2017 Austrian Grand Prix team radio highlights: Qualifying

2017 Austrian Grand Prix

Posted on

| Written by

Sebastian Vettel described qualifying as an “anti-climax” after yellow flags prevented the drivers from improving their times at the end of Q3.

Third practice

The final practice session began badly for Carlos Sainz Jnr when he suffered a power unit problem.

Sainz: “Engine, engine.”
To Sainz: “OK Carlos, K start. Go to P2 and K start.”
To Sainz: “OK Carlos marshals will come to you to get the car.”
To Sainz: “OK Carlos P zero and safe to jump out.”

Austrian Grand Prix qualifying in pictures
“Checo we can extend the run. So one more cool-off and one more push. Keep front temperature.”
Perez: “Copy. How is the pace?”
“Currently P7. Esteban 1’06.7. So it’s three-tenths sector two, two-tenths sector three. Sector one is good.”

“Stoffel we saw an unwanted downshift on the straight, was that a mistake?”
Vandoorne: “Yeah I hit the paddle, that wasn’t the intention.”

To Ericsson: “Good lap. Compared to Pascal in front of you are a tenth faster sector one and two, two-tenths faster sector three.”

Kimi Raikkonen followed Kevin Magnussen’s Haas into the pits.

Raikkonen: “I don’t know what he is doing he’s trying to block me all the time Magnussen.”
“OK, boxing this lap.”

To Verstappen: “This pace is good. Your management of the tyres is very good. It’s consistent.”

Ricciardo: “Some understeer, medium-speed.”
“OK Daniel. Seems to have stabilised. You can start picking up a little bit.”

To Sainz: “Max is behind approaching turn four. Try to keep your position.”

Alonso: “Did you check on the straights? Amazing.”
“Yeah we saw an issue. It should be fixed. Max on.”

Raikkonen: “Can you check what happened in the exit of three. I felt really strange wheelspin.”

Sauber remained a long way off the pace.

Ericsson: “Something is seriously wrong with this car.”
“Yes I agree.”

Go ad-free for just £1 per month

>> Find out more and sign up

Qualifying

Sergio Perez had an unusual problem in Q1.

To Ericsson: “Very good first lap. Three-tenths faster than Pascal in front of you. You can improve exit turn four and exit last corner”

Hamilton: “There’s already a vibration on these tyres.”
“OK, copy.”

Perez: “I need to change helmet. Too much air coming through the visor.”
“Understood.”
Perez: “The entries, if you can close them, that’d be good.”

To Raikkonen: “Your call on whether to do the lap. We don’t need it. Maybe it’s better to keep this set in case we need it.”
“OK, box.”

In Q2 Hamilton used the harder super-sorft tyres, which he will start the race on.

To Hamilton: “Straight out. Remember potential race start set. Strat mode five when you’re ready.”

Max Verstappen was eager to get started in Q3.

To Verstappen: “Alright Max one minute 20 seconds to green.”

“Ten seconds until green light. I think both Red Bulls are waiting down there already. Five seconds.”

To Raikkonen: “Sorry Kimi I thought we’d get out before him. Yeah, OK, my mistake. Just watch Bottas at turn one, he’s on his timed lap.”

To Ricciardo: “Max’s first go was a 5.1, yours was a 4.9.”

To Hamilton: “So that was just a mistake in turn three by the look of it. Just need to work on turn three.”

“Looks like we just clipped that apex kerb at turn three again Max.”
Verstappen: “Yeah I was trying to do a different line but it just doesn’t work.”
“No, stick to the Q2 line.”

“OK reverse on. Box and confirm. Keep up the pace on the way in. How’s the balance.”
Verstappen: “Yeah I made a mistake at turn one. All the time at turn three I lose the rear. I try different lines, it doesn’t make a difference.”

A power unit problem for Romain Grosjean meant the final minutes of the session were something of a disappointment.

Grosjean: “OK drive-ability is very poor.”
“OK we’re checking. How’s drive-ability now?”
Grosjean: “Not good.”
“Driver default B 41 OK.”
Grosjean: “Yeah it’s not great guys. Should I stop the car?”
“OK do not shift. You have a ten-second gap to Ocon.”
Grosjean: “I’m stuck.”
“OK just stop the car.”
Grosjean: “I can’t press neutral so I’m going to stop it in gear.”
“OK go to P zero, leave the car there.”

“P2.”
Vettel: “That’s a bit of an anticlimax. I saw the yellow into three and then again around six/seven. I think car-wise it was good.”

2017 Austrian Grand Prix

Browse all 2017 Austrian Grand Prix articles

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.