Race: Nico Rosberg takes the lead over Lewis Hamilton in Austria

Everything was decided at the first corner: Nico Rosberg managed to get the best start on the grid. Although Lewis Hamilton tried to close in on his teammate, the damage was done: the German driver was in the lead and would not be caught for the rest of the race, despite a few attempts by the championship leader in the early corners.

But the race was quickly interrupted following the collision at the back of the pack between Fernando Alonso and his former teammate, Kimi Räikkönen. After a three-cushion billiards move initiated by Daniil Kvyat’s Red Bull, the Spaniard’s McLaren climbed over the Finn’s Ferrari. Even though the crash was impressive, both drivers managed to extricate themselves from their precarious situation. The hoped-for improvement for McLaren did not materialize, especially since the team’s second car, that of Jenson Button, was forced to retire only a few laps later.

During the restart, Nico Rosberg managed to get the action going again without being directly threatened by his teammate. He then managed to pull away gradually. Leading the race, he had the privilege of being the first to pit for a tire change, which allowed him to avoid a potential undercut by Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton also made an error when leaving the pits by crossing the white line with his left front tire, earning him a five-second penalty. From that point on, there was no longer any hope of winning, and both drivers focused on bringing their cars to the finish line.

The pit stops also claimed another victim: Sebastian Vettel. Solidly in third place with no direct threat, the German lost thirteen seconds due to his right rear wheel refusing to secure. This allowed Felipe Massa to overtake him. Despite a comeback in the final laps, the Ferrari driver was unable to regain his position, allowing the Brazilian to claim his 40th podium finish.

Valtteri Bottas managed to make up for his 6th place on the grid by getting the better of Nico Hülkenberg’s Sahara Force India. He thus succeeded in scoring new points after his 8th place in Canada. His teammate, Sergio Perez, also managed to stand out by finishing 9th. This double entry into the points is crucial for the team as it moves up to 5th place in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of Lotus.

However, Lotus also scored points thanks to Pastor Maldonado, who finished 7th. He was more fortunate than his teammate, Romain Grosjean, betrayed by his mechanics and forced to retire while he was ahead of his teammate.

As for the hosts of the event, Red Bull, the event brought a meager consolation as Max Verstappen once again secured a top 10 finish, with his 8th place. The small Scuderia thus once again outperforms Red Bull, which must settle for Daniel Ricciardo’s modest 10th place, snatched in the final laps from Felipe Nasr’s Sauber.

In the championship, Nico Rosberg has made a comeback as he is now only ten points behind Lewis Hamilton before the Briton’s home event.