Austrian Grand Prix
This weekend marks the return of the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix. Originally known as the Österreichring it was called the A-1 Ring from 1997-2003 and is now called the Red Bull Ring after being purchased by Red Bull. If you want the low down on the results of free practice scroll down. The last time this race was held was in 2003 and it was won by Michael Schumacher. In honor of Micheal we present his qualifying lap.
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Play by Play of Free Practice via BBC Sport:
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15:14:
He may have completed more laps than his team-mate, but Nico Rosbergalso got a fair number of practice starts under his belt. Perhaps preparing himself for Sunday's race, should he miss out on pole to Lewis Hamilton?
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15:09:
Nico Rosberg completed the most laps out of anyone with 50. Lewis Hamilton finished with 37 while Kamui Kobayashi completed the least amount of laps (24), having struggled with braking issues.
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15:05:
Once Lewis Hamilton went fastest, his team-mate Nico Rosberg could not compete, the German finishing four tenths of a second off the pace. A fairly hefty margin on a lap of only 70 seconds at the Red Bull Ring.
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14:58:
For a detailed read about how practice unfolded today, head over to the Formula 1 index, where Andrew Benson's report is up. Today's pacesetter Lewis Hamilton has also penned his latest BBC Sport column where he talks about how he can ill-afford another retirement in the race for the championship. You can read that on the Formula 1 index too.
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Ferrari: FP2 RESULTS
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14:48:
Niki Lauda will certainly be happy with how things are looking at his home race. The Mercedes non-executive chairman won here himself back in 1984 and also shares the record of the most pole positions at the Austrian Grand Prix, along with Rene Arnoux and Nelson Piquet.
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14:44:
It is another Mercedes one-two in practice as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg seemingly got to grips with the new surroundings with relative ease. Another Mercedes-dominated weekend on the cards?
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14:39:Second practice results
11) Kimi Raikkonen 12) Daniil Kvyat 13) Sergio Perez 14) Esteban Gutierrez 15) Pastor Maldonado 16) Adrian Sutil 17) Nico Hulkenberg 18) Max Chilton 19) Romain Grosjean 20) Jules Bianchi 21) Kamui Kobayashi 22) Marcus Ericsson
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14:36:Second practice top 10
1) Lewis Hamilton 2) Nico Rosberg 3) Fernando Alonso 4) Valtteri Bottas 5) Felipe Massa 6) Sebastian Vettel 7) Jenson Button 8) Daniel Ricciardo 9) Kevin Magnussen 10) Jean-Eric Vergne
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14:33:
Interesting comments from Nico Rosberg over team radio just after the chequered flag as he complains over team radio that he was unaware of a test item on the car. "Well tell me about it," he says, curtly. Signs of frustration bubbling over already?
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14:30:CHEQUERED FLAG
Lewis Hamilton finishes fastest in second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.
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14:30:
James Allen, BBC Radio 5 live commentator"Red Bull, on home soil, don't look all that special, do they. They are going to have to find something."
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14:29:
We've yet to see Red Bull really fly so far in practice. Sebastian Vettel is sixth fastest, with Daniel Ricciardo eighth fastest. Vettel later informs his race engineer that his tyres are shot, so no improvement from him in these closing stages. Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen flies over the sausage kerb at the final corner, one of a fair few to do so today.
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14:26:
Lewis Hamilton is back in the Mercedes garage, out of the car and seemingly done for the day. He might just have done enough with his time of 1:09.542 still the best of the day with three minutes left.
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14:25:
Allan McNish, Former Toyota F1 driver"That message means at the moment there will be no discussions about it. There will be a meeting tonight where there will be discussions about it and a decision made over what they are to do."
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14:24:
A message flashes up on the screen saying no penalties will be applied if all four wheels go off the track at Turn Eight. Welcome news, no doubt, for the teams as several drivers have found themselves running wide there.
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McLaren: With less than 15 minutes left of FP2, all eyes turn to the sky. Time to fetch the brolly?
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14:19:
Kamui Kobayashi is back in the Caterham garage, the only driver not out on the circuit at the moment, after reporting a braking issue earlier. Meanwhile, the rest of the field are on long runs with 10 minutes remaining.
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Ferrari: Strong wind on the track drivers are struggling in the last sector.
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14:13:
The wind is picking up with just under 20 minutes left as Lewis Hamilton is told to box over team radio to switch to the prime tyre as dark clouds close in on the circuit. "I am comfortable with this tyre," says Hamilton. "I'd like to try these for longer." "One more lap Lewis," is the reply.
Hamilton still leads the way with 1:09.542.
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14:09:
BBC's pitlane reporter Tom Clarkson: "There is a black band around the centre of the tyre on Jenson Button's car, there is a ripple effect and it is almost like the tyre has been torn. McLaren have had a real problem getting the power down. They are going to struggle through the high speed as well and it looks like it will be a difficult weekend for them."
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14:07:
After complaining of that problem earlier, Jenson Button has not seen significant improvement on the super softs, with his best time 0.6s quicker than on the softs. McLaren mention over team radio that they had been hoping for a one-second improvement. Button's best time of 1:10.813 is the seventh best.
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14:04:
Jennie Gow, BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter at Red Bull Ring"I am just with the Red Bull team and Daniel Ricciardo is having some interesting work done to the floor of his car. By the T-Tray they have had a glue gun out, glued the area, and put some silver tape over it."
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TEAM RADIO
Jenson Button: "We've done it again, guys, we have the same issue we had two weeks' ago."
Interesting comments, I wonder what that issue is?
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14:01:
Force India chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer, speaking to BBC pitlane reporter Tom Clarkson: "There is no issue [with Sergio Perez's car] we are just evaluating some new parts and seeing if they are working or not. We just need to make some set-up changes.
"The upgrades were working early on, we have made some changes to explore where the ranges are. We need to get back to where we were this morning. We would like to get both cars up in the top 10 in qualifying and score some good points."
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14:00:
A bit of rain is falling once again as ominous black clouds move in. A fair few drivers have ventured back out, presumably to try and get some time on the circuit in case the rain gets heavier. One of the few still in their team garage is Sergio Perez, whose Force India is up on jacks.
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Get involved- #bbcf1
PhilSlocombe: It looks like Nico has mouthed off too early about having the edge on Lewis. Lewis will always answer him on the track.
Zharn Duncan: I predict this last corner to cause at least 2 DNF this AustrianGP
Anthony Edwards: The pitlane entrance is ridiculous! If someone has to pit they'll holdup the guys taking the racing line or have a big accident.
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13:52:
Lewis Hamilton still leads the way 1:09.542, a time that is just just over 1.5 seconds off Michael Schumacher's qualifying time of 1:07.908 for pole in the 2003 race. Will that time be bettered this weekend?
Activity on the circuit has quietened down considerably now, with most drivers back in the pits.
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13:47:
Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring"An interesting development at McLaren. Shareholder Mansour Ojjeh, who owns 25% of the team, attended a board meeting recently for the first time since undergoing two double lung transplants late last year - the second one after the first one failed. It indicates that Ojjeh is well on the mend, and there are even rumours he may attend a grand prix again soon.
"What it means for the company, though, remains unclear. Ojjeh and Dennis have had some kind of major falling out, and Dennis used his former friend's absence from the company while he was ill last year as an opportunity to pull off the coup that has put him back in charge of the F1 team. Will Ojjeh's return to health affect things in the future? It has to be a possibility."
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Get involved- #bbcf1
Some Random Guy: Alonso never disappoints!!
Dave Green: I have a feeling we are in for an absolutely belting Grand Prix. Austria: Hamilton Strikes Back.
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13:43:
Here is the top 10 with 45 minutes remaining:
1: Lewis Hamilton 2: Nico Rosberg 3: Fernando Alonso 4: Valtteri Bottas 5: Felipe Massa 6: Jenson Button 7: Kevin Magnussen 8: Kimi Raikkonen 9: Daniel Ricciardo 10: Sebastian Vettel
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13:41:
Almost all of the field have made the switch to super softs now and, with new boots on his Mercedes, Nico Rosberg leaps to the top of the timesheet 1:10.399. His stay at the top is brief, though, with Lewis Hamilton dipping below 1:10 - the first driver today to do so - to return to P1.
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13:37:
Jules Bianchi improves on the super softs with 1:12.279, the 17th fastest time. At the moment it is Lewis Hamilton leading the way with 1:10.460, ahead of Nico Rosberg, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso and Kevin Magnussen. Just over 50 minutes of the session left.
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13:34:
Jules Bianchi is the first to bolt on super softs, with Max Chilton and Kamui Kobayashi doing likewise soon after. Meanwhile, Romain Grosjean dives back into the pits after relaying over team radio some concerns with his Lotus.
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13:30:
Fresh from the addition of a shiny new floor, Sebastian Vettel is up and into the top 10 for the first time in second practice as 1:11.276 puts him seventh fastest. Daniel Ricciardo, who also had to have his floor replaced following first-practice damage, is just over half-a-second faster in sixth.
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13:25:
Pirelli have chosen two of the softest tyre compounds for the Austrian Grand Prix in soft and super soft and so far, all 22 drivers have been on the softs. Meanwhile, Nico Rosberg has slotted into second on the timesheet, with his fastest time just 0.039s behind Lewis Hamilton.
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13:21:
After swotting up on the circuit, Lewis Hamilton decides to put his new-found knowledge to the test as he ventures out for the first time and is soon in a familiar position - at the top of timesheet. He leads the way with 1:10.460.
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Get involved- #bbcf1
Mark Pearson: How about using a Slow Zone to clear an incident rather than full course safety car. Worked well at Le Mans this year ?
Olly: Really need Lewis Hamilton to win this weekend! Need a morale boost after the loss to Uruguay.
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Lotus F1: Get it broad Grosjean - that must have been at least a 9 on the sideways scorecard...
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13:16:
The wind seems to be causing a few drivers unfamiliar with the circuit a couple of problems so far in practice, with it proving a bit troublesome to those making their way up the steep climb towards Turn One. The direction of the wind has since changed, though, and Romain Grosjean is caught out by it as he slides through Turn Four, but manages to recover and continue. Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, tops the timesheet with 1:11.217, just 0.06 ahead of Nico Rosberg.
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Jennie Gow, BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter at Red Bull Ring
"I just made my way to Mercedes where Lewis Hamilton is looking at the track on a big screen in front of him and I would imagine is going round the track and learning about it. Nico Rosberg is heading out now."
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13:10:
Nico Rosberg rolls out of the Mercedes garage for the first time this afternoon as this morning's pacesetter makes his way on to the circuit. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton remains in the garage for now.
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13:07: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"In the gap between sessions, the FIA announced that the stewards are to look again at the Sergio Perez-Felipe Massa crash on the last lap of the Canadian Grand Prix. Perez was given a five-place grid penalty for this race for causing the incident, but Force India have protested that the Mexican did not get a chance to give his views at the original hearing in Montreal because he was taken off to the medical centre and then hospital for check-ups.
"The new hearing will take place at 16:00 local and the word on the street is that the original verdict is likely to stand, but it remains to be seen whether that is the case."
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13:05:
Several cars have ventured out on to the circuit now with Adrian Sutil setting a modest 1:15.718. It is a time that Max Chilton soon betters as he goes over a second faster in his Marussia to go top.
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13:04:
BBC's pitlane reporter Tom Clarkson: "That 720 degree spin for Sebastian Vettel in first practice did not take out the front of the car but it really damaged the floor. Red Bull have had to change that and when they got Daniel Ricciardo back, he ran wide at the same area, and his floor was damaged as well. We see lots of cars heading out on to the circuit but neither Red Bull is ready to go just yet."
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13:00:GO! GO! GO!
Right then, back to the modern day. The circuit is open and the 90 minutes of second practice is officially under way.
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12:59:Playing by the rules
There has been plenty of chat about potential new rules and innovations in the build-up to this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.
The race itself was once the catalyst for the creation of the rule that saw team orders banned, after Rubens Barrichello was ordered to let Ferrari team-mate Michael Schumacher pass in 2002 as they approached the finish line and win the race. It was a decision that resulted in fans in attendance booing loudly.
That ban was officially in place until the end of 2010, when it was lifted because it could not effectively be enforced.
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12:55: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"There's been a lot of talk this weekend about potential rule changes for next season. Among the possibilities is a change to the safety car rules, which would see the cars make a standing start from the grid on the re-start rather than a rolling one. It seems not to have been thought through, however. If you're going to stop the cars to re-start the race, for example, then why bother having them trail around behind the safety car in the first place? Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he would be 'amazed if it happened'."
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12:47:Where are we?
Situated in the region of Austria's Styrian mountains, the Red Bull Ring features a relatively short and very quick lap.
The Spielberg-based track has changed since its creation as the high-speed Osterreichring in 1969. The new track is smaller and more intricate but retains the undulations that characterised the original.
The venue was bought by Red Bull drinks company owner, and owner of Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso, Dietrich Mateschitz and brought up to date before being renamed as the Red Bull Ring.
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Sauber F1: Less than 15 min to go for FP2. So far it looks like a dry session.
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12:49:BBC coverage
Not long now until the track is open for second practice, 11 minutes in fact. There will be audio commentary online from 12:55 BST to accompany this text commentary to guide you through the action.
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12:45: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"The fine, occasional drizzle of this morning has been driven away by the summer sun and patches of blue have begun to appear in the sky as second practice approaches. It should be a fascinating session, on a tricky track that caught many drivers out in the first session, which will reveal vital clues about race form."
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12:40:Perez penalty to be reviewed
While we were all off raiding the canteen for a spot of lunch some news broke in Austria, with Sergio Perez to have his five-place grid penalty for crashing with Felipe Massa in Canada officially reviewed
Force India submitted 'new elements' into their case this morning and stewards in Austria, led by nine-times Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, deemed them sufficient to grant the team and Perez a hearing.
Perez was penalised in Canada for the final-lap accident at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which saw Felipe Massa run into the back of the Mexican. The hearing takes place at 15:00 BST.
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12:35:
If you missed any of first practice, let me provide a swift recap. Nico Rosberg finished fastest with 1:11.295, ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Fernando Alonso, one of just four current drivers with previous experience of this circuit, clocked the third fastest time.
Daniel Ricciardo, fresh from his Canada Grand Prix win last time out, failed to break into the top 10 as his was the 13th best time, while his Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who did well to recover from a big spin, was 15th fastest.
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12:30:
Hello! Or Gruss Gott for anyone reading in Austria. This morning's first practice for the Austrian Grand Prix was relatively uneventful but the Red Bull Ring is a new experience for many drivers this weekend, they will surely want to get plenty of time out on the circuit this afternoon?
We shall see, with second practice under way at 13:00 BST.
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10:50:
A bit of a surprise to see Red Bull duo Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel outside the top 10 on their team's home circuit. The two most noticeably produced carbon copy run-offs midway through the session, with Vettel getting himself in a huge spin where he did well to avoid hitting the barrier. Surely more to come from them in second practice?
That brings this coverage of first practice to an end, but we will be back with text and audio commentary of second practice from 12:30 BST.
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Mercedes: There will be a change of the ERS cooling pump for @nico_rosberg before FP2, so a busy lunchtime ahead for the boys
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10:39:First practice results
11) Kimi Raikkonen 12) Daniil Kvyat 13) Daniel Ricciardo 14) Esteban Gutierrez 15) Sebastian Vettel 16) Romain Grosjean 17) Pastor Maldonado 18) Jules Bianchi 19) Max Chilton 20) Kamui Kobayashi 21) Adrian Sutil 22) Marcus Ericsson
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10:35:First practice top 10
1) Nico Rosberg 2) Lewis Hamilton 3) Fernando Alonso 4) Felipe Massa 5) Jenson Button 6) Sergio Perez 7) Nico Hulkenberg 8) Valtteri Bottas 9) Kevin Magnussen 10) Jean-Eric Vergne
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10:32:CHEQUERED FLAG
Nico Rosberg finishes fastest in first practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.
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10:30:
Into the last few seconds and Nico Rosberg is back in the pitlane, will anyone usurp him at the top of the timesheet?
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10:30: Allan McNish, Former Toyota F1 driver
"I have just been to check out why Turn One is causing problems this morning and there is the sausage kerb, which is quite high and when a car goes over it they suffer huge oversteer. As a result they are trying to avoid it."
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10:28:
Into the last three minutes and Nico Rosberg leads with 1:11.2, 0.1 seconds ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa of Williams and McLaren's Jenson Button.
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Get involved #bbcf1- What would you improve in F1?
Matt Claypole: Bonus points for Pole Position and Fastest lap should be awarded. Call it an incentive if you will...
James McNeill: Individual One lap qualifying shoot out, order drawn at random on sticky qualifying tyres.
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10:24:
We have not heard much from Pastor Maldonado in this session, who has the 18th fastest time in FP1, but he makes himself known when he locks up at Turn Three, running into the gravel before gingerly returning to the circuit.
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10:21:
Ferrari over team radio to Kimi Raikkonen: "The wind is a bit stronger now, tail wind at the pit straight so it is pushing you into Turn One."
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10:20:
Daniil Kvyat is the man to break the silence as he pops back out on the circuit to check out the conditions. Having witnessed him navigate the dampened circuit trouble free, Jenson Button decides to head out and join him for the final 10 minutes.
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10:18: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"Over the last two or three races, whether by accident or design, senior Ferrari figures have drip-fed an increasingly negative impression of the team's chances of doing well this year. In Canada, Kimi Raikkonen became the first to admit that there was effectively no hope of them competing for the championship, Fernando Alonso appeared to go one further here in Austria.
"Asked if it was realistic to say Ferrari could win this season, the Spaniard said: 'No, that would not be realistic. This year we are definitely in a position we are not happy with. Mercedes is dominating by a big margin and we are aware of this, we need to put in place some of the things we are weak at the moment, improve in different areas. We need to use Fridays to test experimental parts not just for this year but also for Friday and we need to use the rest of this championship for preparation probably.' He didn't specifically say he felt Ferrari would not win a race, but it sounded a bit like that's what he meant."
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10:16:
The circuit falls quiet once again as teams wait for this spot of rain to subside. At the moment, Nico Rosberg tops the timesheet ahead of Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Kevin Magnussen and Kimi Raikkonen. It looks increasingly likely that order will not change once this session comes to a close in just under 15 minutes' time.
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Get involved- #bbcf1
James Roriston: What would the advantage be of a standing start after a safety car period? Wouldn't this further complicate F1?
Alan Suter: Why do teams choose GP3 drivers over GP2 drivers when GP2 drivers have more experience in higher powered cars.
Mrinal Kumar: How about fire from exhausts during throttle?!!
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Jennie Gow, BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter at Red Bull Ring
"It is like rain drops on roses down in the pitlane at the moment as rain sprays into my face as it starts to come down, most of the cars are tucked up in their garages."
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10:09:
Daniel Ricciardo almost replicates his team-mate's antics as he comes off at roughly the same place, screams across the grass in his wobbling Red Bull but manages to avoid a spin and recovers. That came shortly after Valtteri Bottas locked up.
It would seem a number of drivers are pushing themselves to the limit as this session heads into the final 20 minutes.
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10:05:
Sebastian Vettel over team radio: "I think the car is OK, not so sure about the tyres."
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10:04:SPIN!
Whoops! A huge huge spin by Sebastian Vettel as he flies on to the grass coming out of the final turn and then spins 360 degrees. He does well to avoid the barrier, recover and get back on the circuit. Not quite sure what happened there.
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Mercedes: Chairman Niki Lauda is here with us today. He's basically like royalty in Austria!
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09:59:
A few umbrellas have sprung open in the stands with those earlier specks of rain having got a bit heavier. Consequently, the track is largely empty once again. Sebastian Vettel has been relatively quiet this morning, with the world champion's best time only good enough for 15th, leaving him more than two seconds off the pace of Nico Rosberg, who still holds the fastest time.
Meanwhile, Adrian Sutil is back in the Sauber garage with his session having been brought to a premature end because of a broken nose.
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09:55: Jennie Gow, BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter at Red Bull Ring
"The one about re-forming the grid after a safety car and having a standing start is one they seem to be seriously considering. We will not know what the rules are until the end of this month but it is definitely one that is being considered."
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09:54:
The possibility of new rules for next season and experiments with attempts to improve F1 as a spectacle has got your tongues wagging this morning.
One rule that won't be coming is reducing the number of Friday practice sessions. The rule-making strategy group had voted to reduce the number to just one but a meeting of the F1 Commission of teams, sponsors and promoters on Thursday voted against the idea, which has now been abandoned.
Another suggestion this morning is that standing starts after a safety car is being considered...
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Get involved- #bbcf1
Stewart Hutcheson: Re titanium skids. Please no, unless needed for technical reasons, not just to create "artificial fireworks" #bbcf1
Roxy: Allow teams to use more than one brand of tyre.
James Docherty: If we're harking back to sparks and the good old days, bring back clutches and gate shifts. Grosjean showed that in Prost's Renault.
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09:50:
Jenson Button knocks Lewis Hamilton off the top of the timesheet as he clocks 1:11.8, but that time is swiftly bettered by Nico Rosberg who is round in 1:11.2.
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09:47:Kimi to call on experience?
For the vast majority of the grid, their first venture out on to the Red Bull Ring circuit this morning will be a completely new experience.
Just four of the current 22 drivers have raced on the circuit before - Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Raikkonen finished second at the 2003 race, with Button seventh and Alonso 19th. Massa did not compete in that race, but did the year before when he retired with suspension problems.
Good to see that the passage of time hasn't dampened Kimi's cheery demeanour....
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09:45:
Kevin Magnussen takes full advantage of the quiet circuit to improve his time and move up to second fastest with 1:12.3. He has been joined by Jenson Button, one of the few to have past experience of this circuit, having raced here in 2003, when Michael Schumacher won the race.
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Caterham GP2: A pretty amazing view from Turn Two here at Red Bull Ring - let's hope the drivers don't get distracted!
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09:39:
Kevin Magnussen opts to give the restless crowd something to watch as he heads back out on the circuit. He has it all to himself at the moment.
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09:35:Top 10 so far
1: Lewis Hamilton 2: Kimi Raikkonen 3: Nico Hulkenberg 4: Jean-Eric Vergne 5: Felipe Massa 6: Jenson Button 7: Fernando Alonso 8: Valtteri Bottas 9: Daniel Ricciardo 10: Kevin Magnussen
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09:32: Jennie Gow, BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter at Red Bull Ring
"Nico Rosberg wants to go out for one extra lap to do an extra practice start. On the left hand side of the Mercedes garage, Lewis Hamilton is in his car and they have just taken off some off the bodywork and are doing some checks, On a new track like this they want to get as much data as possible."
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09:31:
Nico Rosberg has been back out on the circuit after the earlier trouble with his car, he completes a practice start before returning to the garage. A few specks of rain have been reported by one or two teams, but it is nothing more than that.
The circuit falls quiet with everyone having dived back into the pitlane with 30 minutes of the session gone.
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09:29:
The return of Formula 1 to Austria has brought out the crowds this morning. Thousands turned up yesterday with tents and caravans, causing huge traffic problems for teams and media heading to the circuit. There was no such bother today, though, and there is already a good atmosphere at the Red Bull Ring.
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Get involved- #bbcf1
With Nico Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen experimenting with titanium skid blocks this morning to create sparks, you have been giving your thoughts on ways of improving the F1 spectacle. Here are a few of them:
Ian C Ireland: Nothing is wrong with the F1. The racing is the best in years with much passing and close fights thru the grid.
Amit Mandalia: I don't think F1 needs these artificial measures. Important issues such as costs for smaller teams are more of a concern.
James Roriston: I think smaller teams need better prize money to move them closer to the front of the field...otherwise these teams stagnate.
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09:22:
Disappointment for Marcus Ericsson as his Caterham comes to a halt just after the elevated Turn One with smoke pouring out of his front brakes. He holds his hands up in frustration before climbing out and his stranded car is then swiftly lifted off the circuit.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton has gone fastest of all as the drivers start to become accustomed to the circuit, clocking 1:12.255.
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09:18: Allan McNish, Former Toyota F1 driver
"Nico Rosberg is just taking off his steering wheel now and unbuckling, and it looks like he is jumping out. They are just adjusting the brakes but also checking the front wheel and suspension."
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09:17:
Nico Rosberg does indeed head back into the pitlane just before Felipe Massa runs wide at Turn Three, having locked up before recovering and carrying on. Meanwhile, 10 drivers have now joined Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in setting lap times.
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09:14:
Nico Rosberg on team radio: "The car has switched off - please advise. Shall I come into the box?"
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09:13: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"Remember the sparks that used to fly out of the back of F1 cars in the early 1990s as titanium skid blocks grounded at speed? Well, we may see them again this weekend. Titanium has been replaced by a much harder-wearing metal since then, but this morning Mercedes and Ferrari are to run titanium blocks on Nico Rosberg's and Kimi Raikkonen's cars in an experiment that is part of efforts to spice up the show, amid concerns in senior circles about declining audience figures for F1 in some countries, particularly Italy and Germany."
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09:11:
It is the Mercedes pair of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton who are the first to stick times on the board, with Rosberg clocking 1:14.362 and Hamilton round sixth tenths of a second slower.
I just spotted a few sparks flying up from the back of Rosberg's car. Both he and Kimi Raikkonen are indulging in a little experiment with titanium skid blocks bolted on.
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09:08: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"Depressed by another abject England failure at the World Cup? Fear not, there is a sport the country is good at. In Formula 1, the land of cricket and warm beer has arguably the fastest driver and most of the best teams (even if the ones who have done all the winning this year are owned by German and Austrian companies).
"And this weekend in Austria, while the England football team ponder the slimmest of possibilities of staying in Brazil, Lewis Hamilton has what must be a better than even chance of winning the race. And after his retirement in Canada two weeks ago dropped him 22 points behind Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, that's really what he needs to do."
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09:07:
Lewis Hamilton is bidding for his fifth win of the season this weekend, but almost as important will be ensuring he finishes the race.
Two retirements, at the season opener in Australia and Canada last time out, means he trails Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by 22 points.
It may not be much, but seeing as though little separates the two when they both finish a race, each and every point is becoming increasingly vital.
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09:04:
Felipe Massa is followed by several other drivers on to the Red Bull Ring circuit, who head out for their installation laps. The clouds above remain ominous and although the circuit is dry for now, Lewis Hamilton is informed by his race engineer that some rain is expected midway through this 90-minute session.
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09:03: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"A bit of F1 business news for you. US businessman Brad Hollinger, who runs about 90 hospitals, has bought a 5% shareholding in Williams. The shares come out of the holding of Mercedes sports boss Toto Wolff, leaving him with just over 10%. Hollinger will not have a seat on the board or any management input. He said in a media briefing this morning that he believed F1 was 'right on the cusp of another explosion in growth' through exploitation of social media."
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09:00:GO! GO! GO!
The circuit is open and Felipe Massa is straight out on to the circuit he last ventured out on in 2002. The Williams driver is one of four of the current crop of drivers to have raced at the Austrian Grand Prix previously, along with Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.
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08:58: Allan McNish, Former Toyota F1 driver
"It is a bit cold this morning and a bit overcast but already some of the guys have got themselves strapped in their cars with the circuit opening in a minute or two."
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08:56:Did you know?
The Red Bull Ring, which has been variously referred to as Zeltweg and/or Spielberg, is centrally located within Austria, 46 miles from Graz and 125 miles from the capital Vienna.
The track sits only two miles away from Zeltweg airfield, which hosted the first Austrian Grand Prix in 1964 on a bumpy two-mile track with only five corners, compared to 9 on the current track.
This is also a very short lap in terms of time, with the best-ever lap of this track being less than 68 seconds.
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08:50:
There may be grey skies above the Red Bull Ring but it nevertheless is a stunning venue. The neighbouring fields are packed with tents and caravans while tall trees, high mountains and small villages dot the surrounding landscape.
The race weekend may have only just begun but, judging by some tweets from teams, drivers and the media, it is fast working its way up their list of favourite venues already.
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08:48:
Mercedes: The paddock feels fresh this morning, although there's grey cloud in the air! We may see rain for today's practice sessions.
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08:46: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"Daniel Ricciardo arrives at a grand prix as a winner for the first time, after his superb maiden victory in Canada last time out. He stayed in Montreal after the race to celebrate, and among the fellow revellers were David and Victoria Beckham. Jenson Button had promised to lead Ricciardo astray, but things did not turn out that way. 'I messaged him to see how he was going at one point and he had called in an early one,' Ricciardo said.
"'So my so-called buddy in crime was not my buddy in crime that night. We partied with the team. They kicked on a little bit longer than I did. I hit a wall at 2am. I stayed up until three, but by two I was done. It was tame. I let my mechanics do the drinking for me.' Ricciardo said he was hopeful the layout of his team's own track would allow Red Bull to challenge Mercedes this weekend, and asked what he liked most about Austria, he said: 'Schnitzel and Red Bull. Awesome.'"
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08:44:
I've seen several pictures now of Daniel Ricciardo walking the stunningly picturesque Red Bull Ring circuit yesterday and in every single one of them he is sporting his trademark smile.
It seems a little wider than usual, though, and with good reason. His win at Canada last time out was the first of his career as he came out on top of one of the most dramatic races of the season.
He is also outperforming his illustrious teammate, with Ricciardo having beaten world champion Sebastian Vettel in each of the previous five races.
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08:40:BBC coverage
For football fans it is the morning after the night before with England teetering on the brink of a World Cup exit following defeat to Uruguay.
So whether you are looking for a distraction from England's World Cup woes, or Formula 1 simply reigns supreme for you, there is plenty for you to get your teeth into today.
First up is first practice, which gets under way at 09:00 BST which, of course, you can follow via this live text commentary, while there is audio commentary online from 08:55 BST. Then, after a brief break for a bit of lunch (dinner for the northerners), we will reboot this live text commentary for second practice, which gets under way at 12:55 BST, with commentary again online.
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08:36: Andrew Benson, Chief F1 writer at Red Bull Ring
"The Austrian Grand Prix is a race like no other on the calendar. It takes place in inarguably the most scenic location on the calendar, deep in the Styrian mountains, surrounded by scenes of pastoral tranquillity that seem to come from a bygone age. And in some ways it feels like a race from the past, too.
"Red Bull have spent millions upgrading the track, but the layout is the same as it was the last time it held a grand prix in 2003. On Thursday the traffic management appeared to date from long before that; the jams on the rural roads that serve as access to the track were horrendous as the people camping for the weekend queued to get in. But on Friday morning they seemed to have solved that and the journey into the track was as serene as the landscape."
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08:34:Like a red rag to a bull?
Hello! Welcome to first practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Not since 2003 has an F1 race taken place in the shadow of the Austrian Alps but it is back this weekend and it could hardly be at a better time for Red Bull.
Daniel Ricciardo claimed their first win of the season at Canada last time out and, at a circuit that is not only named after the team but largely decked out in their colours, there is good reason to feel that everything is set up for Red Bull to challenge for victory again.
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08:30:The hills are alive....
...with the sound of V6 engines.
For the first time in 11 years, the crisp Austrian air will be filled with the sound of Formula 1 as the sport returns to the country.
It is a country famed for rolling green hills, snow-covered mountain peaks and Wiener Schnitzel. For Red Bull, they are coming home.
Can it inspire the team to a second successive victory and up the pressure on Mercedes?
OK, that is all for our coverage of Friday's practice. Sergio Perez's hearing is under way as he bids to have his five-place grid penalty for Sunday's race overturned. Keep an eye on the Formula 1 index for the outcome, should we find out today.
Meanwhile, we will be back with live text commentary on final practice, which begins at 10:00 BST, before qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. Join us again then, bye for now!