After failing to get on the podium for the first time this season in Canada, Ferrari hoped that fresh upgrades would have them back on form around the hills of Spielberg. FP1 was a mixed bag for the Scuderia, as Kimi Räikkönen was just behind the Mercedes pair of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, while Sebastian Vettel could only manage four laps before his session was over with gearbox problems. The German made up for this in the next two practise sessions, by topping the time-sheets in both. Räikkönen setting a hattrick of finishing third in all three sessions. Ferrari’s one lap and race pace looked strong, and many thought that they would be challenging the Mercedes in both qualifying and the race.
2015 Austrian Grand Prix Ferrari Review
No. 5 Sebastian Vettel (DEU)
Grid: P3
Q1 was still damp from the earlier rainfall, and Vettel set the second fastest time of the session. In the dry Q2, the pace that Ferrari had hoped for to challenge for the pole didn’t materialise, and the German ended up nearly nine tenths off the fastest time. In Q3, he was closer to the Mercs, who both spun out on their second and final hot laps, but was still 0.355 seconds off the pole time.
Race: P4
Vettel, starting on the options, held his position at the start to Williams’ Felipe Massa. Like in qualifying, Ferrari had no answer to Mercedes’ pace, and second-place Hamilton was able to keep Vettel honest in the first stint of the race. On lap 37, Vettel pitted for his one and only time. A problem with the right-rear tyre cost him over 10 seconds, and he lost his third place to Massa. The German went on the charge for the final podium spot. For the next 30 laps, Vettel got the gap down from four seconds to within half a second with four laps to go. Vettel tried up the inside at Schlossgold, but Massa’s brilliant defensive driving prevented the German taking his sixth podium, and the Scuderia’s seventh, of the season.
No. 7 Kimi Räikönen (FIN)
Grid: P14 (Qualified P18, but got upgraded due to penalties applied to the Red Bulls and McLaren’s drivers)
After the strong running in the practise sessions, many expected the Finn to be right in among the mix for the front row of the grid. He failed to get out of Q1 however, setting only a time quicker than the Manor drivers, and 0.345 seconds off McLaren’s Jenson Button’s time. Räikkönen blamed the team for not giving him the right communication, as they had changed their strategy with the ever changing track conditions, and left it too late to get in a competitive lap time.
Race: DNF (Collision)
Räikönen, starting on the primes, seemed to have a decent getaway. Coming out of the exit of Remus, Räikkönen’s rear started to slide about. He ended up collecting McLaren’s Fernando Alonso, with both spectacularly slamming into the barriers, and immediately ending their races. Thankfully both drivers were fine and walked away from what was a nasty incident. It seemed that Räikkönen’s tyres weren’t up to temperature, which caused him to lose the rear.
Drivers’ Standings
1 Hamilton 169 points
2 Rosberg 159
3 Vettel 120
4 Raikkonen 72
5 Bottas 67
Constructors’ Standings
1 Mercedes 328 points
2 Ferrari 192
3 Williams 129
4 Red Bull 55
5 Force India 31
Another poor weekend for the Maranello outfit, and the promise of challenging the Silver Arrows fell short again. Not only that, but Williams closed the gap to Ferrari for the second consecutive race. With the Grove based outfit looking stronger, then Ferrari may have to watch the challenge from behind, as well as trying to orchestra a fight for the top. Silverstone is next, and they will be hoping for a change in fortunes, otherwise their second place in the standings may come under threat.
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