According to the predictions we made, the podium should have consisted of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel. That should have been the case but– a great, big but– what happened?
The Austrian Grand Prix had closed its veil yesterday with Nico Rosberg passing the chequered flag first with his Mercedes, then 3.8 seconds behind was team mate Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa of Williams.
Hamilton lost the race despite claiming pole position on Saturday as Rosberg successfully dived down the inside of the Briton at Turn 1 to take the lead and eventually dominated the race- even though he did suffer from tyre vibrations towards the closing stages.
Hamilton has also bagged himself a five second penalty for crossing the white line at pit-lane exit.
On about his win, Rosberg expressed that he had conquered his weaknesses last year, “I had a good start and then good pace in the race- that is what I’m most happy about.”
“I think I have found what I needed to find last year in terms of in the races and that’s what is really working out for me this year.”
Hamilton has attributed his lost to a technical issue, as that perhaps may be the reason the double world champion lost the lead at the start.
“I had a problem with the revs,” he said.
“I took my foot off the gas and the throttle was still on.”
“It was not the best way to start the race but it is something we will work on to improve on my side of the garage.”
So, what did happen to Sebastian Vettel?
The German was likely to finish third by the end of the race but due to a mistake, he was unable to escape from P4 after his pit stop. Vettel unfortunately trailed behind Massa when he was delayed in the pit stops by a sticking wheel nut on the right-rear wheel.
There were a few times that Vettel almost overtook Massa at the corners but it just was not the best day for him.
Besides Vettel, McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen were one of the drivers that suffered mechanical issues in the race. The two encountered a rather strange accident.
Alonso and Raikkonen had collided with each other in Turn 2 during the opening lap. The Finn claimed that he lost control under acceleration (fifth gear). Alonso ended up flying up the back of the Ferrari and the two crashed into the barrier.
The pair was unhurt after the accident.
“I started very well today and made up a lot places in to Turn 1 and Turn 2,” Alonso explained.
“I was 14th or something at that point and then Kimi was on the prime tyre so he exited Turn 2 with a lot of wheel spin so the car was moving and we were all overtaking him left and right, and at one point he lost the car to the left and I was on the left.”
“So I was close to him but luckily we are both fine, but it was strange.”
“I was in the wrong place, it was a very stranger incident because he lost the car in fifth gear or something like that. It’s strange, very low grip.”
Romain Grosjean also picked up a gear box issue and his Lotus ran off the track onto the grass before ultimately claiming a DNF.
The next race will head the most historic places of all time- Silverstone. The British Grand Prix will commence on July 5.
Photo credits: Sky Sports
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