F1 Austrian GP Live Commentary and Updates – Sprint Quali & Race
Saturday's action from the ninth round of the 2023 Formula 1 season
F1 pushes on with round nine this weekend and its second sprint race of the season at the Austrian GP.
Saturday has become effectively a standalone event, with sprint qualifying at 11am BST followed by the sprint race at 3:30pm BST.
Max Verstappen, who took pole position for the grand prix on Friday, leads the drivers’ standings by 69 points from Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
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All F1 teams will keep their starting tyre selection a secret until the grid gets cleared, so we've got a few minutes until we find out who sticks and who twists.
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Spot the dry patch. That was left by the safety car... it'll dry up quick, but quick enough over 24 laps?
Photo by: Alex Kalinuackas
Bottas, starting 19th, has rolled the dice! He's the only dry to go for dry tyres, a set of mediums, and everyone else has played safe with intermediate tyres.
I, for one, wish Bottas well. It is a risk but it could be glorious.
Green flag
The formation lap is under way and all the drivers have got away safely. Strap in, everyone.
Perez locks up under braking at Turn 3 and takes to the run-off. He gets away with it, but that'll cause him a fright for the race start.
Pit stop
Bottas backs out of his slick tyre gamble and pits at the end of the formation lap. Ah well.
Lights green
Here we go! Perez leads out of Turn 1 after a ginger start by Verstappen, but the Dutchman fights back at Turn 3 and regains the lead at Turn 4 - that pushes Perez behind Hulkenberg!
Norris has had a nightmare start, dropping to 10th, while Hamilton is up to 13th.
After that nervy opening lap, Verstappen is pulling clear now with a 1.7s lead over Hulkenberg with Perez in third. Further back, Magnussen and Russell trade overtakes for 11th.
"What's wrong with Max, man?" Perez asks after that lap one shuffle. They came so close to contact twice at the start.
Verstappen's lead is up to 2.4s over Hulkenberg who is defending second place well from Perez.
Leclerc puts his front wing ahead of Ocon, but can't make the move stick with less grip, to allow the French driver to keep hold of eighth out of Turn 6.
A lap later Leclerc goes from attacker to defender, as Norris gives it a go around the outside of Turn 4 to get the inside into Turn 5, but the move doesn't stick.
Verstappen is clearing off at the front with a 4.5s lead over Hulkenberg, who in turn is edging clear of Perez with a 1.5s gap.
Russell gets his elbows out to take the inside line at Turn 3 on Magnussen and gets the move done for 11th place at Turn 4.
Alonso suspects the track will dry out before the end of the race. There's still 14 laps to go so this could get hairy.
Hamilton and Magnussen go wheel-to-wheel through Turns 4 and 5, but the Dane has to yield to give the Mercedes 12th place.
Verstappen is now 8s clear of Hulkenberg, who is coming under attack from Perez.
On lap 12, Hulkenberg's defence is breached as Perez nips by at Turn 5 to regain second place.
Hulkenberg's Haas doesn't have the traction of its rivals out of the slow corners, and Sainz blasts by to take third place from the German on lap 13.
Ocon and Leclerc come inches away from a huge crash on the exit of Turn 4 but they somehow avoid tripping over each other. Ocon is doing everything he can to keep hold of the final points position.
The Ocon blockage has Leclerc, Norris, Russell and Hamilton in the train now.
Leclerc slips off the track at the final corner and that gifts Norris ninth place at the end of lap 15. Behind them Russell gambles with a pitstop for slick tyres - and DRS is enabled.
Verstappen has a comfortable 11.7s gap in the lead over Perez, so aside from any dramas, that battle looks done.
Stroll, with DRS, darts by Hulkenberg on the run to Turn 3 to take fourth place.
Piastri also pits for dry tyres, as all eyes turn to Russell's lap times for the soft tyre effect.
Pit stop
Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Magnussen, Sargeant, de Vries, and Zhou all pit for dry tyres! Just five laps to go so it was now or never.
Albon and Leclerc pit from the points places - but they are leapfrogged by Russell at pit exit - so the Merc gamble pays off!
Hulkenberg, the highest-placed pitter, gets back up to eighth passing Gasly. Now he has 12s to gain to catch Norris.
Action everywhere you look - except for the leaders who are in a race of their own - as Hamilton, Albon and Bottas go three-wide into Turn 4 and somehow don't clattered into each other.
Russell is now ahead of Gasly for ninth place and chasing after Hulkenberg for the final points place.
Piastri and Albon bang wheels as the McLaren driver nips by into 12th place on lap 23.
Verstappen must be wondering what all the fuss is about, as he starts the final lap with a 20.2s lead.
Hulkenberg gets by Norris and Ocon to grab sixth place - so can the McLaren keep clear of Russell to keep the final points place?
No! Russell takes eighth place! The pitstop gamble pays off.
Checkered flag
Verstappen wins the Austrian GP by 21s from Perez!
Sainz takes third for Ferrari, as Stroll defends from Aston Martin team-mate Alonso to keep fourth place. Hulkenberg fends off Ocon to take sixth place at the finish line!
Apologises, it was Ocon vs Russell at the finish line, with Ocon just taking seventh place ahead of the Mercedes driver.
By: Autosport Staff
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