F1 Starting Grid 2021 Austrian Grand Prix
Event: Austrian F1 Grand Prix
Track: Red Bull Ring
Warm-up lap starts at: 15:00 Local | 15:00 CET | 14:00 UK | 06:00 LA | 22:00 Tokio
Max Verstappen now scored three pole positions in a row today in Austria, while Hamilton was "only" 4th. It's now already five races ago that the British driver scored a pole position.
The weather forecast for tomorrow now shows a precipitation of 53% around 15:00 local time. It would be great to see a wet race again. The last wet race we saw was Turkey 2020 and we all know what Hamilton did in that race.
Sebastian Vettel will undoubtedly get a penalty for blocking Alonso during Q2. The penalty isn't known yet, but will be updated as soon the penalty is given.
Because of the penalty Vettel will get George Russell even will move up to P8. His best qualifying position ever in a Williams.
The Stewards reports after qualifying:
- Valtteri Bottas and the Mercedes team are required to report to the stewards at 17:20 hours (local time) for clarifying why he drove slow in turn 9 and 10.
- Carlos Sainz and the Ferrari team are required to report to the stewards at 17:50 hours (local time) for clarifying why he drove slow in turn 9 and 10.
F1 Starting Grid 2021 Austrian GP
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Lap Time | Pole gap | Tyres |
| 1 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:03,720 | ????M (C4) | |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:03,768 | +0,048s | ????S (C5) |
| 3 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:03,990 | +0,270s | ????M (C4) |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:04,014 | +0,294s | ????M (C4) |
| 5 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1:04,049 | +0,329s | ????M (C4) |
| 6 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 1:04,107 | +0,387s | ????S (C5) |
| 7 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1:04,273 | +0,553s | ????S (C5) |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Williams | 1:04,591 | +0,871s | ????M (C4) |
| 9 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:04,618 | +0,898s | ????S (C5) |
| 10 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:04,559 | +0,839s | Free |
| 11 | 5 | *Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 1:04,570 | +0,850s | ????S (C5) |
| 12 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:04,600 | +0,880s | Free |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 1:04,719 | +0,999s | Free |
| 14 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 1:04,856 | +1,136s | Free |
| 15 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1:05,083 | +1,363s | Free |
| 16 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo | 1:05,009 | +1,289s | Free |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:05,051 | +1,331s | Free |
| 18 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 1:05,195 | +1,475s | Free |
| 19 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | 1:05,427 | +1,707s | Free |
| 20 | 9 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas | 1:05,951 | +2,231s | Free |
*Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin no.5 - 3 place grid penalty for impeding Fernando Alonso (Alpine no.14)
Possible 2021 Austrian Grand Prix Strategies
Even with a softer tyre nomination in comparison to last weekend, the fastest strategy for the 71-lap Austrian Grand Prix (the same distance as the Styrian race a week ago) should still be a one-stopper.
The frontrunners opted for the Yellow medium tyre to get through Q2 and start the race, which means that the medium followed by the White hard is probably the strategy that they will target – likely to be echoed by many of the other drivers starting on the same compound.
Otherwise, a two-stopper, with two stints on the soft plus a medium or hard stint (which could be the middle stint) or using all the three compounds is a good option: this could provide an interesting 'sprint' alternative.
Ultimately, a lot of the strategy will be influenced by track temperature – and the weather around the Red Bull Ring remains quite unpredictable after some showers during the weekend.
2021 Austrian F1 GP Race Notes
- Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is on pole position for the third consecutive time and the second race on the trot at the Red Bull Ring. Verstappen set the fastest lap of the weekend so far on his pole lap using the P Zero Red soft C5, which is one step softer than the red tyre nominated last weekend.
- Verstappen, along with five other drivers, used the P Zero Yellow medium tyre to set his fastest lap in Q2, which means that he will start the race on this tyre tomorrow. In total, six of the top 10 qualifiers will begin the grand prix on the medium tyre: both Red Bulls, both Mercedes, McLaren driver Lando Norris and Williams driver George Russell.
- Temperatures were extremely warm at the beginning of qualifying, with 30 degrees centigrade ambient and a 51-degree peak of track temperature. However, conditions are expected to be cooler and more unsettled tomorrow, with a risk of rain as well.
- Following FP1 and FP2, most drivers had another run in FP3 this morning on the unmarked prototype tyres, with a different rear structure, to assess their performance in today's conditions. In total more than 470 laps have been run on the prototype tyres, so around 23 laps per driver.
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Off the bbc f1 page.
'Try and limit the damage'
Lewis Hamilton, who starts fourth for Sunday's race: "It will be even more of a challenge than last week. We continue to lack pace, we tried everything to get more out of the car.
"We have got to find performance in the next races. I don't know if McLaren have brought an upgrade - but they were quick today. We've just got a try and improve.
"When I look at it, I'm losing out on the lap. Max is just faster.
"I would say a win is out of the question. I think [Red Bull] have improved their car again this weekend, so that's an easy cruise win for Max.
"Maybe we can just try and get ahead of at least Sergio Perez and limit the damage this weekend."
Wow it sounds like Lewis is saying the Honda car is just faster , making it an easy win, now where i seen that before ? I mean its not like Max is a better driver than Lewis or is just the car mmmm confusing ?
Shrop', IMO it's probably down to RB committing to going full-bore this season and leaving MB on their back foot thinking about 2022, The bigger story here is NOR and PER.....first rate efforts. I'm a big papaya fan and I wish they could have found that last half tenth. Nice grid for some race excitement tomorrow.
Oh i dont dissagree regarding full bore effort from Rb, as i said on another thread im sure the cars will ALL be very similar on pace re new regs for next yr, but yes from a Brits point of view , the recovery of Mc has been excellent, i still miss Ronspeak though, its just not the same from Toto, ( notice i have reverted to his given nickname) apparantly some thought i was just taking the Michael aw well cant please every fool.
A lot of young guns really showing well now
a great effort from norris,credit where it is due!.but had he got pole by a fraction ,dont think he would have been able to keep max behind.with a slipstream and drs max would be way up the road before long.biggest thing to be decided is will max be able to lap hamas and bottas,it could well be on the cards.
C'mon, Madra, now you're just being greedy. LOL
wishfull thinking ror,could possibly happen gasly is a proven winner
sounds to me that hamas is building up to saying if maximus wins the title its just because he is driving the best car on the track.proves my point about hamas he only won all the titles cause he drove the fastest car for a few years
I tend to agree yes re your 1st point, come to think of it I agree on your 2nd point too lol
Spot on, can't have it both ways. If HAM won't admit his car advantage for the past 7 years then he can't claim the RB gives VER an advantage. Well, yes he can, he is, after all, Sir Lewis.
Lewis's problem is that , its becoming blatantly obvious that the CAR is the deciding factor, Hence why i believe he couldn't sign that contract quick enough, even if he doesn't win this year or next hell still have his goatees as i've decided to call them and a ton of cash to promote something or other and i stick by my opinion that it will have been a 1+1 contract .I did see a comment that MV and LH contracts will now end at the same time, was this an influencing factor with Toto i wonder?
max would be a silly man to leave red bull.when you are at the top only one way to go
A lot can happen in 2 yrs but i take your point
Hamilton on being beaten by Max - Red must have an upgrade. Hamilton on Lando getting P2 in practice - don't know whether McLaren have an upgrade. So he is saying the other car is faster when beaten. So that means he has won most of his titles by having a faster car. Welcome to the world of other non Mercedes drivers for the past 7 years.
wishfull thinking ror,could possibly happen gasly is a proven winner
Oh Les, whatever are you trying to insinuate about Sir Lewis lol