F1 Austrian GP Live Commentary and Updates – Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2024 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen starts from pole position after taking both the sprint race pole and win earlier this weekend at the Red Bull Ring.
Lando Norris will once again join the reigning F1 world champion on the front row of the grid, but this time he is without McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri right behind him, after the Australian was demoted from third to seventh for exceeding track limits in qualifying.
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So, 10 minutes to go until lights out. Just enough time to grab a drink and settle in comfortably for this one.
National anthem time! Hans Zimmer leads the Austrian anthem with a band made up of F1 fans and Martin Grubinger on drums. It is a very epic rendition and very musical stage show. 8/10.
On the race strategy front, most are expected to run a two-stopper, largely spent on the medium and hard tyres. Here's what Pirelli predicts:
On the grid, the nose of Russell's car is off as Mercedes gets to work on inspecting the steering rack, but so far there are no major concerns.
No rain or weather worries are expected for this race, but isolated showers can bubble up in the Styrian hills at short notice. In terms of other more pressing notices, Zhou is starting from the pitlane after Sauber made changes to his car post-qualifying. It doesn't cost him much, given he qualified 20th and last.
Mercedes calms Russell's concerns by telling him there was a 40kph tailwind that pushed him off-track at Turn 3. It's blowing a gale this afternoon so the drivers will need to be alert to that.
"Can you check the steering rack on the grid? It doesn't feel quite right," Russell requests to his Mercedes team, having locked up and run off-track at Turn 3 on his laps to the grid. That'll be a concern to sort if there is a fix needed.
So, more of the same again this afternoon? In truth, you'd be a brave person to bet against Verstappen but all hope isn't lost of a good battle at the front. Jake Boxall-Legge analyses the action so far here and what to expect this afternoon (look out for the amusing dog and postman analogy).
Top three qualifiers Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, pole man Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
As most of you know, we've already had an F1 race this weekend given it is a sprint weekend. On Saturday morning Verstappen fought off the McLaren pair to convert his pole into victory and maintain his dominant run at the Red Bull Ring, having done the sprint and grand prix double last year.
Hello one and all! The pitlane is open ahead of the Austrian GP so let's get this coverage rocking and rolling.
By: Autosport Staff
