2020 Austrian Grand Prix

The 2020 70th Austrian Grand Prix (officially the Formula 1 Rolex Grosser Preis von Österreich 2020)"Formula 1 Rolex Grosser Preis von Österreich 2020" Formula1.com (Formula One World Championship Limited) https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2020/Austria.html (Accessed 06/08/20) was the opening round of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Styria, Austria on 5 July 2020.'F1 confirms first 8 races of revised 2020 calendar, starting with Austria double header', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 02/06/2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.f1-confirms-first-8-races-of-revised-2020-calendar-starting-with-austria.36X98qZnFFhNxQ8O2WdCON.html, (Accessed 26/06/2020) The race, which would mark the first time since 1966 that the season opening race had been held in Europe, started the season after the original calendar had been scrapped and the season delayed as a result of the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.
Qualifying for the opening race of 2020 had seen Valtteri Bottas sweep to pole position, edging out teammate Lewis Hamilton by 0.012s in Q3.'QUALIFYING REPORT: Bottas beats Hamilton to pole as Ferrari struggle in Austria', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 04/07/2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.qualifying-report-scintillating-bottas-takes-masterful-pole-as-ferrari.9DCxyNAuIA3gywPVRvyc3.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020) Max Verstappen was best of the rest in third, and would start the race on the harder, medium, compound of Pirelli tyres, while Lando Norris claimed fourth for .
Ahead of the race there would be several protests by against Mercedes, with their first complaint made after FP2 regarding the legality of Mercedes' DAS system. That was thrown out by the FIA, although on race morning they would make a successful protest against Hamilton for ignoring yellow flags in Q3, resulting in the Brit being awarded a three place grid penalty.'Hamilton handed three-place grid penalty for Austrian GP after Red Bull protest', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 05/07/2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-hamilton-handed-three-place-grid-penalty-for-austrian-gp-after-red.4gi4JXIiUxRzjsOQlqBy07.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)
The start of the race saw Bottas sprint into the lead, while Verstappen fended off a lunge from Norris after the #4 McLaren got a strong start, elbowing Norris wide.'Bottas beats Leclerc and Norris to win dramatic Austrian GP as Hamilton is penalised', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 05/07/2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.bottas-beats-leclerc-and-norris-to-win-dramatic-austrian-gp-as-hamilton-is.4hTWtVVkWLxgPKSqkmKfYF.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020) Behind the rest of the field would make it through the first corner without issue, with Hamilton tucking in behind Alexander Albon in the second Red Bull.
An eventful opening tour saw Hamilton try a lunge around the outside of the Thai racer at turn four, although that was swatted aside by Albon on the brakes. Out front, meanwhile, Bottas would break clear from Verstappen, who was being harassed by Norris, while Charles Leclerc fought with Sergio Pérez and future teammate Carlos Sainz, Jr. for sixth.
The early laps saw the field begin to settle, with Bottas easing into a three-second lead, while Verstappen showed promising pace in second to gap Norris. However, at the start of lap eleven the #33 Red Bull-Honda lost power, with the Dutchman limping the car back in to retire at the end of the lap.
That began a spate of mechanical issues, with Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll retiring soon after with their own woes. Then, Kevin Magnussen slid off the circuit with a locked rear-axle at turn three on lap 26, triggering a Safety Car with the #20 stranded in the run-off area.
The entire field came in for fresh tyres as a result of that SC, with Hamilton having overtaken Albon and Norris before the SC to shuffle into second. At the restart at the end of lap 30, Bottas would time his getaway well to break away from the Brit, with the race settling down soon after with the two black Mercedes easing clear despite persistent warnings from the team that they were having gearbox issues.
Elsewhere, Sebastian Vettel would spin himself around with a poor lunge at Sainz at turn three, while Romain Grosjean retired with a brake issue after his second off at turn four. However, it was another failure for the Mercedes engined George Russell that drew the Safety Car back out, with the Brit having to pull off at turn four.
The field regrouped with Albon, Norris and Leclerc all diving in for fresh tyres on lap 51, shuffling Perez into third. The restart came on lap 55 with Albon diving past Perez to reclaim third, armed with soft tyres, only for the SC to be called back out after a wheel flew off of Kimi Räikkönen's .
The final restart came with eleven laps to go, with Bottas again breaking clear to re-establish his hold on the race. Behind, Albon got a run on Hamilton and lunged around the outside of turn four, only for the pair to connect and send the #23 Red Bull skating into the gravel.
Behind there were some late changes to the order, with Leclerc scything past Perez and Norris to secure third, while Norris himself made a late move stick on the #11 to claim fourth. Those two then duelled for fastest lap in a bid to remain within five seconds of Hamilton, who was handed a five-second time penalty for spinning Albon out.
Indeed, as Bottas swept across the line to secure a very measured victory, Hamilton found himself relegated to fourth as Leclerc and Norris kept within the five second window to move ahead of the Brit. Sainz was fifth ahead of Perez, who would himself be awarded a five-second time penalty, while Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Antonio Giovinazzi and Vettel survived a race of attrition to claim the remaining points.
==Background==
With a major regulation change planned for 2021 it had been a relatively quiet winter for the Formula One field, with teams mainly opting to evolve their 2019 designs rather than build entirely new cars. There would also be very few movements among the drivers, with Nico Hülkenberg losing his seat to Esteban Ocon, while Nicholas Latifi signed up to join in place of Robert Kubica. However, plans for the entire 2020 season would be thrown into chaos after the 2020 Barcelona Test 2, as the COVID-19 Pandemic caused the season to be delayed.
===Covid Constrictions===
Indeed, ahead of the planned season opener in Australia there were concerns that and would be unable to attend, as a result of travel restrictions being placed in Italy, one of the first countries to be heavily affected by the virus.[Archived] Jonathan Noble, 'Ferrari wants assurances over coronavirus from F1 before travel', autosport.com, (Motorsport Network, 28/02/2020), https://web.archive.org/web/20200229014941/https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/148478/ferrari-wants-assurances-over-coronavirus-from-f1, (Accessed 26/06/2020) - Original This was swiftly followed by a response by Ross Brawn, managing director of F1, that races would be cancelled if one or more teams were banned from entering countries. The 2020 Chinese Grand Prix was the first round to fall as Wuhan metro area was the epicentre of the outbreak, while the Bahrain Grand Prix was to be held without spectators.
Regardless, all ten teams would arrive at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne Australia for the season opening round on 15 March, with plans to hold the race behind closed doors. However, would withdraw from the race after one of their team members tested positive for the virus, reducing the entry to nine teams on the Thursday before the race. The FIA duly decided to cancel the event on Friday morning before free practice, while the Bahrain and Vietnamese Grand Prix were postponed indefinitely.
A tentative plan to begin the season in May was announced by the FIA after the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled, although the worsening COVID-19 Pandemic caused a succession of cancellations and delays. Indeed, between late March and late May almost all of the planned races for the 2020 season were either cancelled or postponed indefinitely, with all street races removed.
===Revised Running Orders===
On 2 June the FIA published a provisional eight-round calendar, albeit with plans to expand to the minimum fifteen for the World Championship to be awarded. The Austrian Grand Prix would start the season on 5 July, followed by a second race at the Red Bull Ring on 12 July, named the Styrian Grand Prix. The Hungarian Grand Prix was to follow on 19 July, before two trips to Silverstone for British and 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.
The Spanish and Belgian Grand Prix would also be staged in August, before the provisional calendar ended on 6 September with the 2020 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
===#WeRaceAsOne===
Ahead of the start to the 2020 season, Formula One World Championship Limited created the #WeRaceAsOne initiative, after the Black Lives Matter movement had swept across the western hemisphere to highlight issues with racism globally.'Formula 1 launches #WeRaceAsOne initiative to fight challenges of COVID-19 and global inequality', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 22/06/2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-launches-we-race-as-one-initiative.3s2AhNDApNDzrCoQDc1RY8.html, (Accessed 01/07/2020) The initiative was designed to improve the diversity of both the F1 paddock and audience, and was a visual representation of the Series' plans to enhance its global image. The series adopted the rainbow to represent that #WeRaceAsOne initiative, which several teams, most notably McLaren, would put onto their cars.
Elsewhere, Mercedes would completely change their livery after the #WeRaceAsOne initiative, after several statements from lead driver Lewis Hamilton about race relations globally, and within the F1 paddock.
===Entry List===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	Renault DP World F1 Team 	 	R.S.20 	 	E-Tech 20 1.6L V6t 	
4 	Lando Norris 	McLaren F1 Team 	 	MCL35 	 	E-Tech 20 1.6L V6t 	
5 	Sebastian Vettel 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	SF1000 	 	065 1.6L V6t 	
6 	Nicholas Latifi 	Williams Racing 	 	FW43 	 	M11 1.6L V6t 	
7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN 	 	C39 	 	065 1.6L V6t 	
8 	Romain Grosjean 	Haas F1 Team 	 	VF-20 	 	065 1.6L V6t 	
10 	Pierre Gasly 	Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 	 	AT01 	 	RA260H 1.6L V6t 	
11 	Sergio Pérez 	BWT Racing Point F1 Team 	 	RP20 	BWT 	M11 1.6L V6t 	
16 	Charles Leclerc 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	SF1000 	 	065 1.6L V6t 	
18 	Lance Stroll 	BWT Racing Point F1 Team 	 	RP20 	BWT 	M11 1.6L V6t 	
20 	Kevin Magnussen 	Haas F1 Team 	 	VF-20 	 	065 1.6L V6t 	
23 	Alexander Albon 	Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 	 	RB16 	 	RA260H 1.6L V6t 	
26 	Daniil Kvyat 	Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 	 	AT01 	 	RA260H 1.6L V6t 	
31 	Esteban Ocon 	Renault DP World F1 Team 	 	R.S.20 	 	E-Tech 20 1.6L V6t 	
33 	Max Verstappen 	Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 	 	RB16 	 	RA260H 1.6L V6t 	
44 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport 	 	W11 	 	M11 1.6L V6t 	
55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	McLaren F1 Team 	 	MCL35 	 	E-Tech 20 1.6L V6t 	
63 	George Russell 	Williams Racing 	 	FW43 	 	M11 1.6L V6t 	
77 	Valtteri Bottas 	Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport 	 	W11 	 	M11 1.6L V6t 	
99 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN 	 	C39 	 	065 1.6L V6t 	
Source: - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source: - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source: - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source: - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source: - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source: - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source: - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source: - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
==Practice Overview==
===Practice Results===
No 	Driver 	Team 	FP1 	 	FP2 	 	FP3 	 	 	 	 	 	
No 	Driver 	Team 	Time 	Pos 	Time 	Pos 	Time 	Pos 	 	 	 	 	
3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	1:05.860	8 	1:04.972	5 	1:05.088	12 	 	 	 	 	
4 	Lando Norris 	 	1:05.621	6 	1:05.087	6 	1:04.950	10 	 	 	 	 	
5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	1:06.077	12 	1:04.961	4 	1:04.851	7 	 	 	 	 	
6 	Nicholas Latifi 	 	1:06.906	18 	1:07.124	20 	1:07.049	20 	 	 	 	 	
7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	1:06.365	15 	1:06.287	19 	1:05.773	19 	 	 	 	 	
8 	Romain Grosjean 	 	1:46.361	20 	1:5.908 	16 	1:05.363	15 	 	 	 	 	
10 	Pierre Gasly 	 	1:06.404	16 	1:06.016	17 	1:04.949	9 	 	 	 	 	
11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	1:05.512	5 	1:04.945	3 	1:04.605	4 	 	 	 	 	
16 	Charles Leclerc 	 	1:05.924	10 	1:05.298	9 	1:04.703	5 	 	 	 	 	
18 	Lance Stroll 	 	1:06.074	11 	1:05.135	7 	1:04.918	8 	 	 	 	 	
20 	Kevin Magnussen 	 	1:05.907	9 	1:05.678	15 	1:05.648	17 	 	 	 	 	
23 	Alexander Albon 	 	1:05.701	7 	1:05.453	13 	1:04.725	6 	 	 	 	 	
26 	Daniil Kvyat 	 	1:06.943	19 	1:05.443	12 	1:05.290	14 	 	 	 	 	
31 	Esteban Ocon 	 	1:06.270	13 	1:05.415	11 	1:05.037	11 	 	 	 	 	
33 	Max Verstappen 	 	1:05.418	3 	1:05.215	8 	1:04.413	3 	 	 	 	 	
44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	1:04.816	1 	1:04.304	1 	1:04.130	1 	 	 	 	 	
55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	 	1:05.431	4 	1:05.352	10 	1:05.177	13 	 	 	 	 	
63 	George Russell 	 	1:06.495	17 	1:06.125	18 	1:05.565	16 	 	 	 	 	
77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	1:05.172	2 	1:04.501	2 	1:04.277	2 	 	 	 	 	
99 	Antonio Giovinazzi	 	1:06.360	14 	1:05.608	14 	1:05.654	18 	 	 	 	 	
Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:
==Qualifying==
===Q1===
===Q2===
===Q3===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Q1 	Q1 	 	Q2 	Q2 	 	Q3 	Q3 	Grid
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	Grid
1 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	 	2 	1:04.111 	 	1 	1:03.015 	 	1 	1:02.939 	1
2* 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	 	3 	1:04.198 	 	2 	1:03.096 	 	2 	1:02.951 	5*
3 	33 	Max Verstappen 	 	 	1 	1:04.024 	 	8 	1:04.000 	 	3 	1:03.477 	2
4 	4 	Lando Norris 	 	 	11 	1:04.606 	 	4 	1:03.819 	 	7 	1:03.626 	3
5 	23 	Alexander Albon 	 	 	12 	1:04.661 	 	3 	1:03.746 	 	5 	1:03.868 	4
6 	11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	 	7 	1:04.543 	 	5 	1:03.860 	 	6 	1:03.868 	6
7 	16 	Charles Leclerc 	 	 	5 	1:04.500 	 	10 	1:04.041 	 	7 	1:03.923 	7
8 	55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	 	 	6 	1:04.537 	 	7 	1:03.971 	 	8 	1:03.971 	8
9 	18 	Lance Stroll 	 	 	4 	1:04.309 	 	6 	1:03.955 	 	9 	1:04.029 	9
10 	3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	 	9 	1:04.556 	 	9 	1:04.023 	 	10 	1:04.239 	10
11 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	 	8 	1:04.554 	 	11 	1:04.226 	 	 	 	11
12 	10 	Pierre Gasly 	 	 	10 	1:04.603 	 	12 	1:04.305 	 	 	 	12
13 	26 	Daniil Kvyat 	 	 	14 	1:05.031 	 	13 	1:04.431 	 	 	 	13
14 	31 	Esteban Ocon 	 	 	13 	1:04.933 	 	14 	1:04.643 	 	 	 	14
15 	8 	Romain Grosjean 	 	 	15 	1:05.094 	 	15 	1:04.691 	 	 	 	15
16 	20 	Kevin Magnussen 	 	 	16 	1:05.164 	 	 	 	 	 	 	16
17 	63 	George Russell 	 	 	17 	1:05.167 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17
18 	99 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	 	 	18 	1:05.175 	 	 	 	 	 	 	18
19 	7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	 	19 	1:05.224 	 	 	 	 	 	 	19
20 	6 	Nicholas Latifi 	 	 	20 	1:05.757 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20
107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505	107% Time: 1:08.505
Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source:
*Bold indicates the fastest driver's time in each session.
** Hamilton was given a 3-place grid penalty for failing to slow down under yellow flags in qualifying.
===Grid===
The starting grid of the is as below:
Show Grid
==Race==
It was a warm afternoon in the Styrian Mountains for the opening round, with air temperatures hitting 28°C, while the track sat at 51°C after the supporting FIA Formula 2 Championship and FIA Formula 3 Championship races had concluded.Placeholder There was a change to the grid order ahead of the race, however, as Lewis Hamilton was awarded a three place grid penalty an hour before the race, after protested the results of qualifying. The Austrian registered outfit were able to provide footage of the #44 speeding under yellow flags, in-spite of the FIA clearing Hamilton of the offence immediately after qualifying, meaning their driver Max Verstappen was promoted to second, and Hamilton relegated to fifth behind Alexander Albon.
===Report===
The start of the race would see pole sitter Valtteri Bottas make a near perfect start, sprinting off the grid to secure an unopposed lead into the first corner. Behind, Verstappen made a weak start on the medium compound tyres, and hence saw Lando Norris in the #4 pull alongside into the first corner. A small hip-check from the #33 Red Bull midway through the corner saw Norris run wide and cede the position, as behind Albon pulled a similar move to keep Hamilton at bay.
Further around the opening lap Verstappen would successfully fend off a lunge from Norris at turn three, while Hamilton lined up a move on Albon but was forced to yield. Hamilton tried again around the outside of turn four but would once again yield to the #23 Red Bull on the inside, with Verstappen likewise keeping Norris at bay ahead. Behind, Charles Leclerc challenged Sergio Pérez around the outside of turns four, five and six but could not gain the upper-hand, with the rest of the field making it through the opening tour without issue.
The early stages would see Bottas escape from Verstappen at the head of the field, establishing a three-second lead over the Red Bull before switching to tyre and engine management. Behind, Verstappen was able to move clear of Norris, who was to fall to both Albon and Hamilton when DRS came on-line at the start of lap three, both passing on the run to turn four. Elsewhere, Charles Leclerc came under-fire from future teammate Carlos Sainz, Jr., leaving Pérez in a lonely sixth, while debutante Nicholas Latifi was keeping pace with teammate George Russell at the back of the field.
The race settled down after that, with Bottas keeping a healthy advantage over Verstappen, while Albon and Hamilton continued to battle for third, with the #23 Red Bull pilot placing his car beautifully to deny the #44 Mercedes. On lap nine Hamilton managed to get Albon off-line into turn three, compromising his exit for the run to turn four and hence allowing Hamilton to draw alongside with the aid of DRS. Indeed, the over-speed ensured that the Mercedes was ahead of the Red Bull before the braking zone, leaving Hamilton in third, three seconds behind Verstappen after the drawn-out battle for third.
However, just a lap would pass before Hamilton was up to second, as an electrical issue caused Verstappen's engine to cut-out at the start of lap eleven. The Dutchman managed to re-fire his Honda engine, although it would enter a "limp-home" mode and hence mean he had to coast around to the pits to try and reset the car. Ultimately, however, the trip to the pits failed to bring the #33 Red Bull-Honda back to full competitiveness, meaning Verstappen was out of the race.
With Verstappen out a lowly Sebastian Vettel was promoted into the top ten, and would harass Lance Stroll for ninth while also coming under attack from Daniel Ricciardo in the #3 . The German duly launched a lunge at the #18 into turn three on lap fourteen, although that only succeeded in allowing Ricciardo an attempt to pass, although Vettel held on. Out front, meanwhile, Bottas had been left with a seven-second lead, although Hamilton would begin to up his pace with a succession of fastest laps to slowly reel in his teammate.
Elsewhere, Romain Grosjean would have an embarrassing spin at turn four, running his #8 slightly too wide at turn four to clip the gravel and pirouette, resulting in him driving to the pits for new tyres. Further ahead, Stroll would lose electric deployment from his car on lap 21 and retire in the pitlane, before Kevin Magnussen flew off the circuit at turn three while defending from Esteban Ocon. Replays subsequently showed that the Danish racer had suffered some form of brake failure, with the rear axle locked up completely as the #20 Haas spun to a stop in the run-off area.
With Magnussen's car in the firing line for turn three the Safety Car was scrambled on lap 26, resulting in almost everyone diving into the pits for new tyres, led by Bottas. The majority would switch from soft to hard compound tyres, with a busy pitlane seeing Pérez released alongside a delayed Norris, with the pair driving side by side down the pitlane. The Mexican racer ultimately had to yield at the end of the pitlane due to the narrowing of the exit, and would later receive a five-second penalty for an unsafe release.
The restart came on lap 31, with Hamilton stating that he wanted an alternate tyre to try and overtake race leading teammate Bottas, who aced the restart to claim the lead. Behind, it was a fairly clean restart, with no-one trying a lunge into the first corner, with the majority instead waiting until turn three to attack. Sainz duly threw a lunge at Leclerc around the outside of the turn three hairpin, although Vettel would throw his inside the #55 McLaren just as the Spaniard turned in. Vettel duly hit the McLaren at the apex and spun himself around, sending him to the back of the field and outside of the points.
After that the race settled down once more, with Bottas leading Hamilton by a second, while they pulled a second a lap clear of third placed Albon. Hamilton then began to harass his Finnish teammate for the lead as the race wore on, although both drivers were warned about sensor issues over the radio, with both receiving instructions from the pitlane for settings. Those warnings about sensors were subsequently upgraded to warnings about the gearbox, with both Mercedes told to avoid the kerbs by senior team members.
The potential fragility of the Mercedes power unit was shown a few moments later, as Russell ground to a halt at turn four having lost drive on lap 50, pulling onto the grass. The safety car was scrambled for a second time, prompting Albon, Norris and Leclerc to stop for soft tyres, while the two Mercedes had just passed the pit entry and hence could not stop. Pérez hence shuffled up to third on the medium compound tyres, with Albon behind, with the restart coming on lap 54 with Bottas again escaping from Hamilton as the SC was withdrawn.
Albon went on the offensive straight away, diving inside Pérez to secure third at turn three, moments before the SC was scrambled for a third time, causing some confusion as to whether he had completed the move before the SC was deployed. That was ultimately resolved with Albon initially letting Pérez back through before being instructed to overtake the #11 Racing Point behind the SC, as a marshal crew was sent to retrieve Kimi Räikkönen from the pitwall. Indeed, the #7 had lost its right-front wheel as the field restarted the race, forcing the Finn to stop at the side of the track and hence caused a third safety car intervention.
The race restart for a third time on lap 61, with Bottas again timing his launch beautifully to just avoid catching the safety car as it pulled into the pits. Hamilton was hence left to fend off the attentions of Albon, who managed to partially repeat Hamilton's move on him earlier by forcing the Brit to take a tighter line into turn three, and hence compromise his run to turn four. The Anglo-Thai racer then tried to lunge around the outside the #44 Mercedes through turn four, although having almost completed the move, Hamilton would clip the back of Albon's car and send it spinning into the gravel.
Hamilton was immediately placed under investigation, and was duly handed a five-second time penalty for causing an avoidable collision, with Albon having spun to the back of the field. The closing stages hence became a battle between Pérez, Norris and Leclerc to try and stay within five seconds of the #44 Mercedes, as Bottas eased into a two-second lead at the head of the field. Ultimately, it was Leclerc who took control of the group with two excellent dives at Norris and Pérez on successive laps at turn four to claim third, before matching Hamilton's pace safely within the two second window.
With time running out Norris also knew he had to get ahead of Pérez's Racing Point, for the Mexican was unable to match the leader group's pace on his very worn medium tyres. Indeed, Norris was so delayed that teammate Sainz was able attack the Brit on lap 66, with the pair running side by side through turns four and five before Norris re-established himself ahead of his teammate. With three laps to go the Brit finally managed to scythe past the #11 Racing Point at turn three, although he now faced a six-second gap to Hamilton with only two full laps to complete.
Elsewhere, there would be a late flurry of retirements, beginning with another off for Grosjean at turn four, with the #8 Haas ultimately succumbing to a brake failure like the sister car. Albon was the next to fall after an engine issue caused him to lose power with four laps to go, before Daniil Kvyat retired in spectacular fashion a few moments later. Indeed, a tyre failure on the run to turn one would shatter the rear suspension of the #26 , sending the Russian racer skating into the run-off area with only two wheels on the tarmac.
Out front, meanwhile, Bottas calmly completed the final sprint to secure victory on the opening day, a little over a second clear of teammate Hamilton when the chequered flag came out. Hamilton himself would finish second, although a succession of fastest laps for both Leclerc and Norris ensured that they both finished within five seconds of the Brit, and hence moved ahead of him once the time penalty was applied. Hamilton was therefore classified in fourth ahead of Sainz, with the remaining points heading to Pérez, Pierre Gasly, Ocon, Antonio Giovinazzi and Vettel, while debutante Latifi was the only other finisher in eleventh.
Holly Chapman Mercedes team joined on the podium to receive the winning manufacturer's award.
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	71 	1:30:55.739 	1 	25
2 	16 	Charles Leclerc 	 	71 	+ 2.700s 	7 	18
3 	4 	Lando Norris 	 	71 	+ 5.491s 	3 	16FL
4* 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	71 	+ 5.689s 	5 	12
5 	55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	 	71 	+ 8.903s 	8 	10
6† 	11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	71 	+ 15.092s 	6 	8
7 	10 	Pierre Gasly 	 	71 	+ 16.682s 	12 	6
8 	31 	Esteban Ocon 	 	71 	+ 17.456s 	14 	4
9 	99 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	 	71 	+ 21.146s 	18 	2
10 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	71 	+ 24.545s 	11 	1
11 	6 	Nicholas Latifi 	 	71 	+ 31.650s 	20 	
12‡ 	26 	Daniil Kvyat 	 	67 	Puncture 	13 	
13‡ 	23 	Alexander Albon 	 	67 	Engine 	4 	
Ret 	7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	53 	Wheel 	19 	
Ret 	63 	George Russell 	 	49 	Fuel Pressure 	17 	
Ret 	8 	Romain Grosjean 	 	49 	Brakes 	15 	
Ret 	20 	Kevin Magnussen 	 	24 	Brakes 	16 	
Ret 	18 	Lance Stroll 	 	20 	Engine 	9 	
Ret 	33 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	17 	Radiator 	10 	
Ret 	3 	Max Verstappen 	 	11 	Electronics 	2 	
Source:'FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2020 - RACE RESULT', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1045/austria/race-result.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2020 - RACE RESULT', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1045/austria/race-result.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2020 - RACE RESULT', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1045/austria/race-result.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2020 - RACE RESULT', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1045/austria/race-result.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2020 - RACE RESULT', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1045/austria/race-result.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2020 - RACE RESULT', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1045/austria/race-result.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2020 - RACE RESULT', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1045/austria/race-result.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 ROLEX GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2020 - RACE RESULT', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2020/races/1045/austria/race-result.html, (Accessed 05/07/2020)
*FL Indicates a driver scored points for Fastest Lap.
** Hamilton received a 5-second penalty post-race for causing a collision with Albon.
*† Perez received a 5-second penalty post-race for speeding in the pit lane.
*‡ Kvyat and Albon were still classified despite retiring as they had completed 90% of the race distance.
==Milestones==
* First time that the Austrian Grand Prix had staged the FIA Formula One World Championship season opener.
** This was also the first time since that the season had started in Europe.
* Nicholas Latifi made his F1 debut.
* Eighth victory for Valtteri Bottas.'1. AUSTRIA 2020', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2020), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2020/autriche.aspx, (Accessed 05/07/2020)
* secured their 103rd win as a constructor.
** Also their 189th win as an engine supplier.
* Maiden podium finish for Lando Norris.
** Norris also recorded his first fastest lap.
* Fewest finishers in a race since the 2015 Australian Grand Prix.
* Most retirements in a race since the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix. 
==Standings==
Valtteri Bottas led the Championship after claiming victory at the opening round, with his pole to victory run earning him 25 points. Charles Leclerc was a surprise second in-spite of a poor showing in qualifying, while Lando Norris was in third having claimed the bonus point for fastest lap. Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz, Jr. then completed the top five, with Sergio Pérez, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Antonio Giovinazzi and Sebastian Vettel also on the scoresheet.
In the Constructors' Championship it was who led the way after the opening day, having scored 37 points courtesy of Bottas and Hamilton. were next up in second, sat on 26, while were in third on eighteen. , , and then completed the scorers.
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Valtteri Bottas 	25 	
2 	Charles Leclerc 	18 	
3 	Lando Norris 	16 	
4 	Lewis Hamilton 	12 	
5 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	10 	
6 	Sergio Pérez 	8 	
7 	Pierre Gasly 	6 	
8 	Esteban Ocon 	4 	
9 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	2 	
10 	Sebastian Vettel 	1 	
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	37 	
2 	 	26 	
3 	 	19 	
4 	 	8 	
5 	 	6 	
6 	 	4 	
7 	 	2 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
* 'Mercedes switch to all-black livery for 2020 in stand against racism and commitment to diversity', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 29/06/2020), https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-news-mercedes-switch-to-all-black-livery-for-2020-in-stand-against.WLdoS6NGrJfExx8kqD5ZD.html, (Accessed 01/07/2020)
References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Austrian Grand Prix
Category:2020 Grands Prix
Category:Formula One races in Austria