SPIELBERG – Lewis Hamilton won the pole position of the Austrian GP, ​​ninth round of the Formula One World Championship scheduled on the Spielberg circuit. The British Mercedes driver stops the clock at 1’07 “922, reaching pole position 54 of his career, the fifth of the season after Australia, Bahrain, Spain and Canada. Hamilton, at the second pole in a row in Austria, inflicts over half a second team-mate Nico Rosberg who, however, will be relegated to five positions to replace the gearbox. “He counted putting everything on the last lap in the right way – said the English three-time world champion – because if we hadn’t finished in time or took the yellow flags, I would not have taken pole. We took a risk, but paid “.

In the front row with Hamilton there will be so Nico Hulkenberg with Force India, followed by Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen in second: both take advantage of the penalty of Sebastian Vettel (also in his case for the change), which in qualifying hits the fourth time but will slip as Rosberg of five positions. The German of Ferrari preferred not to resort to risky tactics in Q3: “I don’t think there was anything missing, it only affected the time you cross the finish line, later you do it and the track dries better. It depends on how many risks you want I am happy with myself. The three in front of me on the grid risked more. ” Curious curtain at the end of qualifying, when the Sky Sport reporter gave Vettel, for his birthday, a shirt from Italy,

Seventh fastest time for Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), followed by Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Felipe Massa (Williams). Esteban Gutierrez (Haas), Pascal Wehrlein (first time for the Manor in Q2), Romain Grosejan (Haas) and Fernando Alonso (McLaren) as well as Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez, were not out on the pole the problems accused in Q1: the Toro Rosso driver had to deal with the engine failure, for the Mexican of Force India failure of the suspension.

The first heat saw instead the elimination of the Renault of Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer, Ryo Haryanto (Manor), Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) – protagonist of a bad off-track at lap 9, also for the failure of the suspension with flag red at 1’44 “from the end – and the Sausers by Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr.

CHANGE, ROSBERG LOSES 5 SEATS IN GRILL –

Protagonist of an accident at lap 2 of the Spielberg circuit during the third and last practice session, apparently due to a failure of the left rear suspension, Nico Rosberg will have to replace the gearbox on his Mercedes and this will mean for the leader of the championship standings a penalty of five positions on the starting grid: “The five penalty places will cost me a lot tomorrow but I will try to make the most of the situation and make a good race”, this was Rosberg’s thought after qualifying.