Austrian Grand Prix qualifying LIVE: Latest F1 updates as Valtteri Bottas beats Lewis Hamilton to pole position

Follow the latest updates from the opening qualifying session of the Formula One season

F1 returns: A lap of the Austrian Grand Prix

Follow the latest updates live from the first qualifying session of the Formula One season at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton has dominated all three practice sessions so far this weekend, topping the timesheets on each occasion with Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in close company. However, much of the attention will be on the DAS system that the reigning world champions have used this weekend, which has been approved by the FIA for use despite a protest from rivals Red Bull.

Ferrari look to have found some pace in their car, while dark horses Racing Point could find themselves involved at the business end of the grid after showing a promising pace in practice. However, it will need to be a swift turnaround for the Williams mechanics, with rookie Nicholas Latifi crashing in third practice this morning that leaves the struggling team facing a rapid rebuild to make it in time for qualifying. The action begins at 2pm with all the live updates below.

What time does each session start?

FRIDAY

Free practice 1: 10am – 11:30am BST

Free practice 2: 2pm – 3:30pm BST

SATURDAY

Free practice 3: 11am – 12pm BST

Qualifying: 2pm – 3pm BST

SUNDAY

Race: 2:10pm – 4:10pm BST

Key Points

 

[4 July 2020 15:14 · Jack de Menezes]

Qualifying 3

A dramatic finish to the session sees Bottas run wide at turn four and put his front-left onto the dirt, dragging his car off the track and eventually putting him into a spin on the grass. It affects Hamilton and Ricciardo behind, but there's no damage done he's left to celebrate a pole position because Hamilton's improvement is not enough to snatch pole position at the death.

[4 July 2020 15:19 · Jack de Menezes]

Looking outside the top three, who are as we expected, seeing Lando Norris in P4 is an astonishing achievement for the McLaren team, who yesterday felt they would not get close to the two Racing Points. Norris is quickly rushed into an interview with Sky Sports, only to be interrupted by a call from the Bahraini Crown Prince, which is one of the more unusual incidents this weekend.

Albon and Perez actually set the same lap time, but as virtue of setting it first, it's the Red Bull man who takes fifth position to cap what is a slightly disappointing display for Racing Point.

The biggest disappointment undoubtedly though will be felt in the Ferrari garage, with Leclerc having to make do with seventh place on top of the 11th-place start for Vettel, and there will be big questions about how Ferrari have got this so wrong. Sainz, Stroll and Ricciardo round out the top 10.

[4 July 2020 15:20 · Jack de Menezes]

That's all for today's coverage of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, but be sure to join us again tomorrow when we bring you full coverage of the first race of 2020 that is lined up to be a cracker.

With lights out at 2:10pm BST, join us from 1pm to build-up to what will be the first F1 race in more than seven months. It's so close now we can almost taste it.

See you then.

[4 July 2020 15:34 · Jack de Menezes]