Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 in Austria

Jun 20, 2015
5 min read

After a large downpour during the final practice, qualifying would take place under grey skies and on a wet track that caught out many during the practice session. It wasn’t raining though at the start of the hour, with a drying track expected to challenge the drivers. The places we see formed at the end of the session won’t be the final ones, with both McLarens and Red Bull’s taking engine penalties.

The cars started to go out on the intermediate tyres at the first part of the qualifying hour, although the track looked dry in a number of places, with a distinct dry line forming. Sainz said over the radio that he thought it would be slicks, at the time as his team mate went wide at the second corner. The benchmark was set by Verstappen on a 1:21.0. Hamilton was eight tenths slower than the Dutchman, with Rosberg in second, exactly between the two. Sainz was in forth, eight tenths down on his team mate. Kimi Raikkonen was blocked on his first lap, while Jenson Button went 6th in the McLaren.

Sainz then went slightly quicker than his team mate on a 1:20.9 in the other Toro Rosso. Roberto Merhi went off at the end of the luck and was very lucky not to have beached the car in the gravel trap. Nico Rosberg also went wide at the first corner, Sergio Perez also did the same earlier. Felipe Nasr was the first to go out on slick tyres in the Sauber, followed by Felipe Massa. Vettel then went fastest on a 1:19, 10 seconds away from what a full dry lap would be.

On his first lap Felipe Nasr wasn’t that much faster than the intermediate runners, with Verstappen and Rosberg going faster gain brining the time down by half a second. The Brazilian went 7th with a very big oversteer moment at the end of the lap. Bottas was out there on the soft tyre instead of the super soft, and quickly went fastest, with Massa second and Nasr third. Hamilton went out on the super soft tyres, with Maldonado taking the second place from Williams. Massa had a large lock up into turn three and pitted at the end of the lap, to change to the super softs. In the meantime Nasr went fastest by nearly two seconds, before he was overtaken by Maldonado by two tenths. Button briefly went fastest in the McLaren, with Hamilton going second.

Verstappen went to top of the standings by over a second with four minutes remaining, deposed by Sainz who clocked a 1:13.6, clear by 7 tenths. Hamilton then went faster than the pair by three tenths, now with Grosjean in 3rd. Bottas, who lost time behind a Manor could only go fifth, before being dropped down the order quickly. Button improved back up to second, just behind Hamilton, with Ericsson heading to the top of the standings, then Vettel did the same in the 1:12’s. The next to go faster was Nico Rosberg bringing the times down yet further. Sainz came back to the top of the standings in the 1:11’s, from Grosjean in the Lotus an Massa in 3rd. Ricciardo improved to 5th, while Kvyat was right at the bottom of the order, even behind the Manors. Button improved to 11th, just a second down on Sainz. Alonso went 10th, meaning Raikkonen in 18th, Verstappen improved to 3rd in the Toro Rosso’s.

Perez, Button, Raikkonen, Merhi and Stevens were all out in the first part of qualifying.

With the second session starting, it was both Red Bull who went out on the circuit first, headed by one of the Toro Rosso’s. Sainz set the first lap on a 1:16.3, with both the Red Bull’s going slower by nearly second. Nasr in the Sauber went three seconds faster than them to take the lead, with Ericsson and Hulkenberg taking the times into the 1:10’s. Verstappen set a similar time to Rosberg, with Sainz improving in 4th. Hamilton only went 9th on his first lap.

With Hulkenberg leading, other cars were improving but it was until Rosberg set his third lap that he was despised. Lewis Hamilton also went faster to go third, with the both of the them on used tyres.

After a slight break, cars started to return to the track. Massa went second, behind Rosberg on his first fast lap, while Nasr went 3rd in the Sauber. It was Sebastian Vettel though who went fastest, quickly deposed by Rosberg who took the lead by a tenth. Lewis Hamilton was still slower on his lap, nearly three tenths slower than his team mate. Daniel Ricciardo went off into the gravel at turn three, although was able to continue in the Red Bull. Sainz could only get to 11th, despite the good showing earlier in the session, while Hulkenberg improved to 4th. Bottas than went 3rd, dropping Hamilton down to 4th. The Lotus drivers were also struggling with Grosjean going 9th, and Maldonado going 11th and out of the hour. Verstappen improved to 6th, and Kvyat retained his position in the top ten.

Those out were Maldonado, Ericsson, Sainz, Ricciardo and Alonso.

Bottas, Nasr and Rosberg were the first out on the circuit for the third part of the qualifying hour. Bottas set the pace, before Nasr and then Rosberg setting the fastest time. Rosberg did a 1:08.8, with Hamilton going four tenths faster than the Brit. Hulkenberg was third, but a full second down on the Mercedes. Bottas then went third, a tenth down on the Mercedes, with Massa splitting the two. Grosjean was said to have a brake by wire problem, which resigned him to the pits.

Rosberg on his second lap went two tenths faster, with Hamilton going two tenths faster than his team mate. Vettel didn’t have a great turn two, but still went third ahead of the Williams, and half a second behind the second Mercedes.

Going out early on the final run, Massa in the Williams, Nasr in the Sauber and Kvyat in the sole remaining Red Bull. Hamilton came out of the pits behind Valtteri Bottas, with the Mercedes driving having to hold back. Massa improved his lap time, but not his position, having a cool down lap with a minute and a half remaining. Hulkenberg on his first lap on new tyres arrived at turn two wide and lost time, but still four tenths down in the second sector. Hamilton spun at turn one, while Hulkenberg improved to fifth, and Vettel to third. Rosberg also went off and into the gravel at the final corner, amazingly which meant that Hamilton would take the pole position.

1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m08.455s –

2 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m08.655s 0.200s

3 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1m08.810s 0.355s

4 Felipe Massa Williams/Mercedes 1m09.192s 0.737s

5 Nico Hulkenberg Force India/Mercedes 1m09.278s 0.823s

6 Valtteri Bottas Williams/Mercedes 1m09.319s 0.864s

7 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso/Renault 1m09.612s 1.157s

8 Felipe Nasr Sauber/Ferrari 1m09.713s 1.258s

9 Romain Grosjean Lotus/Mercedes – –

10 Pastor Maldonado Lotus/Mercedes 1m10.374s –

11 Marcus Ericsson Sauber/Ferrari 1m10.426s –

12 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso/Renault 1m10.465s –