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Now it’s trouble for Seb. The spin that the German Ferrari driver gave to his opponent’s car, Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, during the Azerbaijan Gran Prix, was not forgotten. The Stop&Go penalty of 10 seconds served during the race and the three points deducted from the German’s license for many were not enough, and now he only has 3 bonuses left on his driving license out of the 12 available in the calendar year. This is the reason why the FIA wants to study and reanalyze the episode: the case is reopened with a formal investigation into the accident. On Monday 3 July, 2017, which mockingly will also be Vettel’s birthday, the trials papers will be on the judges’ tables. Very serious disciplinary consequences cannot be ruled out which could, if not compromise, at least undermine the leadership of the four-time World Champion in this season: right now he’s the leader of the driver standing with 14 points of advantage over the Mercedes British driver. Among the possible punishments: the disqualification from a Grand Prix, already from the Austrian one which will take place on Sunday 9 July, 2017, with a loss of 20 positions on the grid, or the cutting of the points won in Baku. The Federation’s official statement says that following the recent accident during the Azerbaijan Gran Prix, in which car #5 (Sebastian Vettel) was involved in a collision with car #44 (Lewis Hamilton), on Monday 3 July, 2017 the FIA will examine the causes of the accident to decide whether further disciplinary action is needed. The statement on the outcome of the process will be available before the next Grand Prix, the Austrian one. The German may have committed a foul of reaction or frustration. Something committed at the Safety Car restart after a collision: according to Vettel’s opinion his opponent had braked abruptly (and deliberately), but the analysis of the telemetry made by the stewards denied this hypothesis. Many controversies and criticism, starting with the one from Lewis Hamilton, who at the end of the race said that a four-time World Champion doesn’t behave like that:
"Vettel dishonored himself".
But also other colleagues who took part in the debate, like the winner in Baku, the Australian Ricciardo, said that Seb sometimes doesn’t think before acting. The repeat offense weighs heavily on the German: the FIA’s president Jean Todt, forgave the German in November when, in Mexico, he sent insults to the judges via radio. Vettel was demoted from third to fifth position due to an overtake on Ricciardo judged dangerous, then during the race he cursed the judges for failing to give Verstappen a penalty. To avoid the trial in court, Sebastian Vettel wrote an apology letter to the race director, Charlie Whiting, and to Jean Todt himself, who forgave him on one condition: that it would never happen again. In the trial against Vettel, he is not super partes. Yet Niki Lauda, 68 years old, former World Champion and now non-executive president of Mercedes, says:
"Seb is one of the best drivers in the world, I respect and admire him. This is why I’m surprised that someone like him, with his qualities, his experience and from the height of his four World Titles, didn’t have the courage to admit his mistakes and simply ask for an apology".
The spin from the German driver against Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes in Baku has now become the case of the World Championship. The ten seconds penalty with the Stop&Go during the race plus the three-point reduction from Seb’s license , found guilty of dangerous driving while the British was considered innocent because he was acquit by the telemetry (he did not brake abruptly triggering Vettel’s furious reaction) did not set aside the scandal. In the meantime, in Maranello silence prevails. They will speak eventually after the verdict has been announced. Also in Paris the mouths are sewn shut about the additional investigation and the form and contents of the meeting. Of course the president of the FIA, Jean Todt, who on the issues of security has put the meaning of his mandate, did not like the brawl and the lack of regret from Seb after Baku. In Lauda’s opinion, is this Vettel’s worst sin?
"Without a doubt. The facts are not disputed and I do not believe that the FIA has decided to open a formal investigation with the aim of reviewing the accident. What happened is there for all to see. Lewis did not brake tested him, like Vettel said".
And adds:
"He simply abide by the rules. The rules say that under the safety car regime you need to slow down and keep the required distance, so as not to overtake the safety car itself. On the other hand, the stewards’ analysis have highlighted and confirmed what the world has seen live: Lewis did not brake abruptly, but he kept the same pace as on the previous safety car occasion. It is no surprise to anyone that you have to behave like this, and it shouldn’t be for Vettel either. But the most incomprehensible thing happened later".
The stewards did not communicate the penalty on time.
"They took advantage of the time during the red flag to study the data. But I do not think that’s the problem. We need to underline the fact that Vettel received the minimum penalty for what he committed, a 10 seconds Stop&Go is nothing".
Did you also expect the black flag? The direct disqualification?
"I’m saying that he got away with a joke".
What are you expecting now?
"I have no idea. I don’t know what consequences the investigation is going to have, but I think that the FIA has received an alert from Vettel’s behavior after the race. And maybe they want to prevent from happening again. Instead of admitting his guilt and ask for forgiveness as would have been appropriate, he dumped his responsibilities pointing his finger against Lewis. I admire Sebastian and I would have expected a different attitude from him and from Ferrari. It happens to the champions, it happens in the sport and in life: you can be wrong, but you can fix it by saying I messed up, I made a mistake and I’m sorry".
On Monday July 3, 2017, the case closes with Ferrari and Vettel apologizing and thanking the FIA for not having acted on the sporting level. And with the Federation that, at the end of a confused and not clear procedure, brings home the result of having bent the most high-end team of the circus (crushing its difficult driver). The case’s unedifying outcome comes on Sunday evening, shortly after 7:00 p.m., certainly not with a surprise. On the eve was already clear that a relatively soft outcome was exactly what both parties wanted. Ferrari to not see its chances compromised, and the FIA to not collide with the new American boss (and with Ferrari’s fans). And soft outcome it was. After a few hours meeting between Sebastian Vettel, Maurizio Arrivabene and Jean Todt, the FIA thus issued a statement mortifying in terms of image, but completely harmless in terms of sport (just like Ferrari wanted):
"Vettel has made his most sincere apologies to the FIA and the entire motorsport family for what happened and has committed to dedicate his personal time over the next 12 months to educational activities across various FIA events, including Formula 2, Formula 3, the European Championship and Formula 4".
Due to what happened, the statement adds, Todt decided that Vettel will no longer be able to represent the FIA during their security campaigns.
"What he has done, for which he took full responsibility, is dangerous for the younger drivers and for the sport in general. If he behaves like this again, the case will be immediately referred to the International Court of the FIA for further investigations".
Sebastian Vettel’s heartfelt and public apologies, and Todt’s forgiveness (for the last time). The case of the year ends with a vigorous slap on the wrist. The FIA saves Ferrari and the angry Vettel: the bad story of Baku is archived. A precious gift for the German on his birthday. He will get away with the obligation for the next 12 months to use his personal time for educated the younger drivers. And he will not be able to act as testimonial for safety. Nothing more. The 10 seconds penalty and the three points reduced from his license were deemed sufficient punishments for the spin that the Ferrari driver gave Hamilton in Azerbaijan for braking (slightly) in front of him under the safety car. The treaty of concord was signed in Paris in Place de la Concorde. Seb went to the FIA’s president with Ferrari’s team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, the federals also represented by the vice president Graham Stoker, the general secretary for sport Peter Bayer, the races director Charlie Whiting, and the security supervisor Laurent Mekies. A chatty afternoon, with explanations, lectures and promises. The investigation’s material, the videos and the data from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix are totally reviewed. These are irrefutable evidences, in front of which the German admits his responsibility and apologizes to the FIA and the whole motorsport family. The Federation accepts his apologies and believes in his repentance, and underlines that Ferrari is lined with the FIA’s values and targets. The Maranello team, on its side, take note of its driver’s apologies and personal obligations he made to protect the sport’s image and confirms its support for the initiatives of the FIA, of which it shares targets and values. No penalties, no retroactive disqualification or ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. On the subject of security Jean Todt worked hard, and he doesn’t tolerate another betrayal.
"Because he’s worried about the effects on the fans and on the younger drivers all around the world, and also he’s worried about the damages that this behavior brings to the image and the reputation of Ferrari".
And Sebastian Vettel is not just any pilot. He’s a four-time World Champion, he’s a Ferrari driver, and he’s the championship leader.
"The high-level sport is an intense environment where souls can flare up. But it is the best sportsmen’s job to face this pressure with calm and behave in such a way not only as to comply the rules but also to adapt to the high status they have. Sportsmen are heroes and role models for millions of fans, so they have to behave accordingly".
The title is a responsibility.
"I made a mistake, I’m not proud of what I did. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again".
On the eve of the Austrian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel apologizes to Lewis Hamilton for what happened in Baku. Lucidly, the German recognizes that he acted incorrectly.
"I saw again the images from the TV, and I have to say that I had a different perspective from the car than the actual one from the outside. I made the mistake of coming alongside him and then hitting his tire. It’s happened now and I can’t erase it, but I’ll make sure it never happens again. I’ve got a penalty and I lost the chance to win. I talked to Lewis after the race but I don’t want to exaggerate it more than has been done. It is our right that it remains between us. We respect each other on and off the track and I believe that this doesn’t ruin our relationship".
Hamilton, on his side, accepts Vettel’s apologies:
"It is a case closed. Everything that needed to be said right after the race was said. I keep for myself my opinion on this; it is a thing of the past. There is no need to add anything else. Sebastian and I spoke on Monday when he called me, and I said to him that the respect for him remains and that I will continue to drive as I have done so far. The only thing that I said to him was that I was hoping for him to change the statement he had made that I had done that on purpose, while I had no intention of doing something like that. But I accept his apologies and close it here. Now I only think about the races ahead, I’m a little behind in the standings and I have to catch up".
Peace is signed inside a glass palace, the only futuristic intruder in the green area of Styria: at the conference table introducing the Austrian Grand Prix, among apples, wine and pumpkin seeds, there’s the guilty Sebastian Vettel on one side and on the other side there’s Lewis Hamilton, the victim not entirely tamed. In the middle, there’s the third wheel and very comfortable intruder Kevin Magnussen, and in front of them a crowded and anxious audience. Will they shake hands? No. Will they punch each other? Of course not; 3731 kilometers and 12 days away from Baku, the race of the spin from the German driver of Ferrari to the British driver of Mercedes, Spielberg’s Reb Bull Ring becomes the link between the Azerbaijani arena and this new and idyllic perspective. Vettel is saved from a penalty that would have affected his Championship and the Ferrari’s, where the chief engine designer Lorenzo Sassi, right-hand man of the current technical director Mattia Binotto, has been moved to another role. Ferrari doesn’t comment and neither does Sebastian. He puts his heartbroken and mortified face, and brings it on the stage:
"I had an overreaction to what seemed to me like a brake test by Lewis. And I made the wrong choice. Am I proud of it? No. Can I go back? No. Do I regret it? Yes".
Lewis Hamilton replies:
"I accepted his apologies, I did not lose respect for him as a driver, but what happened in Azerbaijan for me does not change. We move on. We talked, Seb called me after the race to apologize. And I accepted his apologies".
Mumbles follow this statement. Flashes. Microphones. Outside the window, the view bellows. There’s also a huge bull statue, that of the Austrian home that gives its name to the track, which pierces the empty space in the hill with its low horns. The glass palace, inside, vibrates. The dispute starts from here. Lewis Hamilton says:
"It’s an interesting conference, with a lot of people".
Who want to see another chapter of the battle.
"I believe that an intense battle is good for every sport. I wanted it to be clear that I did not slam on the brakes in Baku. We are role models, and we must give the right messages, especially to children. With all due respect, Jean Todt should have been here to answer some of these questions. For example, why after the Monday’s hearing nothing has changed. So the messages sent remain the same".
Well-acted and very armed truce. And just like that the first day of free practice arrives, on Friday July 7, 2017. During the first session of practice Lewis Hamilton set the best time. The British with the hardest tire compound brought by Pirelli, the Soft, left behind Max Verstappen by less than 0.2 seconds. The Dutch driver almost make contact with the wall in turn 7 after going off track.
This accident forces the Dutchman to make a long stop at the pit box, to make some repairs. Valtteri Bottas, author of a spin, set the third best time with the Supersoft tires. During the last part of the session, the Mercedes drivers simulate a long run in order to prevent the arrival of the rain from not allowing a reliable test to be carried out. The Ferrari drivers ended the session with the fourth and sixth best times, and the McLaren drivers are competitive finishing their session in the top ten. Lewis Hamilton set the best time also in the second session of free practice, with the Ultrasoft tires. The British driver is lapping 0.5 seconds faster than the first session of practice. Sebastian Vettel sets the second best time, 0.2 seconds slower than the British driver. Valtteri Bottas set the third best time, avoiding an accident after a spin. At the fourth and fifth place there are the two Red Bull drivers. On Max Verstappen’s car some technical problems appear, and those limited his presence during the session: firstly a break-by-wire problem and then he made an mistake that damage his front wing. Some problems are found also in Sergio Perez’s car that lead to a battery change. At the end of the practice Mercedes replaces the gearbox on Lewis Hamilton’s car, which thus suffers a five-place penalty on the starting grid. At the end of the day, the FIA decides to modify the curbs on the outside of the last two track corners; during the day a lot of drivers damaged their car going wide in those points. McLaren decides to re-assemble, on Fernando’s car, the old Honda power unit, after some technical problems detected during the first day. Lance Stroll, driving a Williams, gets a reprimand for the stewards for having crossed the pit lane entry line, in a way judged dangerous. Lewis Hamilton was hit firstly by Sebastian Vettel and then by the bad luck, giving the fact that on his Mercedes they had to replace the gearbox before the six races foreseen by the rules. The life cycle of the previous one was interrupted prematurely, in Baku, in the race in which he got hit by Vettel before ended in trouble for the headrest badly assembled in the pits that cost him, in fact, the race. This was the missing chapter of a World Championship worthy of a good playwright: the controversies, the apologies of the German of Ferrari and the acceptance with reservation of the Mercedes British driver.
The armistice signed in Austria was supposed to reopened the duel on equal terms. Instead, after dominating the two session of free practice Lewis Hamilton already knows that he will start penalized. Perhaps he had known for a long time: a note of the technical delegate Jo Bauer, explains that Mercedes had communicated to the Federation that they had to replace the damage gearbox already on Thursday. The gearbox was damaged because of the Azerbaijani rear-end collision of Seb? The Anglo-German team rules it out. But surely the 2017 F1 novel is not allergic to noir. And the Red Bull Ring is incline to open finals. The short and lazy Styrian race. Pretends to make it easy, and then betrays. Especially to the end, when in the rhythm of its ups and downs you fall asleep in the illusion of a cradle. The hills all around it, the cows grazing, the deep green spread like sheets. Instead it’s a bullfight. The last horn knocks you out. Ask Nico Rosberg, who last year run towards the checkered flag happily before being overtaken on the last lap by Lewis Hamilton, after a collision. And in one second, from first he finishes fourth, with a 10-seconds penalty and a reprimand for continuing his race, scattering debris all over the track. There is no better place. 4318 meters, 71 laps and 10 corners at 689 meters above sea level, the second highest in the World Championship behind Mexico City and ahead of Interlagos. It’s also the fastest in terms of distance: less than 70 seconds to complete one lap. The analysis of the brake manufacturer, Brembo, says: high speeds and few corners, seven of which are sharp and three with braking times exceeding one second; frequent undulations of the track, from the highest point to the lowest there’s a difference in height of 65 meters. Turn 3, the one called Remus, is the toughest one: you get there at 307 km/h and just on 2.4 seconds you go down to 76 km/h. But it’s in the final sprint that the Spielberg circuit stands out: in 1982 Elio De Angelis won on the last second, his first win in Formula 1, in front of Keke Rosberg by just 0.050 seconds. On the last lap also the 2002 Ferrari incident: from the pits of the Maranello team Jean Todt asked Rubens Barrichello to step aside at the finish line to let Michael Schumacher pass. The gap between the two drivers was 0.182 seconds. A deliberate gap, obviously: the team order was overwhelmed by boos, despite Schumacher’s attempt to repair the mistake: he gave the trophy to his teammate and made him climb in his place on the top step of the podium.
For the irregular ceremony, Ferrari received a 1.000.000 dollars fine. But the last corner is never the last corner. Waiting to see how it will end on Saturday July 8, 2017, during the last session of free practice Sebastian Vettel set the best time, and gets the track record; the German driver is ahead of the two Mercedes, while in fourth place is Kimi Räikkönen. Hamilton doesn’t finish the session, after a mistake while braking in turn 3, due to right-front brake failure. There were some technical problems on the Carlos Sainz Jr.’s Toro Rosso, who finds himself , having just gone out for his first lap, with the engine off. Qualifying, just like free practice, takes place in dry track conditions and clear weather. During Q1 Lewis Hamilton sets the best time. Kevin Magnussen sets a valid time to enter the second phase, but he broke a suspension passing over a curb and he can’t participate in Q2. The drivers eliminated are the Sauber’s, the Williams’ and also Jolyon Palmer. The Mercedes drivers set the best times also in Q2, with Lewis Hamilton who chooses the Supersoft tires, unlike the other drivers that choose the Ultrasoft tires. This choice influences the type of tires that the British will have to use at the start, and it’s linked to the penalty he suffered. During the last moments of Q2 Sebastian Vettel snatches the second place from the British. Here are eliminated, besides Kevin Magnussen also the two McLarens, Nico Hülkenberg and Daniil Kvyat. Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo take themselves to the pit exit line at the start of Q3, maybe afraid by the possible arrival of rain, and to attempt three flying laps in the crucial session. At the end of the first attempt Valtteri Bottas is first, followed by Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. While the drivers are on their last lap, Romain Grosjean parks his Haas in the way; the yellow flags prevent the drivers from improving their performances. Soon after Max Verstappen goes out of the track, without any consequences. Valtteri Bottas gets his second pole position of his career. The time set by the Finnish is the shortest, among those obtain during qualifying, since the 1985 South African Grand Prix, held on the Kyalami circuit, where Nigel Mansell closed the qualifying with a time of 1'02"366. One handshake given and one denied: between the two fighters, the pole position of the Austrian Grand Prix goes to Valtteri Bottas. For the Finnish driver is the second pole position of his career, both accomplished this season. His time, 1'04"251, is the new track record; achieved during a qualifying session ended early due to the yellow flag caused by Romain Grosjean’s car stopped on track.
"It was an amazing work, a perfect day, I enjoyed it so much. With Vettel is going to be an interesting fight, but obviously the only target is the win. The car went better and better with the grip and by the end it was perfect. I’m hoping for a great race tomorrow".
Behind him, at the front row, there’s Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari:
"I wasn’t fast enough but I’m happy, the car was great and it’s a shame that the track is so short, even with fast corners because I really like it. I’m an optimistic for tomorrow and I’m hoping for a great race. I was lucky some other times, this time it went well for Valtteri, I congratulate him".
Only third Lewis Hamilton: he’s going to start eighth, from the fourth row, to serve the five-place penalty due to the change of the damaged gearbox from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He is the big loser, and also the harassed one: the hit by Vettel in Baku, the jitters and the excuses, the news that he was going to serve a five-place penalty on the grid even if he had achieved pole position. The team actually knew this for some time, but decided to announced it on Tuesday July 4, 2017, but did not want to leak the information so as not to influence the environment or give references to rivals.
"I’m disappointed by my performance. But I have to congratulate Valtteri and Seb. Of course during the race we will try to get the Ferraris and do a one-two".
At the end of the FP3 there was also a problem with the right-front brake on Lewis’ car, which failed and was repaired before qualifying. For a moment, the theater of reconciliation also seemed to go up in smoke. Interviewed on the track right after qualifying, Seb and Lewis, the two fictional rivals of this Championship, are invited to shake their hands: and they do it. When asked to repeat the gesture at the end of the questions, Hamilton becomes impatient, nods to his teammate and leaves the cameras without obeying. The Austrian Grand Prix promises to be exciting. From the second row starts the Ferrari of Kimi Räikkönen:
"It wasn’t the ideal day, during the last qualifying session I was able to do only one lap due to the yellow flags. I’m not very happy but starting from the third place is not so bad. I did not have an easy weekend".
And then the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo. Max Verstappen follows, and he’s starting from the fifth position, besides Romain Grosjean, while from the seventh position will start Sergio Perez. The poleman predicts tomorrow’s race:
"It’s going to be an interesting fight, Lewis will have the time to catch up and bring home an good result".
Recover from misfortune, approach Vettel, shake or refuse his hand. The saga begins again. On Sunday July 9, 2017, at the start of the Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas keeps the first position, ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Kimi Räikkönen seems to keep behind Daniel Ricciardo, but the Australian overtakes the Finnish driver at the Remus corner; the Ferrari driver goes out of the track and is also overtaken by Romain Grosjean. In the meantime Daniil Kvyat misses his braking point in the first turn, and hits Fernando Alonso’s car who in turn hits Max Verstappen’s car. These two last drivers are forced to retire, while the Russian Toro Rosso driver is going to be penalized with a drive-through. Later, Sebastian Vettel asks to the race direction to verify if Valtteri Bottas made an early start, but the sensors in the asphalt set a reaction time within the regulation limits. During the third lap Kimi Räikkönen overtakes Romain Grosjean; the French driver gives up one more position, during the eighth lap, to Lewis Hamilton. Thereafter, the standing stays the same for some laps: Hamilton tries to get closer to Räikkönen, without success. The British enters the pits to change his tires during lap 31, choosing the Ultrasoft ones. After two laps, Daniel Ricciardo also enters the pits, and during lap 34 Sebastian Vettel makes a pit stop. Both of them choose the Supersoft tires. The same choice is made by Roman Grosjean, during lap 37. The race leader, Valtteri Bottas, waits until lap 41, before entering the pits to change his tires: the Finnish driver gives up his position to Kimi Räikkönen, who however was overtaken by the Mercedes driver after just two laps. The Ferrari driver waits until lap 44 to make his pit stop, returning to the track in fifth position, behind Lewis Hamilton. During the last laps, Sebastian Vettel gets closer to Valtteri Bottas, just like Lewis Hamilton is getting closer to Daniel Ricciardo. However, neither of them will be able to overtake the rival. With a lighting start, close to be false but actually very real (reaction time 0.2 seconds), Valtteri Bottas lead Mercedes to win the Austrian Grand Prix for the fourth year in a row, exactly since the race returned to the calendar. On the Red Bull Ring, a short and fast track, full of ups and downs, the Finnish driver also takes the victory, the second this year and in his career, and the third podium of the season.
"I think that this was the best start of my life, I was really on the ball today. I’m very happy for my second win, a big thank you goes to the team who made all of this possible. Vettel’s come-back on the final laps? It was a bit of a dejavu (ed., the Russian Grand Prix), he was gaining again. In the last pit stop I had a big blister on the left-rear tire".
With this victory, the Finnish includes himself in the fight for the title, even if the person directly involved preaches calm.
"It has been an amazing season up until now, we’re not halfway there yet, I have a lot of points but we need to keep going. I believe in the team and the team believes in me. We have a long year ahead of us, I’m enjoying every moment and I’m sure it’s going to be great".
Under the eyes of the president of Ferrari, Sergio Marchionne, Sebastian Vettel’s Gina is getting closer to the tires of the Finnish Mercedes driver during the last laps, but at the end must be satisfied with the second place. A race similar to the one held in Sochi, in the final attack.
"If it had been one more lap I would have taken you".
Said the German driver to the winner, with whom he congratulates and hugs.
"How I feel? Like one who came half second behind the winner. I was sure that Valtteri did a false start. I’m more satisfied by the second half of the race, I changed the tires and the Slim had a good pace: another lap and I would have taken Bottas. Unfortunately, Perez being lapped made me lose a few seconds too many".
The boss of Ferrari, Maurizio Arrivabene, is therefore satisfied:
"Sebastian today showed that he’s here, that Ferrari is here. And Kimi went a little too wide at the start, but he defended well. So we need to keep going".
This is the analysis of Ferrari’s team principal Maurizio Arrivabene after the second and the fifth place respectively achieved by Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen.
"Was one more lap enough? We need to be humble and look at what happened. Now let's move on, see you at Silverstone".
The Ferrari’s president Sergio Marchionne has the same opinion:
"We were very close. One more lap was enough. Is it a nice Ferrari? We are very close, we are there and our dear German friends know it very well, they can feel us breathing down their necks. We remove this little difference. It would have been better to win. Räikkönen? I think that he did an amazing job, the kid is working. Now I’m more happy than I was before, the guys know that we have started this job and that we need to finish it. When I’m going to see another Grand Prix? The next one".
With his second place, Sebastian Vettel extends the overall standings to 171 points, and increases his lead bringing it to 20 points from his rival Lewis Hamilton: the British Mercedes driver started eighth on the grid due to a grid penalty because of the gearbox change, he recovered to fourth place. Daniel Ricciardo, fresh from victory in Baku, is third at the finish line: his fifth podium this season. But in the last laps he had to defend himself from Lewis’ attack:
"During the second to last lap he got very closed, but I’m glad I kept him behind. And I was happy when I saw the checkered flag. It was a good race. The start was important and then the defense from Lewis who got really close, but I managed to maintain the braking points. Five consecutives podium is amazing for me. It was good seeing him behind and then seeing the checkered flag. It was a clean battle. Last year Max got on the podium and I envied him a little, this time it was my turn".
His teammate Max Verstappen, who finished second here last year, was forced to retire already on the first lap after getting into a collision triggered by Kvyat. The rain was expected, and instead there wasn’t.
And perhaps a fight between Vettel and Hamilton, and instead there wasn’t. There was a lightning start, that perhaps will lead to an unexpected final: Bottas is now 15 points behind Hamilton. So now we have two Mercedes against Vettel’s Ferrari.
"It wasn’t the best weekend, but there was nothing I could do; I did my best and I finished the race knowing that I gave my all. Congratulations to the team and to Valtteri".
Lewis Hamilton said, commenting his fourth place in Spielberg, despite starting eighth, due to the 5-place penalty due to the gearbox change.
"I was hoping to finish first. Nothing special. What kind of Mercedes we are going to see at Silverstone? I don’t know, Bottas is very fast and Ferrari is very strong, we hope to have a great weekend and to achieve a good result".
The loneliness of number one. Sebastian Vettel against a whole team. In the boring Austrian Grand Prix without battles, without sweat and without the expected rain that probably would have brought perhaps a pleasant disorder, the World Championship draws a certain prospect: Mercedes has two men to fight for the title, while Ferrari has only Sebastian. And what a Seb: not all troubled by the aftermath of the controversy over his reputation; a Sebastian that tries to take the Red Bull of Styria until his last breath.
"It’s a shame not to have won, because we were very close. We learnt a lot these days and there are a lot of positive aspects in this race, but I feel like I could have won and because of this I’m not really happy. I missed some speed at the start of the race. The pace was good, but the balances were not there".
But the president of Ferrari, Sergio Marchionne, is looking confident:
"We are very close to Mercedes, they know it and they can feel our breathing on their neck. I’m happy that Vettel has 20 points advantage over Hamilton, but I would have preferred him to managed to climb on the highest step of the podium and give us a victory. Kimi worked well and was almost able to bring home the fastest lap. He needs to work more. He’s good, he’s committed but needs to improve and do a great job. The most important thing is to protect the chance of winning the Championship. It’s the Constructor Championship that really matters for Ferrari".
Here’s Seb’s winning solitude: Kimi can’t keep up with him. The Mercedes instead, in Austria, where they have won for the fourth time in a row, discovered themselves armed: after the Monaco disaster, they gradually found their way again. They’re leading the Constructor Championship (with 287 point against the 254 points of Ferrari). And have also found the extra man: Bottas who is only 15 points behind his teammate. And he doesn’t hide:
"Now I believe even more in my possibilities of winning the title. I believe it and the team believes it. There are the conditions to do well during this season, even if it’s still early we need to keep working well. But yes, I think I can fight for the title".
The most technical of the sports discovered himself. Valtteri’s start was so perfect to seems unreal. False? The stewards agreed upon, pushed by Sebastian, that the Finnish’s reaction time when the red lights went out was of 0.201 seconds. So, legal. There isn’t really an exact time or a margin of tolerance established by the federal sports regulations.
That of the FIA (article 36.13) explains only that the false start is punished using the transponder on the car which communicates with those drowned under the asphalt. In a note released after the race by the federation, it is explained that when the driver stopped on the grid triggers the gear, the car moves slightly and physiologically: that space and that movement empirically represent the limits (in centimeters) of tolerance below which is a false start.
"In today’s case, Valtteri Bottas didn’t exceed this (very small) limit before the start. He evaluated perfectly the start, anticipating the moment when the red lights go out with great precision".
And this, in the world of the hi-tech is a concept of fortune or perhaps of miracle. Bottas certainly won in a regular and certified way, even taking some risks. Even if at the end of the race Vettel isn’t very happy with that:
"From my point of view I’m sure he anticipated the start. This is what I believe. But in the end I’m not the one judging. A reaction time of 0.201 seconds? Don’t believe it".
But believe to the Olympics: in 1984 in Los Angeles was introduced a sensor for the false start (tested for the first time in Monaco in 1972). The sensor reads the reaction time of each athlete on the starting blocks, so the time that passes between the starter shoot and the starting pressure of the foot. The device is perceptible to a pressure of 29kg for the men, and to a pressure of 27kg for the women. According to the rules of the International Athletics Federation, the reaction time must not be less than 0.1 seconds. Otherwise, we will end up like Usain Bolt in Daegu. In block swimming, every slightest movement is judged as a false start, while in relay races the margin of tolerance in the changes if 0.003 seconds. In alpine skiing there’s the gate that activates the timing, and if you start 5 seconds earlier (by climbing over the gate), the descent must be done again. Formula 1, on the other hand, tolerates itself humanely.