teams, cars and drivers other than Ferrari whose new SF91 machine was, as forecast, unable to match the pace set at the front by Mercedes.

Ferrari plan to revise their car with updates for the Hungarian race in two weeks time following the second event in Austria next week.

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AFP