Race Notes - Hamilton wins a Mercedes one-two

By Mark Karp

Lewis Hamilton won the Steiermark Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring today in a Mercedes one-two finish with Valtteri Bottas in second place, 13.719 seconds behind.

Max Verstappen in his Red Bull-Honda finished in third place, 33.698s behind the winner.

Alex Albon (44.400s) in the second Red Bull finished in fourth, followed by Lando Norris (1m01.470s) in the McLaren-Renault was fifth, Sergio Perez in the Racing Point-Mercedes was sixth, followed by his team mate Lance Stroll (1m02.453s) in seventh, Daniel Ricciardo (1m02.470s) in the Renault was eighth, Carlos Sainz (1 lap) in the second McLaren was ninth and Daniel Kvyat in the AlphaTauri-Honda took the final point in tenth place.

For a second week running, for the first time, we have a second Grand Prix from the same circuit, the Steiermark Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

In a rain soaked qualifying session Hamiton took pole, over Verstappen in second place on the grid. Sainz and Bottas line up on second row, Ocon and Albon on row three, Gaasly and Ricciardo on row four, Norris (with a 3-place grid penalty) and Vettel rounding out the top ten. The top seven starters on soft tyres, Ricciardo, Vettel, Kvyat, Raikkonen, Latifi and Giovinazzi on medium tyres. Grosjean starting from the pitlane.

With the rain going away overnight, the weather was fine for the race, and at the appointed time the drivers came around on the warmup lap. The lights went out and the race began with Hamilton taking the lead, with Verstappen, Sainz, Bottas, Albon, Ocon and Ricciardo following. Leclerc tries to dive down the inside of Vettel and the two touch - Vettel with a broken rear wing. The safety car is out as the two Ferrari’s pit, Leclerc taking hard tyres, Vettel retires.

The safety car is in at the start of lap 3 and the race restarts with Hamilton staying in the lead, Norris passes Strol for ninth place, Russell passes Magnssen for 11th, but then goes off track and falls back to 18th.

On lap 5 Leclerc pits and retires. Hamilton leads Verstappen by 1.5s.

On lap 6, Bottas passes Sainz for third place, 6.0s behind the leader.

On lap 7 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m08.581s.

Albon passes Sainz for fourth place.

On lap 12 Bottas sets fast lap at 1m08.531s, followed the next lap by Hamilton with a 1m08.484s.

On lap 14 Perez passes Norris for tenth place.

Stroll battling Gasly for eighth place.

On lap 17 Ricciardo challenges Ocon for sixth, while Stroll passes Gasly for eighth, and right away Perez passes Gasly as well.

Ricciardo passes his team mate Ocon for sixth.

On lap 19 Hamilton sets another fast lap at 1m08.183s.

Norris passes Gasly for tenth place.

At lap 20 Hamilton leads Verstappen by 4.950s, followed by Bottas (7.5s), Albon (24.8s), Sainz (28.5s), Ricciardo (30.5s), Ocon (31.4s), Stroll (33.4s), Perez (35.3s) and Norris (38.4s) in tenth place.

Bottas is slowing closing on Verstappen in second place.

On lap 24 Verstappen pits and takes on medium tyres, and rejoins in third place. Gasly pits as well, Ocon pits from seventh place and retires.

On lap 27 the leader Hamilton pits and changes to medium tyres, rejoining in second place behind Bottas.

On lap 29 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m07.863s.

At lap 30 Bottas leads Hamilton by 10.4s, followed b Verstappen (15.5s), Albon (24.1s), Sainz (27.7s), Ricciardo (29.0s), Stroll (31.6s), Perez (32.4s), Norris (37.3s) and Kvyat (46.1s) in tenth place.

On lap 32 Sainz pits from fifth for medium tyes with a slow stop, rejoining in 13th. Stroll pits from sixth for medium tyres.

On lap 34 Bottas pits from the lead for medium tyres and rejoins in third place, 8s behind Vertstappen.

The next lap Albon pits from fourth for medium tyres and rejoins in seventh.

On lap Kvyat pits, while Stroll passes Giovinazzi and Sainz passses Raikkonen for tenth. Ricciardo pits for soft tyres and rejoins in seventh.

Perez pits from fourth for medium tyres and rejoins in eighth.

On lap 39 Bottas sets fastest lap in1m07.628. Norris pits for medium tyres and rejoins in tenth.

At lap 40 Hamilton leads Verstappen by 5.0s, followed by Bottas (12.3s), Albon (41.8s), Ricciardo (45.7s), Stroll (47.8s), Perez (49.3s), Sainz (52.1s), Raikkonen (56.3s) and Norris (1m00.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 45 Perez passes Stroll for sixth place.

On lap 48 Perez passes Ricciardo for fifth place.

At lap 50 Hamilton leads Verstappen by 5.0 seconds, followed by Bottas (14.2s), Albon (46.8s), Perez (50.0s), Ricciardo (54.0s), Stroll (54.3s), Sainz (59.2s), Norris (63.0s) and Kvyat (1 lap) in tenth.

Perez sets fast lap at 1,07.578s. Stroll is looking for a way past Ricciardo in sixth. Perez is closing on Albon in fourth.

On lap 55 Perez sets another fast lap at 1m07.410s.

Verstappen is reported to have some minor front wing damage.

At lap 60 Hamilton leads Verstappen by 8.4 seconds, followed by Bottas (12.1s), Albon (46.2s), Perez (47.4s), Ricciardo (57.7s), Stroll (58.3s), Sainz (1m03.9s), Norris and Kvyat in tenrh place.

On lap 62 Norris passes Sainz, who is strugging on his tyres, for eighth.

On lap 63 Perez sets another fast lap at 1m07.396s.

Bottas has closed to within a second of Verstappen in second placce.

On lap 65 Norris sets fast lap at 1m07.286s. Bottas makes an attempt to pass Verstappen, they go side-by-side by Verstappen keeps the position. The next lap Bottas makes the same move, but makes it stick this time and takes second place.

Sainz pits for soft tyres.

On lap 68 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m06.719s.

Verstappen pits for soft tyres as well, everyone in a safe position making a fast lap attempt.

On lap 69 Sainz sets fast lap at am05.619s.

Perez makes a go at Albon in fourth, the two touch slighty and Albon keeps the position.

Stroll passes Riccuardo for sixth, Norris follows Stroll through and challenges him and passes him.

On the last lap Norris passes Perez for fifth place.

Hamilton wins over his team mate Bottas in second, and Verstappen in the Red Bull in third.