|
As the Williams Martini team
prepared for the start of the final practice session for the 2014 Austrian
Grand Prix there should be a degree of confidence as both team drivers
Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa had been quite competitive in Friday
practice. Friday practice also saw a large number of drivers running wide at
various corners including Turn eight. First out in the session would be
Sutil followed by Felipe for Williams. There would be a large number of
drivers also coming out
including the second Williams of Valtteri. As drivers started to pit after
their installation laps more would take to the track. Everyone was on the
soft tyre with the super soft not expected to come out until later in the
session.
The last drivers to come out were those from McLaren and Mercedes. The last
to come out would be Button as Ricciardo was told to look after his tyres.
Magnussen would stay out and would set a time of 1m:16.696 followed by a
1m:15.692. Hamilton was told to check the new pit entry as Rosberg set a
1m:12.987 to be quickest as other drivers started to come out for their
first runs. A 1m:11.408 from Magnussen with Ericsson now third with a
1m:15.579. Hamilton's first lap was a 1m:13.154 to be
third. A 1m:12.009 from Rosberg seeing him still second with Button now on
the track. Rosberg would also improve with a 1m:11.998 and a 1m:12.023 from
Hamilton with the pair second and third.
Hulkenberg was now fourth, 1m:12.986, as Rosberg and Hamilton continued to
find time. A 1m:11.457 from Rosberg and a 1m:11.520 from Hamilton. Button
was now seventh while we had yet to see either Williams car come out with
fifteen minutes of the session completed. Kvyat would move up to fifth,
1m:13.064, as Magnussen pitted. Grosjean was now fifth with a time of
1m:13.002, but Bianchi would move ahead with a 1m:12.736. Hulkenberg was now
second with a time of 1m:11.319 followed by Hamilton, Rosberg, Raikkonen,
and Kvyat. Once again drivers were running wide at Turn eight as Button
pitted. Now we had both Williams cars out on the track as Kvyat went third
and Raikkonen fourth. But Hamilton would also improve moving back up to
third with a 1m:11.311. Hulkenberg would pit as Felipe went straight to the
top of the times with a 1m:10.952.
Valtteri was now in eighth with a 1m:11.517 while at the front Kvyat would
go quickest with a 1m:10.826 but o his next lap Felipe would go quicker with
a 1m:10.644. Valtteri would join his going second fastest with a 1m:10.658.
The gap between the two Williams was just 0.014. Magnussen was now fourth
followed by Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Hamilton, Rosberg, and Maldonado
tenth. Valtteri
would go quickest with a 1m:10.641 but Felipe would again take this spot
with a 1m:10.466, seeing him now 0.175 ahead of Valtteri. Kvyat was still
third with a 1m:10.826 as he pitted. Several drivers had yet to set a time
including both Red Bull cars, Perez, and Alonso. The times from the Williams
drivers were faster than their Friday times on the option tyre. Felipe and
Kvyat would both pit as Valtteri improved with a 1m:10.430 to be quickest.
Alonso would move up to third with a time of 1m:10.565 as Perez, Vettel, and
Ricciardo all come out for their runs. Felipe would comment to the team that
it was getting better lap by lap. Valtteri would also pit with just over
thirty minutes remaining in the session. Vettel was now tenth with Rosberg
eleventh. Vettel would improve to be eighth but this would become ninth as
Hulkenberg moved up to fifth with a 1m:10.840. More drivers were coming back
out with Rosberg going fastest in sector
one as Alonso pitted. Button was still in his pit as his mechanics worked on
a brake issue changing a brake calliper. Felipe was back out with twenty six
minutes remaining followed shortly after by Valtteri. Ricciardo was warned
about his line at Turn eight as he was running wide. Rosberg would go
fastest in sector two finishing his lap with a 1m:10.058 to be quickest by
0.372 over Valtteri.
Everyone was still on the soft tyre as Hamilton moved up to fifth with a
1m:10.706 with Alonso now fourth. Kvyat was now sixth followed by
Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Raikkonen, and Vergne tenth. Rosberg would pit with
just under twenty minutes remaining with Button now slowest. Both Williams
cars would also pit with Valtteri and Felipe currently second and third.
There was now only a handful of
drivers out on the track with most getting ready for their qualification
simulations. With fifteen minutes remaining we only had Sutil and Grosjean
out on the track. Sutil would pit leaving just Grosjean but he would also
come in leaving the track empty. First to come out on the super soft tyre
was Hulkenberg followed by Alonso. Raikkonen, Vettel, and Ricciardo were
also out on the option tyre as Hulkenberg failed to improve his time on his
first run on the option tyre.
Alonso would find time on the option tyre setting a 1m:10.410 to be second
as Rosberg came out on the option tyre. Both Williams cars were also out for
their qualifying simulations as Hulkenberg moved into sixth with a 1m:10.683
as the track became very busy. Hamilton had yet to come out as Alonso
improved with a 1m:10.054 to be quickest. Vettel was now seventh with a
1m:10.820 but this
would become eighth as Ricciardo went fifth fastest. Now it was Valtteri's
turn to go quickest with a 1m:10.008 followed by Alonso, Rosberg, and
Felipe. Now Felipe would go quickest with a 1m:09.901 to be quickest by
0.017. Rosberg was quickest in sector one ending his lap with a 1m:09.999 to
be second. Hamilton was on a quick lap as Alonso pitted. Hamilton would go
quickest with a 1m:09.898 seeing Felipe second followed by Rosberg and
Valtteri. Alonso was now fifth followed by Ricciardo, Magnussen, Kvyat,
Vettel and Hulkenberg tenth.
As the final minutes counted down Button and Chilton remained in their pits,
Button with his brake issue. Rosberg would also pit as the session came to
an end. But in the dying moments Valtteri would produce a quick lap setting
a 1m:09.848 to be quickest as the session ended. Hamilton was now second
with Felipe third while fro Torro Rosso Kvyat would improve to be fourth
with a time of 1m:09.927.
Rosberg was now fifth and complaining of understeer. Sixth was Alonso
followed by Ricciardo, Magnussen, Raikkonen, and Vettel tenth. The fastest
time of the day was not a Mercedes car it was a Williams giving the team a
massive lift as they get ready for qualifying. |
