Bottas pips Hamilton in Austria
MERCEDES DUO OUTPACE FERRARIS IN QUALIFYING
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas edged teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying yesterday to secure pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix.
It is the third straight race where Mercedes has locked up the front row of the starting grid.
Bottas led Hamilton by 0.019 seconds to get his first pole of the season. The Finnish driver also started in front last year and went on to win the race.
Sebastian Vettel was more than three-tenths off the pace in third, followed by Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen. Earlier yesterday, Vettel posted the fastest time in final practice. The German trails leader Hamilton by 14 points going into today’s ninth of 21 races.
Max Verstappen was fifth for Red Bull ahead of Romain Grosjean of Haas, Daniel Ricciardo in the second Red Bull and Kevin Magnussen in the second Ferrari-powered Haas.
Carlos Sainz was ninth ahead of his Renault teammate Nico Hulkenberg.
Earlier, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel pushed Hamilton off the top of the Austrian Grand Prix practice time sheets while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen hit problems.
The German lapped the scenic Red Bull Ring in a track record one minute 04.070 seconds, a mere 0.029 quicker than fellow-four times world champion Hamilton in the Mercedes, with sunshine replacing overcast skies.
Verstappen, meanwhile, parked up by the side of the track some 10 minutes from the end of the third and final session before qualifying.
“The engine just shut down,” the Dutch 20-yearold, who had an army of orange-shirted fans packing the grandstands and is eager to make up for crashing out on the first lap last year, said over the team radio.
“Hopefully it’s as simple as a box being changed,” Red Bull principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports television.
Hamilton was quickest in both of Friday’s practice sessions.