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Formula 1
Styrian GP
F1 Styrian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 and qualifying
Live updates from Saturday's final practice session and qualifying at the Red Bull Ring
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Summary
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Summary
- Verstappen takes pole position for the Styrian GP
- Bottas qualifies second but will start fifth due to three-place grid penalty
- Hamilton third in qualifying but will start the race on the front row alongside Verstappen
- Norris and Perez also move up a spot each due to the penalty for Bottas
- Q3 incident involving Tsunoda and Bottas to be reviewed after qualifying
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Leaderboard
- Verstappen, Red Bull
- Bottas, Mercedes
- Hamilton, Mercedes
- Norris, McLaren
- Perez, Red Bull
- Gasly, AlphaTauri
- Leclerc, Ferrari
- Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
- Alonso, Alpine
- Stroll, Aston Martin
4 Days
22 hrs
24 min
36 sec
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Good morning one and all! It is almost time for yet more F1 action - final practice for the Styrian GP is a little over 10 minutes away.
Sun
Friday was busier than expected with the threat of heavy rain not arriving until well after second practice at the Red Bull Ring and, currently, conditions remains bright and sunny.
It was incredibly close on both race pace and single-lap speed between the Red Bull and Mercedes drivers on Friday, but the momentum remains with Verstappen after topping both FP1 and FP2 fresh from his French GP win.
And in case you were away on Friday afternoon and into the early evening, Bottas has been slapped with a three-place grid penalty for this race after spinning in the pitlane during FP2. That'll obviously be a bigger factor this afternoon in qualifying rather than over the next 60 minutes.
Lights green
Here we go - FP3 is underway!
After a busy Friday of practice, usually the opening stages of FP3 are rather modest affairs. Both Haas drivers have come straight out of the pits, joined by Gasly after he missed FP2 with a power unit issue, but everyone else is staying put.
Gasly puts in a standard installation lap and returns to the pits, giving Schumacher and Mazepin the entire Red Bull Ring to themselves. We can think of worse ways to spend a Saturday.
Stopwatch
Both Haas drivers are on the hard tyres so the lap times aren't life changing, Schumacher currently leading his team-mate with a best lap of 1m11.238s. Mazepin is keeping race control alert, though, as he gets pinged for exceeding track limits at Turn 9.
Mazepin, who had improved with a 1m11.330s, does it again at Turns 9 ad 10 and loses another lap time. If this was the race he'd already be sweating over further punishments.
Just as the Haas drivers come in for a breather, both Alpines decide to take over the attention on the track, as Ocon leads out team-mate Alonso. It's all happening...
We can't grumble though, as last year's Styrian GP FP3 was a total washout due to heavy rain - which was only useful to provide those wonderful sparkling pitlane and main straight shots of inactivity.
Stopwatch
Alonso, on mediums, puts in a 1m07.031s to take top spot from team-mate Ocon. Not wanting to miss out on all the action, Raikkonen has joined in for Alfa Romeo as we approach one quarter of this session being completed.
Raikkonen temporarily puts in the best lap time of the session so far but it isn't for long as the Finn loses his lap for those pesky track limits at Turn 9. The surge of modern F1.
Stopwatch
Ocon goes top with a 1m06.839s as Alonso loses consecutive laps for, you guessed it, track limits. But this time it is at Turn 10, so that's different.
Anyway, enough about track limits as the rest of the grid feels now is the time to join FP3. All cars are on the track apart from the Red Bulls, the Haas pair and the Mercedes of Hamilton.
Stopwatch
Russell, on mediums, goes top with a 1m06.454s - lots of lap times coming up now.
Stopwatch
Bottas, polesitter at the first Austrian race last year, puts in a 1m06.212s to claim top spot.
Bottas is becoming too familiar with pitlane moments this weekend as he has a small lock-up braking for AlphaTauri releasing one of its drivers into his path. Thankfully no major dramas this time.
Lap times for Tsunoda and Sainz have been scratched out for track limits, but the Ferrari driver remains in second place thanks to an earlier lap of 1m06.266s. Gasly, who caught the eye in FP1, is up to third.
Stopwatch
Verstappen has had enough of watching and waiting, as his first push lap puts him top with a 1m05.571s - just one-tenth slower than his best effort from yesterday. So more time is to come.
Tsunoda, on mediums, pops up to P2 with a 1m05.819s - a pretty impressive lap it must be said.
Yellow flag
Mazepin has a spin on the exit of Turn 1, losing the rear just for a moment, which he puts on to the grass before coming to a halt. But crisis averted as he avoids the inside wall and is able to continue.
Stopwatch
Now we are talking - Verstappen puts in a 1m04.971s to go 0.7s clear of Gasly who is currently in second place.
Stopwatch
Hamilton's response to Verstappen's earlier lap is a 1m05.367s - but he is still three-tenths off his rival.
Hamilton put in a fastest final sector time of any driver but lost too much time over the opening two-thirds of the lap - the ones with the long straights - which will remain a concern to Mercedes.
After all that fun and action the Red Bull Ring goes quieter once again with only Alonso on the track.
And now even Alonso pits which leaves the track empty. If any of the drivers complain about traffic later in the session, please refer them to this moment.
Never fear, Haas to the rescue as Schumacher and Mazepin return to the action, shortly followed by Latifi and Sainz.
Qualifying simulations are the order of the final segment of FP3, as plenty of fresh soft tyres are on show.
Stopwatch
Bottas goes fastest with a 1m04.832s, but not for long as Hamilton puts in a 1m04.369s to go top.
Norris briefly rises to fourth but loses his lap time to track limits at Turns 9 and 10 so he drops back down the order.
So, Hamilton has set a target for Verstappen and the rest to aim for. But the Red Bull driver is yet to venture back out on track since his opening stint - in fact he has only done eight laps in this session so far.
Stopwatch
Perez improves up to sixth with a 1m05.394s but loses time through the final two corners due to traffic, which sees Gasly and Leclerc move ahead of him.
Verstappen, who had been sitting comfortably in his Red Bull F1 car watching others in action, finally returns to the track with nine minutes of practice to go.
Stopwatch
Strong showing all round for AlphaTauri again in this session, as Tsunoda moves up to fourth place with a 1m05.150s, two-tenths faster than team-mate Gasly in fifth.
Verstappen puts in a 1m04.573s to go up to P2, two-tenths off Hamilton, but lost time in the first sector due to traffic. The Red Bull driver did set the fastest time in the last sector though.
Quote
"Of course he's in my way every time," Verstappen tells his team over the radio during his earlier push lap. The driver in question appeared to be a certain Lewis Hamilton.
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