F1 2020 Austrian GP Update

F1 is back folks. After 4 month of the Coronavirus Lockdown, F1 returned with a barnstorming race in the first round of the shortened 2020 season in Austria. The Austrian GP may of been held behind closed doors but the racing was spectacular and there was plenty of carnage. Austrian GP was the first round of the FIA 2020 F1 Championship and was held at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes was the winner of the GP.

Here were some of the key moments in the Austria:

1. There were 9 retirements in the race and most were mechanical issues. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was the first after a loss of power and other notable retirements included: George Russell (Williams), Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Daniel Ricciardo (Renault) and Lance Stroll (Racing Point). Only 11 drivers finished.
2. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel spun after contact with Mclaren’s Carlos Sainz during the middle of the race and as the German finished in tenth place after struggling for pace on Saturday and not even making it into Q3.
3. The Safety Car was deployed three times and the most bizarre moment was when Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) lost his front right wheel and parked on the main straight.
4. Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton was slapped with a 5 second time penalty from the stewards after colliding with Red Bull’s Alex Albon at T4 after the Red Bull attempted to pass the Mercedes driver around the outside at the corner.
5. McLaren’s Lando Norris scored a maiden F1 Podium and set the fastest lap on lap 71. He becomes the third youngest podium sitter in F1 history.

F1 Austrian GP top 5 drivers:

• 1st: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
• 2nd: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 3rd: Lando Norris (McLaren)
• 4th: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 5th: Carlos Sainz (McLaren)

I will be back on Daytime next week on Gateway 97.8 for another F1 Update.

Here this week’s F1 update with Charlie below.