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After a
encouraging final practice session with Valtteri Bottas finishing fastest
the Williams Martini team would prepare for qualifying for the 2014 Austrian
Grand Prix. Valtteri was supported by team-mate Felipe Massa who finished
third in his last practice session. Two drivers who would take grid
penalties were Chilton and Perez. Chilton taking a three grid penalty and
Perez five. Both were as a result of his accidents in Canada. There were
still concerns over the pit entry which is near Turn eight, an area that had seen drivers running wide during practice.
The first eighteen minute period would commence with Kvyat out first
followed by Hulkenberg and Vergne. More drivers were coming out including
both McLaren and Force India cars.
Raikkonen was out along with both Lotus cars with Hamilton first out for
Mercedes. Both Williams cars were out on the track with Valtteri out first.
Both Caterham cars were out straight away on the option tyre. Vergne would
be quickest after the first times with a 1m:11.886 followed by Perez and
Hulkenberg. Magnussen was in fourth as more drivers et their first times.
Kvyat would improve to be fastest with a 1m:10.854. Ericsson was in ninth,
1m:17.703, on his option tyre with only the Red Bull cars yet to come out. Felipe was seventh but he would drop to ninth
while Valtteri was fifth, 1m:11.679, as Alonso went fastest with a 1m:10.671
from Hulkenberg and Kvyat. Hamilton's first lap was a 1m:09.762 with Rosberg
now second, 1m:10.124.
Valtteri had made a big mistake getting all crossed up ruining his next lap.
Both Sauber and Marussia cars were also on the option tyre. Felipe would
improve to be fourth, 1m:10.675, while both Mercedes cars were on quicker
laps. A 1m:09.514 from Hamilton and a 1m:09.695 from Rosberg while Valtteri
had set a 1m:10.356 to be third and Felipe fifth behind Alonso. Several
drivers were having their times disallowed as a result of going wide at
various corners, in particular Turn eight. Rosberg would pit followed by
Hamilton, Felipe and Valtteri. Felipe was now in third with a time of
1m:10.292 with Valtteri fourth, 1m:10.356.
Ricciardo was now in fifth, 1m:10.395, followed by Alonso, Vettel,
Raikkonen, Kvyat, and Hulkenberg now tenth. Grosjean running on the option
tyre would set a 1m:10.461 to be seventh. From tenth down they were all out
on the option tyre looking to improve as Hulkenberg moved up to fifth with a
1m:10.389. Kvyat was now second with a 1m:09.678 and Perez fourth,
1m:10.124. This would see Felipe and Valtteri fifth and sixth. Sutil was now
in thirteenth with a 1m:10.774 as Vergne went fifth with a time of 1m:10.161. Magnussen was now fourth, 1m:10.081, as more drivers
had their times disallowed as a result of running wide in particular Sutil
who dropped down to eighteenth. Raikkonen was now seventh as the period came
to an end. Vettel was down in fifteenth and Ricciardo eleventh.
Button's last lap would see him move up to seventh, 1m:10.252, but so many
drivers were forced to use the option tyre. Both Williams drivers were able
to save a set of the super soft tyres. Those not making the cut were Sutil,
Gutierrez, Bianchi, Kobayashi, Chilton, and Ericsson. The top ten was
Hamilton from Kvyat, Rosberg, Magnussen, Perez, Vergne, Button, Raikkonen,
Felipe and Valtteri tenth. Both Williams drivers had comfortably made it
into the second period. |
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With the start of the second
period it would be Hulkenberg out first running on the option tyre. He was
followed by Perez also on the option tyre with Magnussen next out followed
by Grosjean and Maldonado. Both Ferrari's were also out along with Button
also on the option tyre as Hulkenberg set a 1m:09.828 to be quickest. Perez
would set a 1m:09.836 with Felipe coming out first for Williams. Grosjean
was third followed by Magnussen as Valtteri left the pit lane. Both Williams
cars were also on the option tyre as Raikkonen moved into third with a 1m:09.956. Magnussen
would improve to be quickest with a 1m:09.524 with Maldonado now fourth,
1m:09.939.
Alonso would go second with a 1m:09.712 even after running wide off the
track at the final corner. Felipe would go quickest with a 1m:09.239 but
Valtteri would move ahead with a 1m:09.096 to be fastest by 0.143. Magnussen
was now third as Felipe pitted. Hamilton's first lap was 1 M;09.092 to be
only 0.004 ahead of Valtteri. Rosberg would set a 1m:08.974 to move ahead of
his team-mate Ricciardo was now ninth with Vettel in twelfth. Both Williams
drivers were now in their pits with Kvyat in sixth, 1m:09.636. Only the Red
Bull cars were on the track but Ricciardo would pit as Alonso came back out
along with Hulkenberg. Vettel had also come in as Raikkonen and Grosjean
came back out.
Rosberg would complain of understeer in his run as Ricciardo and Perez came
out for their next runs. Magnussen was next out with just under three
minutes remaining. The top four were still in their pits with everyone below
out on the track. But both Williams cars were back out along with Rosberg.
More drivers had their times disallowed as a result of running wide, the
latest being Grosjean. The final minute started as the drivers aimed to get
in another lap. Ricciardo was now ninth and Raikkonen tenth. Vettel was
outside the top ten and could only manage twelfth with a 1m:09.801. This
would become thirteenth as Button went twelfth.
The period would come to an end with those not making the cut were Perez, Button, Vettel, Maldonado, Vergne,
and Grosjean. The top ten was Rosberg from Hamilton, Valtteri, Felipe,
Magnussen, Alonso, Kvyat, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, and Raikkonen. |
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With the Williams drivers
finishing the second period in third and fourth it was a great performance
from the team. The final period would commence with no one immediately
coming out but after a few minutes Alonso would be first out followed by
Magnussen. For Williams Valtteri would be first out joined by Ricciardo.
Felipe was next out as Alonso set a 1m:16.056 to be easily passed by
Magnussen with a 1m:13.987. Magnussen was on a used set of option tyres as
Valtteri set a 1m:08.846 his best lap so far. A 1m:14.475 from Ricciardo to
be fourth as Alonso set a 1m:09.285 to be second. Ricciardo would improve to
be third as Felipe went second with a 1m:09.150. Valtteri would pit as
Hamilton went quickest in sector one and two but he would run wide at the
final corner setting a 1m:09.300 to be fifth.
Rosberg was only second with a 1m:08.944 while Hamilton's lap was
disqualified as a result of running wide at Turn eight. Raikkonen was out on
the track yet to set a time, joined by Hamilton and Hulkenberg. Drivers
would start to return for their second run including Alonso, Ricciardo, and
Magnussen. Hulkenberg was next out as Valtteri came out for his next run.
Felipe would come back out with Hamilton out first for Mercedes with Rosberg
following. A 1m:15.178 from Raikkonen to be eighth as Valtteri started his
run. But Valtteri's first lap saw him pushing a bit too hard seeing him run
wide ruining his lap.
Hamilton's lap would also go wrong going off the track ruining his lap but
for Williams Felipe would go fastest with a 1m:08.759 with Valtteri now
second, 1m:08.846. A Williams one-two, a result that even Williams probably
did not expect. The top ten would end up being Felipe from Valtteri,
Rosberg, Alonso, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Kvyat, Raikkonen, Hamilton, and
Hulkenberg. Neither Hamilton or Hulkenberg would set a time. A front row for
Williams Martini with the last pole for Williams back in 2012. Now it was
down to how the team will perform in Sunday's race. |
