Qualifying Report - Wonderful Williams

Williams teammates Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas claimed the front two qualifying spots for the Austrian Grand Prix. Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton ended up third and ninth on the grid.

Massa's last pole was in Brazil 2008.

The ambient temperature at the start of the session was 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 90 degrees Fahrenheit 32 (degrees Centigrade.)

Qualifying 1

Daniil Kvyat got things going as he headed out in his Toro Rosso. And he set the first fast time - 1:10.854.

6 minutes into the session, Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) was in front with a 1:10.671, but Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) beat that with a 1:09.762 while his teammate Nico Rosberg took second with a 1:10.124.

Meanwhile assorted drivers were having their times disallowed because they exceeded the track limits at Turns 1 or 8. Included in the group were: Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Romain Grosjean (Lotus), Alonso and Kvyat.

10 minutes into the session, Felipe Massa put his Williams into third with a time of 1:10.292

At this stage the drivers were using Pirelli's soft compound tire with the yellow sidewall.

With 5 minutes left in the session, the drivers in danger of being bumped out started running on the super soft tires.

With 3 minutes left in the session, Kvyat jumped up to second while Sergio Perez moved his Force India into fourth.

Kevin Magnussen was 16th and on the bubble in his McLaren, but a run on the super softs put him up to fourth.

The top six at the end of Q1 were: Hamilton, Kvyat, Rosberg, Magnussen, Perez and Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso.)

The six drivers eliminated at the end of Q1 were: Sauber teammates Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez, Jules Bianchi (Marussia), Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham), Max Chilton (Marussia) and Marcus Ericsson (Caterham.)

Qualifying 2

Nico Hulkenberg was the first out in his Force India as the 15-minute session began. He clocked a 1:09.828 while his teammate Perez turned a 1:09.836.

The drivers would use super soft Pirellis for this session.

With 10 minutes remaining in the session, Magnussen went first with a 1:09.524.

With 9 minutes remaining in the session, it was Massa on top after setting a 1:09.239, which his Williams teammate Bottas soon beat with a 1:09.096.

With 7 minutes remaining in the session, Hamilton put his Merc into first with a time of 1:09.092. Rosberg topped that with a 1:08.974.

With 5 minutes remaining in the session, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) was 12th and in danger of missing the cut to Q1. Hulkenberg was 11th and Jenson Button (McLaren) was 10th.

With 3 minutes remaining in the session, Hulkenberg moved to seventh as Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) dropped to 11th.

With 2 minutes remaining in the session, everybody was on track expect the Mercedes teammates, and then Rosberg joined them.

In the final moments, Ricciardo got up to ninth place but Vettel was 12th.

The top 10 at the end of Q2 were: Rosberg, Hamilton, Bottas, Massa, Magnussen, Alonso, Kvyat, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari.)

The six drivers eliminated at the end of Q2 were: Perez, Button, Vettel, Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), Vergne and Romain Grosjean (Lotus). Perez gets a 5-place grid penalty as his punishment for his collision with Massa in Canada, so will drop from 11th to 16th.

Grosjean was the only driver to have his time disallowed in Q2 after he exceeded the track limits at Turn 8.

Qualifying 3

First out: Magnussen and Alonso. The former clocked a 1:13.987.

With 7 minutes remaining in the 12 minute session, Bottas slammed in a 1:08.846. Alonso then turned a 1:09.285.

With 6 minutes remaining in the session, Massa took second place with a 1:09.150. But now both Mercedes drivers were on track. Hamilton's time was disallowed for a Turn 8 infraction. Rosberg moved into second with a 1:08.944.

With 3 minutes remaining in the session, only Ricciardo and Raikkonen were on track, but others soon headed out for their final runs. The order was: Bottas, Rosberg, Massa, Alonso, Ricciardo, Magnussen.

With less than a minute to go, Hamilton spun.

In the final seconds, Massa grabbed the pole, pushing Rosberg to third and Alonso to fourth. Ricciardo, Magnussen, Kvyat, Raikkonen, Hamilton and Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10.