Coach Xavi Hernandez renews Al Sadd contract, says he’s happy to stay on page 14 Monday, July 6, 2020 Bottas wins exciting Spielberg opener; penalty makes Hamilton miss podium

DPA Austrian Grand Prix Results Spielberg () Day of mixed emotions for world champions Mercedes 1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1 h 30:55.739 2. (MON/) at 2.700 Valtteri Bottas won an ac- 3. (GBR/McLaren-Renault) 5.491 tion-packed season-opening 4. (GBR/Mercedes) 5.689 Austrian Grand 5. Carlos Sainz (ESP/McLaren-Renault) 8.903 Prix while team-mate Lewis 6. Sergio Perez (MEX/Racing Point-Mercedes) Hamilton missed the podium 15.092 after a late second penalty on 7. (FRA/AlphaTauri-Honda) 16.682 8. (FRA/Renault) 17.456 a day of mixed emotions for 9. (ITA/Alfa Romeo Racing- world champions Mercedes. Ferrari) 21.146 Pole-sitter Bottas won 10. (GER/Ferrari) 24.545 from Charles Leclerc of Fer- 11. (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) rari and McLaren’s Lando 31.650 Norris, who got his first ca- 12. (RUS/AlphaTauri-Honda) 4 laps 13. Alexander Albon (THA/Red Bull-Honda) 4 laps reer podium in third. Note: Hamilton and Perez given five-second Title holder Hamilton penalties crossed the line in second on Sunday but received a five- Retired: (NED/Red Bull-Honda), second penalty after being (AUS/Renault), (CAN/ Racing Point-Mercedes), Kevin Magnussen (DEN/ found guilty in a collision Haas-Ferrari), Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas- with Red Bull’s Ferrari), George Russell (GBR/Williams), Kimi with 10 laps left. Raikkonen (FIN/Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) It saw him drop to fourth, missing the podium by two- World championship tenths of a second as Norris Drivers: 1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 25 pts, 2. Charles Leclerc (MON) 18, 3. Lando Norris (GBR) 16, 4. posted the fastest lap of the Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 12, 5. Carlos Sainz (ESP) race in the final lap. 10, 6. Sergio Perez (MEX) 8, 7. Pierre Gasly (FRA) Albon was sent spinning 6, 8. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 4, 9. Antonio Giovinazzi which ended his dream of a (ITA) 2, 10. Sebastian Vettel (GER) 1 first career podium and he then had to retire late in the Constructors: 1. Mercedes 37, 2. McLaren- Renault 26, 3. Ferrari 19, 4. Racing race, just like team-mate Max Point-Mercedes 8, 5. AlphaTauri- Verstappen, winner of the Honda 6, 6. Renault 4, 7. Alfa last two Austrian races, early Romeo Racing-Ferrari 2. on. Sebastian Vettel started his final season with Ferrari in second last - 10th place - Mercedes’ Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas steers his car in front of Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton during the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix race in Spielberg, Austria, on Sunday. (AFP) after a big mistake in a grand prix with three safety car ish here.” Norris was over the Racing resumed on lap 31 Perez very late which se- phases and nine of the 20 moon with his maiden podi- with Bottas not troubled on cured his stunning podium drivers failing to finish. um: “I’m speechless. the restart but Vettel spin- finish; and Leclerc salvaging The race took place be- There were a few points ning after an adventurous Ferrari pride. hind closed doors and amid a where I thought I’d fudged effort to get past McLaren’s “It’s not been a great strict hygiene protocol owing it up a bit. I’m so happy and Carlos Sainz - the man to take weekend for me, yesterday to the coronavirus pandemic so proud of the team.” Be- his place at Ferrari next year - was entirely my fault and to which delayed the season fore the start, all drivers wore and dropping to second-last. get a penalty today, it is what start by four months. anti-racism t-shirts and led Bottas and Hamilton were it is,” Hamilton said. But the podium finishers by Hamilton, 14 of them also then told to look after their “I had great pace, it could spray champagne in a took a knee. cars because of gearbox is- was a really unfortunate ceremony held on the home Hamilton had to swallow sues and it helped their cause scenario with Alex for us straight. a late grid penalty for going that the safety car came out to come together again, “Lewis was really quick too quick in a yellow flag pe- again when George Russell I’ll take whatever pen- today but I managed to keep riod in qualifying, after an ap- had to retire his Williams on alty they feel I deserve it together. peal by Red Bull. lap 51. and move forward.” Vet- There is no better way to That dropped him from Mercedes’ Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas celebrates winning the Austrian And racing hadn’t even tel admitted “there was start the season,” said Finn second to fifth on the grid Formula One Grand Prix race in Spielberg, Austria, on Sunday. (AFP) resumed for one full lap un- just something wrong” all Bottas, who had also won last while upfront Bottas stormed til the safety car came out a weekend as he lamented: “It year’s opener in Australia. away from Verstappen at the electronic problems. than four by lap 25. third time after Kimi Raik- was very difficult to drive, Leclerc, who rose from start and led by two seconds Renault’s Daniel Ric- Haas’ Kevin Magnussen konen’s Alfa Romeo crashed I didn’t recognize the car. I seventh on the grid, said: “I after the first lap. ciardo and Lance Stroll of then spun off and out which into the pit wall after losing had a lot of problems stay- Mercedes’ Finnish driver did not expect it. A huge sur- Hamilton got past Norris Racing Point were the next brought out the safety car and the front right tyre. ing on the track.” A second Valtteri Bottas celebrates with prise, but a good one. We had and Albon into third, and he casualties, and Hamilton led to a frenzy of pit stops for That set up a frantic fi- race is scheduled for next the trophy on the podium a little bit of luck, but that was in second when Verstap- meanwhile chipped away at fresh rubbers - and almost a nale with Albon, on softer week in Spielberg, the Styr- after the Austrian Formula One was the goal - to take every pen slowed down. A pit stop Bottas’ lead, halving it from collision in the pits between tyres, attacking Hamilton on ian Grand Prix, as part of a Grand Prix race in Spielberg, opportunity. We knew we could not help him and the some seven seconds after Norris and Racing Point’s the outside but the cars then so far small calendar with Austria, on Sunday. (AFP) didn’t have the pace to fin- Red Bull man had to quit with Verstappen’s mishap to less Sergio Perez. touching; Norris getting past eight races in Europe.

Relaxed rules give green light to two Silverstone Red Bull, Vettel and even Hamilton left licking wounds races DPA gether again, I’ll take whatever I gave it as much space as I Spielberg (Austria) penalty they feel I deserve and could, I was on the edge and move forward.” Looking at the it’s up to him if he wants to Two penalties were too sensor problems and the next crash or not,” Albon said. much even for world champi- race, also in Spielberg, just a Team principal Christian on Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull week away, he added: I don’t Horner said: “We have to use met disaster at their Austrian know if they can fix it in three- the grip advantage and he home race and their former four days, but I wouldn’t put it used that. It was just a mis- AFP directors and producers, ex- four-time world champion past my team.” judgement from Lewis at the empt from quarantine, if they Sebastian Vettel also had a Verstappen said after hav- end of the day and he should are essential to the event or Formula One season opener ing to retire early “it is not apologise for it.” Silverstone will be able to production. to forget as well. how you want to start into a Ferrari meanwhile ap- host two Formula One Grand Under the new rules, Hamilton managed to fight season,” and Red Bull motor peared a little off the pace, Prix in August as new quar- sporting authorities, event from fifth on the grid, after sport adviser although Charles Leclerc im- antine exemptions for major organisers and the screen in- being docked four places for was also deeply disappointed. pressively finished second sporting events in dustry will need to follow the speeding in qualifying, but a “Two did-not-finishes is from seventh on the grid. were announced by the British government’s COVID-19 se- five-second penalty over a late shocking,” Marko told Sky TV. But Vettel, whose contract government on Sunday. cure guidance and put in place collision with Red Bull’s Alex AlphaTauri’s French driver Pierre Gasly, Mercedes’ British driver Lewis “We had good pace but that at the Scuderia has not been Champions League and “stringent protocols” to ensure Albon made him have to settle Hamilton and Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel behind a ban- now means nothing. renewed beyond the season, Europa League football, inter- they have a minimal impact on for fourth. ner reading “End racism” ahead the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix “We must get over the han- had a weekend to forget. national cricket, golf tourna- public health. Max Verstappen, winner race on in Spielberg, Austria, on Sunday in solidarity with the “Black dling problems and work on He managed only 11th in ments and the world snooker Exempted individuals of the last two Spielberg races, Lives Matter” movement. (AFP) reliability,” he said, labelling qualifying and while working championships are also among will have to live and work had to retire early in second the problem “something with his way up made a too opti- the events that will benefit. in controlled “bubbled” en- place. Team-mate Albon fol- finished second last in 10th. penalty today. It is what it is,” the electronics.” Red Bull are mistic passing move on Carlos “The British summer of vironments and events will lowed him out late on after his Nine drivers failed to fin- Hamilton said after missing seen as potentially the biggest Sainz - his successor at Ferrari sport is back on,” said culture continue to take place be- dream of a first podium ended ish and Mercedes also battled the podium by two-tenths be- challengers to Mercedes this from 2021 – to go spinning. Secretary Oliver Dowden in hind closed doors. a little earlier in the incident gearbox sensor problems for hind McLaren’s Lando Norris, year, which showed when Al- Vettel admitted “there was announcing the measures. “I’m very pleased that with Hamilton as he tried to race winner Valtteri Bottas who recorded the fastest lap of bon, on faster tyres than Ham- just something wrong” all week- The easing of rules will see we’ve agreed exemptions from pass the champion for second. and Hamilton. the race in the final lap. ilton, tried to pass the champ end as he lamented: “It was very some sports stars and their border health measures for a Vettel also spun as he “It’s not been a great week- “I had great pace, it was which led to the collision. difficult to drive, I didn’t recog- support teams, as well as in- limited number of athletes and started his final season for Fer- end for me, yesterday was a really unfortunate scenario “There’s always the risk of nise the car. I had a lot of prob- ternational film and TV stars, events staff,” added Dowden. rari from 11th on the grid and entirely my fault and to get a with Alex for us to come to- overtaking on the outside but lems staying on the track.”