Grand Prix 2015 Austrian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

F1 is back in Austria for 71 laps of the 2.688 mile track. 9 corners, a giant metal bull and enough sugary caffeine drink to give you heart palpitations. This is the Red Bull Ring.

At this point in the championship last year Nico arrived here 22 points ahead of Lewis, and was hoping to increase that gap.

What happened next nobody expected. Williams secured a front row lock out in Qualifying giving Massa the teams first pole position since 2003. Nico could only manage 3rd and Lewis had a shocker down in 9th.

Qualifying pace and race pace are however different things, and the Williams couldn’t live with the Mercedes despite the Mercs nursing brake issues for most of the race. Nico secured the win doing enough to stay ahead of a chasing Hamilton in 2nd, a position helped by an amazing first lap from Lewis where he made up 5 places. Bottas fought valiantly for 3rd and his first ever podium. Massa came home in 4th.

Despite this being the home of Redbull, the team had a bit of a nightmare. With a Retirement for Sebastian (thank you boys) Vettel, and just an 8th for Dan. This home advantage thing isn’t as important as it would appear. With the year they are having (yeh no it’s Renaults fault I tells yah) its hard to see Dan and Dan doing much better this time round either.

So here we are 8 races into the season, just shy of half distance, and the Merecedes boys have, pending any cataclysms, got both championships sown up. Its hard to see anyone catching them at this point barring miracles.

Lewis has a 17 point lead and is back on top after Canada with Nico looking like he is running out of answers. If Nico is to stay in the fight he needs to win here. Otherwise the points gap and his mental doubt could build into an avalanche.

Ferrari upgrades bring them in closer to the Mercs but they still need to find at least half a second. Good result for Kimi last time out baring the spin (not my fault guv).

The thing I am most looking forward to is seeing if Williams can do the same as they did last year. I always enjoy seeing a smiley Claire Williams. Everything crossed for them to at least beat the Ferraris.

Hopefully McLaren can avoid another double DNF, but even if they do I'm sure they will say they are still improving. Alonso will be hoping to just finish after 3 DNF’s in a row.

Most people in the CTA pole scored this 7 out of ten last year. Lets hope it’s as good this year.

Highlights from last year.

 

[soccerman17]

Force India time: Esteban Ocon speed, result of new upgrades, or a glory run? Probably a little bit of all three.

Funny that Lotus don't trust the reserve drivers, I would certainly trust Jolyon Palmer but no way in hell I would let Carmen Jorda or Adderly Fong test my car. As for Toro Rosso the official test driver is Buemi, so he doesn't really need the car time. Could've given the time to Dean Stoneman but they already have one youth driver in the Red Bull and they are also have two very young rookies to develop.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Great to see Susie showing what she is made of managing to make the second or third fastest car on the grid go the slowest, give her a full race seat now is what I reckon..

 

[RasputinLives]

soccerman17 those 3 plus the fact Ocon is a very quick driver who had all weekend to dial into the track in the GP3.

 

[FB]

Day 2 Testing times (from the FIA).

Formula One Testing – Red Bull Ring Day Two
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:09.113 117
2. Esteban Gutierrez Ferrari 1:09.931 +0.818 110
3. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:10.029 +0.916 79
4. Marco Wittmann Toro Rosso 1:10.103 +0.990 158
5. Pascal Wehrlein Force India 1:10.253 +1.140 132
6. Jolyon Palmer Lotus 1:10.373 +1.260 110
7. Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:10.718 +1.605 104
8. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1:10.757 +1.644 116
9. Felipe Nasr Sauber 1:10.922 +1.809 138

 

[FB]

Has this been posted before?

 

[Mephistopheles]

I knew he had won I just didn't like to say anything..

 

[RasputinLives]

So to sort of continue a conversation from another thread;

is the driver's feedback in testing so little now compared to the computer gathered data that teams don't mind offering a testing session out as a prize to a winner of another series? Thats exactly why Whittman was in the Torro Rosso today. Strikes me as odd - and end of year test maybe but a mid-season one? Strange.

 

[F1Brits_90]

i enjoyed mclaren on twitter making a fuss over a new Front wing, surely make sure an engine can do 10 laps 1st

 

[cider_and_toast]

So Alonso manages a time within a 100th of his Q2 qualifying run. Vandoorne managed to put in a time (in broadly similer mixed conditions) a tenth quicker than Button's Q1 qualifying run. Both McLarens complete over 200 laps. So, while it seems the pace of the car is dog slow, at least they've ran a test where reliability wasn't an issue.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

i enjoyed mclaren on twitter making a fuss over a new Front wing, surely make sure an engine can do 10 laps 1st

You're right, but then from what I gather a lot of their woes come from cooling the tightly-packaged compact power unit. Is the new front wing partly aiming for improving cooling airflow over the PU?

 

[FB]

Which Newey car was it that had all sorts of over heating problems as he packed everything in to too tight a space just to suit the aero demands? This McLaren is designed by one of Newey's team from an aerodynamic perspective (I heard it called a Red Bull Honda during the pre-season tests) but perhaps this chap doesn't have Adrian's ability to resolve the problems he has created.

 

[cider_and_toast]

That was last seasons RBR wasn't it ?? I seem to remember it was the running joke of last years pre-season tests.

 

[FB]

Didn't he do the same at McLaren as well?

 

[Galahad]

MP4/18 of 2003 never raced

 

[Incubus]

One for nostalgia fans: footage and interviews from the demo race between past F1 legends in their old cars during the Austrian GP. Oh, and keep your hands to yourself Mr Piquet.

 

[Incubus]

How odd. Just realised the cars on show are sporting their full tobacco liveries? Didn't think that was allowed anymore?

 

[Jen]

Part of the history?

 

[Dash Racing]

Oh my gosh, that was a bit of an emotional moment for me, watching that. I know it probably sounds a little odd, but there was something so very emotive about seeing these wrinkled old eyes through their balaclavas, but shining with the excitement they must have felt in their youth. There was something beautiful in that, artistically and spiritually.

Interviewing Sebastian Vettel at the end of that footage was a great idea. It must have been really magical for him. Of the drivers on the current grid, he's the one who seems most knowledgeable about the history of the sport, the one who feels like the lucky fan who gets to be a part of Formula 1, so to be there to see it, hear it, feel the tension that builds in the chest as those whining engines draw closer, the rumble in your feet as they pass... wow!

 

[Incubus]

I was quite amused in the follow-up video of the same event (in german) by the sight of the Minardi-Motori Moderni blowing up its turbo. True to form and just like in the old days..