Formula 1 made a strong comeback at the Austrian Grand Prix, and although Mercedes led all sessions over the weekend, there was much more to talk about.
Taking a step back, GPFans reflects on the events at the Red Bull Ring to bring you the main talking points to come out of the opening of the F1 season.
#WeRaceAsOne – Formula 1 campaigns to end racism
Throughout the weekend, the driver’s press conferences raised similar questions: Would the driver kneel to show unity against racism?
Some drivers did not hesitate to answer that they would, but with the action taking other political meanings in certain countries, not all drivers were willing to follow suit.
A few minutes before the drivers entered the grill, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc explained on social media why they would not kneel.
In the end, a total of 13 drivers did what is seen as a symbolic gesture, although all drivers except Lewis Hamilton, who wore a ‘Black Lives Matter’ shirt, were depicted with ‘End Racism’ shirts.
Austrian ‘hard’ curbs almost end Mercedes load
Before the race, F1 officials had acted on teams’ concerns and removed most of the hard curbs from the Red Bull Ring. These curbs were extensions of the regular red and white kerbing, and were designed to prevent abuse of the runway boundaries.
However, throughout the free practice sessions, numerous teams suffered remaining curb breaks, especially McLaren, which suffered problems in both cars.
As it happened, the cars that drive the Mercedes power units, and specifically the factory equipment, suffered more than anyone during the race.
George Russell [Williams] and Lance Stroll [Racing Point] both withdrew due to sensor problems, while Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton received ’emergency’ warnings to avoid cornering at all costs.
Going back to compete in the Red Bull Ring in a few days, it remains to be seen if Mercedes can find a solution to the problem.
The new normal: safe work with F1 Covid
F1 became the first international sport to return to action, and because of this, safe work practices were under close scrutiny.
All team personnel underwent multiple Covid-19 tests prior to attending the Red Bull Ring, while hand sanitizing stations were placed at paddock entry points, as well as at regular intervals within the arena, and facial masks were mandatory.
The teams were placed in their own social bubbles and could not mix with other ‘bubbles’, but from the outside, everything seemed strangely normal.
Even the socially distanced podium ceremony held on the grid was … normal.
The only clearly visible difference throughout the duration were the empty stands. That will still take some time to get used to.
Red Bull versus Mercedes: protests, penalties and collisions
When Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff on Friday that he intended to seek “clarification” on the legality of the DAS, Wolff accepted this challenge.
The moment would not affect the rest of the weekend, avoiding tarnishing the result of the qualification or the race, and there was a friendly atmosphere between the couple.
What a difference a few days can make.
After Lewis Hamilton escaped FIA punishment for ignoring the yellow flags during qualifying, Red Bull appealed the decision with only 90 minutes remaining before the start of the race.
The review resulted in a three-place grid penalty for Hamilton, but things were far from over.
In the final stages of the race, with Hamilton hampered by a sensor problem in his gearbox, Alex Albon attempted to pass the six-time F1 champion for second place when, for the second time in three races, the Red Bull driver became a lap.
Hamilton received a five-second penalty, dropping him from second to fourth, leaving Wolff to acknowledge that “the gloves are out.”
The podium that no one predicted
Clearly, Ferrari lacked pace over the weekend. Sebastian Vettel had struggled in qualifying, failed to escape Q2, and Charles Leclerc had only been quick enough for P7. Is there no possibility of a podium then? Well…
Leclerc drove what could be said to be the race of his life, to drag his Ferrari to second place. Of course, he crossed the line behind both Mercedes and it was just Hamilton’s penalty that put him in P2, but any podium result would have been an achievement in SF1000.
In a similar vein, qualifying star Lando Norris took advantage of Hamilton’s penalty to score his first F1 podium.
It would be unfair for Norris to suggest that Hamilton’s penalty gave him third place, as the McLaren driver needed to set the fastest lap of the race on the last lap to narrowly outpace his British teammate.
Before you leave…
Jack Aitken ready for Williams FP1 appearance
Vettel’s distracted head must turn after Ferrari’s ax – Brawn
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