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Race strategy
proved key to victory for Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg at the Austrian Grand
Prix, who started from third on the grid. The German started behind both
Williams drivers, but by stopping before them and maximising the benefit of
new tyres – a manoeuvre known as the ‘undercut’ – he was able to gain the
lead after the first round of pit stops.
Rosberg’s team mate Lewis Hamilton used the same strategy even more
effectively. Hamilton started on the P Zero Red supersoft and then completed
two stints on the P Zero Yellow soft, to finish just 1.9 seconds behind his
team mate despite starting from ninth on the grid. Both drivers fought
closely to the end, with Valtteri Bottas clinching his debut podium, just
eight seconds off the lead.
The Force India of Sergio Perez started from 15th on the grid on the soft
tyres and went to lap 29 before completing one more stint on the soft and
then the final stint on the rapid supersoft compound. This opposite tactic
from most drivers elevated him to sixth at the finish.
Despite track temperatures in excess of 40 degrees centigrade, the two
Marussia drivers – Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton – as well as Caterham’s
Kamui Kobayashi all finished the race with just one pit stop.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “Tyre performance
was very much in line with our expectations today, despite the warmer
conditions. As a result of that, degradation was a little higher than we saw
previously and it was a straightforward two-stop race, with a one-stopper
becoming a little too ambitious for most teams. We saw an entertaining grand
prix where tyre strategy was very important, and of course it’s always great
to see a new face on the podium. Congratulations to Valtteri and Williams,
as well as Mercedes, for a great performance all weekend.” |
