2017 Austrian Grand Prix Free Practice & Qualifying Thread

Zoue · Post by **Zoue** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:23 pm

Sainz was pretty impressive there

lamo · Post by **lamo** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:23 pm

F1_Ernie wrote:How long will the US last in the race?

The SS they say up to 50 laps. US I would guess 30-40? It's a 71 lap race isn't it?

UnlikeUday · Post by **UnlikeUday** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:23 pm

Black clouds over the circuit. I wonder if same scenario like last year - rain during Q3.

lucifers · Post by **lucifers** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:27 pm

Lewis on Ss

Black_Flag_11 · Post by **Black_Flag_11** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:28 pm

So Ferrari just have to leave Kimi out to hold up Hamilton then if he's going long in the first stint

Zoue · Post by **Zoue** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:30 pm

Very quick lap from Lewis, especially considering he's on the slower tyre. Kimi not quite managing to join the others in a sub-1.05s lap. Seems to really be struggling here

lamo · Post by **lamo** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:31 pm

Mercedes 1-2 it seems like...

Zoue · Post by **Zoue** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:31 pm

is it me or is live timing all over the place? They showed Bottas' lap as belonging to Vettel for a while there

lamo · Post by **lamo** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:32 pm

Zoue wrote:Very quick lap from Lewis, especially considering he's on the slower tyre. Kimi not quite managing to join the others in a sub-1.05s lap. Seems to really be struggling here

He is +0.170 from Vettel. That is a good performance for me. Vettel is one of the top 3 drivers on the grid and in his prime. You can't expect much more from Kimi, he is 37 and doesn't have the teams focus.

lamo · Post by **lamo** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:34 pm

Be interesting how Q3 plays out, I suspect Hamilton will run ahead of Bottas and probably both behind the Ferrari's. The last thing they want is Bottas P1, Hamilton P2 with Bottas needlessly putting Hamilton 1 place lower at the end. We might see an abort call to Bottas late on here, if he safely has P2 and is looking like getting P1.

SDLRob · Post by **SDLRob** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:34 pm

Lewis the only dude on SS?

Zoue · Post by **Zoue** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:34 pm

lamo wrote:
Zoue wrote:Very quick lap from Lewis, especially considering he's on the slower tyre. Kimi not quite managing to join the others in a sub-1.05s lap. Seems to really be struggling here
He is +0.170 from Vettel. That is a good performance for me. Vettel is one of the top 3 drivers on the grid and in his prime. You can't expect much more from Kimi, he is 37 and doesn't have the teams focus.

I don't know. Nearly 2 tenths is quite a lot on this circuit. He doesn't need the team's focus to pull out a qualy lap?

lamo · Post by **lamo** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:38 pm

Zoue wrote:
lamo wrote:
Zoue wrote:Very quick lap from Lewis, especially considering he's on the slower tyre. Kimi not quite managing to join the others in a sub-1.05s lap. Seems to really be struggling here
He is +0.170 from Vettel. That is a good performance for me. Vettel is one of the top 3 drivers on the grid and in his prime. You can't expect much more from Kimi, he is 37 and doesn't have the teams focus.
I don't know. Nearly 2 tenths is quite a lot on this circuit. He doesn't need the team's focus to pull out a qualy lap?

0.170 here is like 0.250 on the average length circuit. I think that is a decent performance from Kimi, its when it goes over into the 0.350-0.500 range I think he is doing badly.

The car is certainly designed/developed more toward Seb than Kimi, Seb will be getting all the best ICE's, batteries, developments first if they only have one etc etc. It all adds up.

Zoue · Post by **Zoue** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:40 pm

Wow, ..Bottas

UnlikeUday · Post by **UnlikeUday** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:41 pm

Mild rain falling?

kleefton · Post by **kleefton** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:42 pm

Pole in the 1:03s for sure

lamo · Post by **lamo** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:43 pm

kleefton wrote:Pole in the 1:03s for sure

Maybe not now its raining slightly

F1_Ernie · Post by **F1_Ernie** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:43 pm

lamo wrote:Be interesting how Q3 plays out, I suspect Hamilton will run ahead of Bottas and probably both behind the Ferrari's. The last thing they want is Bottas P1, Hamilton P2 with Bottas needlessly putting Hamilton 1 place lower at the end. We might see an abort call to Bottas late on here, if he safely has P2 and is looking like getting P1.

P6 dirty side of the grid though with eveyone else on the US.

veffy · Post by **veffy** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:43 pm

spec 3 Honda not looking super impressive really

Black_Flag_11 · Post by **Black_Flag_11** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:44 pm

If Mercedes have a Q3 mode to go ontop of that too they could be a second clear of Ferrari again, hopefully they're already using it.

kleefton · Post by **kleefton** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:46 pm

veffy wrote:spec 3 Honda not looking super impressive really

This is the closest vandoorne has ever been to alonso though. So the upgrade did seem to add some power, but not nearly enough i agree.

lamo · Post by **lamo** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:46 pm

Black_Flag_11 wrote:If Mercedes have a Q3 mode to go ontop of that too they could be a second clear of Ferrari again, hopefully they're already using it.

A second around here is not possible, they had a second in Baku but that lap was a 37 seconds longer lap.

SDLRob · Post by **SDLRob** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:47 pm

Why have they sent the Red Bull out so early?

Zoue · Post by **Zoue** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:48 pm

lamo wrote:
Zoue wrote:
lamo wrote:
Zoue wrote:Very quick lap from Lewis, especially considering he's on the slower tyre. Kimi not quite managing to join the others in a sub-1.05s lap. Seems to really be struggling here
He is +0.170 from Vettel. That is a good performance for me. Vettel is one of the top 3 drivers on the grid and in his prime. You can't expect much more from Kimi, he is 37 and doesn't have the teams focus.
I don't know. Nearly 2 tenths is quite a lot on this circuit. He doesn't need the team's focus to pull out a qualy lap?
0.170 here is like 0.250 on the average length circuit. I think that is a decent performance from Kimi, its when it goes over into the 0.350-0.500 range I think he is doing badly.

The car is certainly designed/developed more toward Seb than Kimi, Seb will be getting all the best ICE's, batteries, developments first if they only have one etc etc. It all adds up.

Possibly, but that's assuming Vettel's got the max out of it so far. There's a Red Bull splitting them, don't forget, and the Ferrrari shouldn't be threatened by them

veffy · Post by **veffy** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:49 pm

kleefton wrote:
veffy wrote:spec 3 Honda not looking super impressive really
This is the closest vandoorne has ever been to alonso though. So the upgrade did seem to add some power, but not nearly enough i agree.

Maybe someone who can be bothered will compare the gap in Q2 to the average gap between stoffel and alonso recently and we can get solid improvement figure.

MasterRacer · Post by **MasterRacer** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:54 pm

My take so far - Valtteri wants this championship.

UnlikeUday · Post by **UnlikeUday** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:01 pm

Hamilton 8th! Starts on the dirtier side.

Andy2402 · Post by **Andy2402** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:02 pm

Great pole bottas

SDLRob · Post by **SDLRob** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:02 pm

Bit of an anti-climax there.... Thanks RoGro lol

Black_Flag_11 · Post by **Black_Flag_11** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:03 pm

lamo wrote:
Black_Flag_11 wrote:If Mercedes have a Q3 mode to go ontop of that too they could be a second clear of Ferrari again, hopefully they're already using it.
A second around here is not possible, they had a second in Baku but that lap was a 37 seconds longer lap.

Yeah that's true, 7 tenths would have been more like it.

As it turns out Ferrari were either holding back or didn't hook it up in Q2 though anyway.

Impressive lap from Bottas, Hamilton could do without starting 8th.

Prema · Post by **Prema** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:03 pm

SDLRob wrote:Bit of an anti-climax there.... Thanks RoGro lol

It didn't look much would change anyway, both Ham and Vet made some mistakes and Max out. As I saw it..

lamo · Post by **lamo** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:03 pm

Poor performance from Hamilton, here is hoping for rain tomorrow!

Good job Bottas, hopefully he gets the win if its dry.

zaar · Post by **zaar** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:07 pm

lamo wrote:Poor performance from Hamilton, here is hoping for rain tomorrow!

I'm not convinced, that it was a poor performance. I'm sure - since Mercedes knew that Lewis has to go back five places - they opted to set the car up for better overtaking abilities than one lap pace.

IDrinkYourMilkshake · Post by **IDrinkYourMilkshake** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:09 pm

Why is Valsecchi being given the change to host interviews again and again? He doesn't speak well, asks the stupidest, most irrelevant things, is all over the place, trying to get Hamilton and Vettel into a contrived handshake, trying to make them stand together like kindergarten students. What, is Liberty Media going bankrupt?

Zoue · Post by **Zoue** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:10 pm

zaar wrote:
lamo wrote:Poor performance from Hamilton, here is hoping for rain tomorrow!
I'm not convinced, that it was a poor performance. I'm sure - since Mercedes knew that Lewis has to go back five places - they opted to set the car up for better overtaking abilities than one lap pace.

Well, he had a hairy oversteer moment on his pole attempt, so not his finest hour. Mind you, so did Vettel

rivf1 · Post by **rivf1** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:12 pm

IDrinkYourMilkshake wrote:Why is Valsecchi being given the change to host interviews again and again? He doesn't speak well, asks the stupidest, most irrelevant things, is all over the place, trying to get Hamilton and Vettel into a contrived handshake, trying to make them stand together like kindergarten students. What, is Liberty Media going bankrupt?

That was cringe worthy stuff, i'm sure the media will run with the handshake thing but they both did shake hands just before the interviews started.

Mr-E · Post by **Mr-E** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:12 pm

IDrinkYourMilkshake wrote:Why is Valsecchi being given the change to host interviews again and again? He doesn't speak well, asks the stupidest, most irrelevant things, is all over the place, trying to get Hamilton and Vettel into a contrived handshake, trying to make them stand together like kindergarten students. What, is Liberty Media going bankrupt?

#cringeworthy

Rockie · Post by **Rockie** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:15 pm

What an anti-climax!

TheGiantHogweed · Post by **TheGiantHogweed** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:15 pm

zaar wrote:
lamo wrote:Poor performance from Hamilton, here is hoping for rain tomorrow!
I'm not convinced, that it was a poor performance. I'm sure - since Mercedes knew that Lewis has to go back five places - they opted to set the car up for better overtaking abilities than one lap pace.

The thing is, he made mistakes on both laps. I don't think the car being set up for race pace will have been related to these mistakes. I think he cost himself a decent lap on both occations. He will have got caught out the 2nd time due to the yellow flag but he chose to back off before this due to his mistake. I do think his race pace will be better.

Black_Flag_11 · Post by **Black_Flag_11** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:17 pm

Just saw Bottas' lap he made mistakes at T1, T3 and T4. Probably lost 3 tenths maybe more, shame we didn't get to see the final laps, could have been interesting.