Steiermark GP: Respectable FP3 for Williams Racing
By Andrew Hooper
June 26 2021
The results of the final Saturday practice for the 2021 Steiermark GP would see the Williams Racing Team produce a respectable if not unexpected result with George Russell and Nicholas Latifi finishing in 14th and 18th. Both drivers would complete longer runs on the medium tyre followed by a soft tyre qualifying simulation. As for their chances in qualifying it is hard to assess but it should be said that George should agian be able to at least make it into Q2.
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Williams
Racing Steiermark GP Saturday Practice |
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Team Summary:
It was announced that Bottas after a pit lane spin in Friday practice had
been awarded a three place grid penalty. With the start of the Saturday
practice session it would be the Haas cars out first both on hard tyres.
After issues on Friday Gasly would complete an instllation lap on the soft
tyre to check out the work done on his car. Schumacher would set a 1m:11.787
then a 1m:11.238. After seven lap runs both would pit. Ocon was next out
running on the medium joined by Alonso on the same tyre. Raikkonen was next
out on the soft tyre with over ten minutes of the session completed. Ocon
would set a 1m:07.353 only to see Alonso set a 1m:07.031 to be quickest.
Raikkonen would move ahead with a 1m:06.778 with fifteen minutes completed.
More drivers started to come out including the first of the Williams. Ocon
was now quickest after Raikkonen's time was deleted. The second Williams was
now running while Alonso was again quickest followed by Giovinazzi and
Raikkonen. But a Williams would go quickest with a 1m:06.454, seeing the
pair first and sixth. Gasly was now second followed by Leclerc and Alonso.
On the soft tyre Bottas would go quickest with a 1m:06.212. Tsunoda would
move into second followed by George and Gasly. Sainz was now second from
Leclerc and George. Bottas had improved with a 1m:06.063 from now Sainz and
Gasly. Sainz was on the medium tyre. The Williams drivers were now fifth and
14th. As we had Verstappen now quickest with a 1m:05.571 now followed by
Hamilton and Bottas all on the soft tyer.
On the medium tyre Tsunoda was now second ahead of Hamilton. Verstappen
would set a 1m:04.971 to be ahead of Gasly and Bottas. Verstappen was now
0.7 ahead of second. The Williams drivers were now tenth and 19th. With
twenty five minutes remaining Verstappen was quickest from Hamilton, Gasly,
Bottas, Perez, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Giovinazzi, Sainz and Vettel tenth. With
twenty minutes remaining the track was now quite empty with just two cars
running. The track was now clear as drivers prepared for their qualifying
simulations. The track would become very busy with drivers back out on the
soft tyre. Hamilton was now quickest with a 1m:04.369 to move ahead of
Bottas.
Quite a few lap times would be deleted seeing drivers well down the times
including both McLarens. Five minutes remaining and Hamilton was still
leading from Bottas and Verstappen. The Williams drivers were currently 14th
and 18th. Both Williams drivers were on longer runs on the soft tyre.
Verstappen would only set a 1m:04.573 to only manage second behind Hamilton.
Bottas was third followed by Perez, Tsunoda, Gasly, Leclerc, Alonso, Stroll
and Vettel tenth. The Williams drivers were 14th and 18th as the session
finished. The drivers were again allowed to complete practice starts on the
grid.
Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would be first of the Williams drivers to come out running on the
medium tyre. Nicholas would set a 1m:06.853 to be second dropping to fifth.
This would become ninth then 14th as others went quicker. This would become
19th as Nicholas pitted after a ten lap run on the medium tyre. Nicholas
would return on the soft tyre for his qualifying simulation. A 1m:06.458
from Nicholas to be 15th. He would drop to 15th. A 1m:06.187 from Nicholas
would see him 13th then 14th right behind his team-mate. This would become
18th to be behind Ricciardo. He would pit after an eight lap run.
George Russell:
Shortly after Nicholas George would come out for his first run using the
medium tyre. He would would go quickest with a 1m:06.454. He would drop to
be fourth then slowly he would drop to tenth. A 1m:06.364 from George would
see him eighth dropping to tenth. He would pit after an eleven lap run. In
his pit he would drop to 12th. George would follow his team-mate out also
using the soft tyre. A 1m:06.161 would see George tenth. This would become
12th. He would find more pace with a 1m:05.865 but remained 13th. He would
drop to 14th with under ten minutes remaining. He would pit after a nine lap
run. |
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1 |
Lewis Hamilton
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Mercedes |
Mercedes |
1'04.369
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2 |
Max Verstappen
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Red Bull |
Honda |
1'04.573
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0.204
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3 |
Valtteri Bottas
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Mercedes |
Mercedes |
1'04.832
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0.463
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4 |
Sergio Perez
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Red Bull |
Honda |
1'05.026
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0.657
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5 |
Yuki Tsunoda
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AlphaTauri |
Honda |
1'05.150
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0.781
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6 |
Pierre Gasly
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AlphaTauri |
Honda |
1'05.298
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0.929
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7 |
Charles Leclerc
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Ferrari |
Ferrari |
1'05.340
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0.971
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8 |
Fernando Alonso
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Alpine |
Renault |
1'05.400
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1.031
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9 |
Lance Stroll
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Aston Martin |
Mercedes |
1'05.445
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1.076
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10 |
Sebastian Vettel
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Aston Martin |
Mercedes |
1'05.492
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1.123
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11 |
Antonio Giovinazzi
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Alfa Romeo |
Ferrari |
1'05.556
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1.187
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12 |
Esteban Ocon
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Alpine |
Renault |
1'05.676
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1.307
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13 |
Carlos Sainz Jr.
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Ferrari |
Ferrari |
1'05.698
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1.329
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14 |
George Russell
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Williams |
Mercedes |
1'05.863
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1.494
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15 |
Kimi Raikkonen
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Alfa Romeo |
Ferrari |
1'05.942
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1.573
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16 |
Mick Schumacher
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Haas |
Ferrari |
1'05.992
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1.623
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17 |
Daniel Ricciardo
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McLaren |
Mercedes |
1'06.116
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1.747
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18 |
Nicholas Latifi
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Williams |
Mercedes |
1'06.119
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1.750
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19 |
Lando Norris
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McLaren |
Mercedes |
1'06.654
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2.285
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20 |
Nikita Mazepin
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Haas |
Ferrari |
1'06.692
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2.323
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