Williams were simply out classed in their pit strategy by Mercedes but still came home with big smiles on their faces in Austria. After the big surprise qualifying that saw both Williams drivers lock out the front of the grid there was little of that in the race itself.

F1 Austria race 2014 b
Williams managed to hold up Rosberg while his Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton sailed up into fourth by the end of the first lap, but that was not to last as both Mercedes managed to capitalise on their pit strategy to bring them out in front. Though admittedly Hamilton had to do it the old fashioned way, his warmer tyres were no match for Valtari Botas colder rubber as he exited the pits, giving Hamilton an advantage into the second corner.

F1 Austria race 2014 c
Meanwhile the battle in the mid field was a little lacklustre after the thrill of Canada, though there were plenty of overtakes no team truly shined.
Sebastian Vettel lost drive in the opening stages of the grand prix and though he recovered from the failure he was forced to retire only a few laps later. In the end Daniel Ricciardo was the only Red Bull sponsored car to complete the Austrian GP with both Torro Rosso cars failing to finish the race.

F1 Austria race 2014 e
McLaren and Ferrari were nowhere to be seen all race and finished 5th 7th 10th and 11th respectively. Where as the only impressive drive from the mid field was in the form of Sergio Perez who, on an alternate pit strategy, stayed out much longer in the first stint, catapulting himself up into 6th for the finish from 11th on the grid.

F1 Austria race 2014 d
The results now extend Rosberg’s lead over Hamilton to 29 points while the midfield battles of Daniel Ricciardo on 83, Fernando Alonso on 79 and Sebastian Vettel on 60, Nico Hulkenberg on 59 keep the racing close for the best of the rest.

Driver Team Points
Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

165

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

136

Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing

83

Fernando Alonso Scuderia Ferrari

79

Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing

60

Nico Hülkenberg Sahara Force India F1 Team

59

Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Team

55

Jenson Button Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

43

Felipe Massa Williams F1 Team

30

Kevin Magnussen Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

29

Sergio Pérez Sahara Force India F1 Team

28

Kimi Räikkönen Scuderia Ferrari

19

Romain Grosjean Lotus F1 Team

8

Jean-Éric Vergne Scuderia Toro Rosso

8

Daniil Kvyat Scuderia Toro Rosso

4

Jules Bianchi Marussia F1 Team

2

Adrian Sutil Sauber F1 Team
Esteban Gutiérrez Sauber F1 Team
Max Chilton Marussia F1 Team
Pastor Maldonado Lotus F1 Team
Marcus Ericsson Caterham F1 Team
Kamui Kobayashi Caterham F1 Team

We next move to one of the biggest Formula One Grand Prix on the calendar as the majority of the teams head home to Blighty and the Silverstone Circuit for the British Grand Prix.

Race Results:

1. Nico Rosberg Germany Mercedes-Mercedes 1hr 27m 54.976s 71 laps
2. Lewis Hamilton Britain Mercedes-Mercedes +00m 01.9s
3. Valtteri Bottas Finland Williams-Mercedes +00m 08.1s
4. Felipe Massa Brazil Williams-Mercedes +00m 17.3s
5. Fernando Alonso Spain Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 18.5s
6. Sergio Perez Mexico Force India-Mercedes +00m 28.5s
7. Kevin Magnussen Denmark McLaren-Mercedes +00m 32.0s
8. Daniel Ricciardo Australia Red Bull-Renault +00m 43.5s
9. Nico Hulkenberg Germany Force India-Mercedes +00m 44.1s
10. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 47.7s

11. Jenson Button Britain McLaren-Mercedes +00m 50.9s
12. Pastor Maldonado Venezuela Lotus-Renault +1 lap
13. Adrian Sutil Germany Sauber-Ferrari +1 lap
14. Romain Grosjean France Lotus-Renault +1 lap
15. Jules Bianchi France Marussia-Ferrari +2 laps
16. Kamui Kobayashi Japan Caterham-Renault +2 laps
17. Max Chilton Briton Marussia-Ferrari +2 laps
18. Marcus Ericsson Sweden Caterham-Renault +2 lap
19. Esteban Gutierrez Mexico Sauber-Ferrari +2 laps

Rtd. Jean-Eric Vergne France Toro Rosso-Renault 59 laps completed
Rtd. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault 34 laps completed
Rtd. Daniil Kvyat Russia Toro Rosso-Renault 24 laps completed

Fastest lap:

Sergio Perez Mexico Force India-Mercedes 1m 12.142s

all results unofficial

So what did you think of Austria? Are you happy to se it back? What other historical circuits would you prefer to have back on the F1 calendar? Let us know in the comments.

Images, Results: Crash.net
Roger Baillie (Rojn8r)

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Roger Baillie
Brought up in a world of Mini's, road trips, rallying and tinkering it is unsurprising that among my passions, since I can remember, cars have been something very special to me. The way they look, the way they smell and especially the way the sound. This passion has grown over the years from a spectator's seat at Formula 1 and WRC events to active participation in events such as the Cannonball Run NZ and Stance Off Events. My current love affair is with a slightly tuned Mk4 Golf GTI which brings me nothing but joy on the road. This love for driving and cars has led me start a Podcast dedicated to my love of driving called Drive Life NZ where I hope to share my story while exploring the varied stories of other enthusiasts. Dispelling the myths surrounding car people and celebrating our diversity.

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