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Formula 1
Austrian GP
F1 Austrian GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race day
Updates on the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring
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The Austrian GP has seen the return of the sprint race weekend format this weekend.
Max Verstappen claimed pole position and won the sprint race at the Red Bull Ring, after he had his lead in the F1 world drivers’ championship trimmed in a dramatic British GP last time out.
Verstappen is joined on the front row for the Austrian GP by Charles Leclerc, with Carlos Sainz third in front of George Russell, as Sergio Perez recovered from a grid penalty in qualifying to charge from 13th to fifth in the sprint race.
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Hamilton expresses his dismay at losing a laptime for track limits, which will no doubt be a field-wise point of frustration.
Magnussen comes out on top of that fight ahead of Norris, as Zhou pits to release Schumacher and Alonso.
Five F1 cars fighting for one spot of track! Wow! Magnussen, Norris, Alonso, Schumacher and Zhou, on different strategies, close in together at Turn 3 but manage not to trip over each other.
A lap later Ocon gets by Tsunoda with the aid of DRS up the inside at Turn 3 to take sixth place.
Ocon, the highest of the midfield runners to start on mediums to pit already, is leading the charge through on those who started on hards. He was given a freebie pass by team-mate Alonso before sticking it up the inside at Turn 4 on Zhou.
Stopwatch
Verstappen posts a 1m09.846s, taking a little bit of time out of the leading Ferraris. If the red cars stopped now, Verstappen would assume the lead, but they're stretching the stint.
"We are considering Plan E, for Echo," says Sainz's engineer. He'll be the plan-e to get home a little bit later on as well.
Schumacher gets by Ricciardo to repair some of the damage done by pitting later. He's is up to 12th on the road and hunting down Norris.
The drivers who all started on the hards - Tsunoda, Zhou, Alonso and Vettel - have climbed the order with the medium-runners pitting. Stroll, who started on the mediums, is also hanging it out to invert his strategy.
Verstappen clears Hamilton now, moving up to third place. Ferrari yet to respond to the Dutchman's early stop.
Pit stop
Schumacher has lost out pitting later than the rest, as he comes out in 14th place having been cycled behind both McLarens.
After serving his penalty and pitting, Russell is up to 18th place having got ahead of Latifi, but he is in for a long afternoon climbing the order. Perez remains last, a lap down, without great pace.
Pit stop
Verstappen is a bit stuck behind Mick Schumacher, as Magnussen pits from fifth.
Hamilton makes lighter work of clearing the second Haas, using DRS down into Turn 4, to move up to fourth place on the road.
Pit stop
Verstappen now pits, taking on the hard tyre. He rejoined in eighth, after a bit of a blink on the front left tyre.
Hamilton makes a quick-thinking move on Schumacher up the inside at Turn 8 to take back the place he lost earlier. Great racing.
Pit stop
The pit window is blown open as Ricciardo, Gasly and Latifi pit at the end of lap 12.
Leclerc passes Verstappen at Turn 4! He just grabbed a lovely tow into the downhill corner and nipped down the inside as the Red Bull perhaps didn't anticipate the move!
Pit stop
Albon pits on the same lap as Russell, returning to the action in 17th place, with Russell serving his penalty and a new front wing and dropping to 19th place.
Pit stop
Russell pits, which will give him a chance to serve his penalty and then take the hard tyres.
Penalty
Meanwhile, Russell has a five-second penalty for the clash with Perez.
Leclerc has a go down the inside of Turn 3, but Verstappen just keeps ahead! The Ferrari has another look at the Red Bull into Turn 4, but can't make the move.
Lap 10, and Leclerc is still in touching distance of Verstappen - but he's not quite close enough to make a pass.
Norris has got back ahead of McLaren team-mate Ricciardo. He's up to ninth place, but has a 2.5s gap to close to Hamilton ahead.
At the end of lap seven Bottas pits for the first time in this race after his pitlane start, he comes out still in 19th place equipped with fresh hard tyres.
Leclerc's really cut the gap down to Verstappen now, and sits 0.6s behind Verstappen at the line to start lap 8.
Perez is still in this race in last place and 47.3s off the next up the road Bottas. He switched on to the hard tyres but is carrying damage.
Leclerc is catching Verstappen in the opening sectors with DRS, but can't keep on the Red Bull's tail in the final sector - keeping the lap-by-lap delta by a static 0.9s.
Schumacher gets by Hamilton with the aid of DRS in the run up to Turn 3 to take seventh place, that Haas is rapid around the Red Bull Ring.
The start procedure issue involving both Tsunoda and Albon has been cleared - no further action.
Aside from everyone behind Perez gaining a place due to his clash and trip into the gravel, not a great deal of movers in the pack. Ricciardo got by Norris, Tsunoda nipped ahead of Zhou and Alonso got ahead of Vettel at the back.
Stopwatch
Leclerc does a 1m09.928s to get into DRS range of Verstappen - he's opened up the taps to try and mount an assault.
Lap 3 already, and DRS is now enabled. Can the Ferraris close Verstappen down?
Both Tsunoda and Albon have been noted for a starting procedure infringement - we had seven drivers face that issue in the sprint but all got cleared. We'll see how that one develops.
Perez tried to squeeze past Russell at Turn 4, but there was no space on the outside line and Perez was dumped into the gravel.
A clean start for the midfield runners, as Perez rejoins the action in last place, before pitting at the end of lap one.
Verstappen cuts across to preserve the lead from Leclerc, as Sainz goes wide and has to battle with Russell! Sainz gets third back, as Russell and Perez touch at Turn 4!
Lights out
And the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix begins!
Green flag
The formation lap begins - and it'll be a short trip back to the grid.
Tyre news: mediums for all except Zhou, Tsunoda, Vettel and Alonso, who start on hards.
By: autosport.com
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