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Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Lewis Hamilton edges Sebastian Vettel in Austrian Grand Prix practice
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
Text and audio commentary of the Austrian Grand Prix is live on the BBC Sport website
Austrian Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Red Bull Ring Date: 7-9 July
Coverage: Practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra (online only), and race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was fastest in the second practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix, ahead of title rival Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.
Hamilton was 0.147 seconds quicker than Vettel at the Red Bull Ring, with the second Mercedes of Finland's Valtteri Bottas 0.216secs off the pace.
Bottas spun at Turn Six while trying to improve and was lucky not to crash.
The Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo took fourth and fifth ahead of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari.
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'You don't use your car as a weapon'
A bit of an atmosphere
Vettel, who heads into the weekend 14 points clear of Hamilton, said: "It looks close. it's a short track so you would imagine it was close. Mercedes are the favourite. They looked very quick no matter when they went out today."
It is the first race since the title fight turned nasty after Vettel deliberately drive into Hamilton's car following a misunderstanding behind the safety car in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hamilton has accepted Vettel's apology for the incident and for accusing the Briton of 'brake-testing' him but is still unhappy at governing body the FIA deciding not to punish him further at a meeting on Monday.
Vettel was forced to apologise and warned there would be severe consequences if such an incident happened again but his punishment remains the 10-second stop-and-go penalty he was given in the race in Baku.
The German ended up finishing ahead of Hamilton and extending his lead by two points when the Mercedes driver was forced to stop to replace a loose head restraint.
In a BBC poll, 80% of those who voted believed Sebastian Vettel should have been disqualified from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix over his collision with Lewis Hamilton
Potential problems for Hamilton
Hamilton was quickest in both qualifying trim and on the race-simulation runs later in the session, when the cars run with a high fuel load, but his session was cut short because Mercedes needed to change a spark plug.
The three-time champion missed about 15 minutes before being sent on his way again but complained over the radio that there was still a problem. He returned to the pits with 10 minutes of the session remaining and investigations began into the source of the problem.
Despite his issue, Hamilton was comfortably quicker than both Bottas and Raikkonen when they were all doing race simulations on the ultra-soft tyre.
But Bottas' times were not representative because he damaged the floor of his car with his spin and Mercedes did not replace it.
Vettel did his race-simulation run on the super-soft tyre first so his times cannot be compared.
Hamilton said: "The guys did a great job to turn the car around and we still managed to complete our programme. Most importantly, the car feels fantastically fast here.
"This car is so quick in comparison to what we raced here last year. It's tricky, but a proper thrill to hook up a lap. The team is in good spirits and we're all up for another exciting fight with the Ferraris this weekend."
Spin, spin, spin
There was encouragement for McLaren, with Fernando Alonso eighth quickest using the upgraded engine that Honda have introduced for this race.
The new Honda is reputed to be about 25bhp more powerful than the previous version of the engine - which still leaves it just under 70bhp down on the Mercedes.
Kevin Magnussen also impressed in the Haas, to end the session seventh fastest.
The low-grip surface caused a lot of problems. Both Ferrari drivers spun, Sauber's Marcus Ericsson did so twice, Alonso had a rare off-track moment and spin in Turn Six, and a number of drivers ran wide as they explored the limits of the cars on the slippery track.
And Daniil Kvyat's session came to end with 10 minutes remaining as he was told to return to the pits with overheating brakes - which promptly caught fire in the pits.
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
Text and audio commentary of the Austrian Grand Prix is live on the BBC Sport website
Austrian Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Red Bull Ring Date: 7-9 July
Coverage: Practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra (online only), and race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was fastest in the second practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix, ahead of title rival Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.
Hamilton was 0.147 seconds quicker than Vettel at the Red Bull Ring, with the second Mercedes of Finland's Valtteri Bottas 0.216secs off the pace.
Bottas spun at Turn Six while trying to improve and was lucky not to crash.
The Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo took fourth and fifth ahead of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari.
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'You don't use your car as a weapon'
A bit of an atmosphere
Vettel, who heads into the weekend 14 points clear of Hamilton, said: "It looks close. it's a short track so you would imagine it was close. Mercedes are the favourite. They looked very quick no matter when they went out today."
It is the first race since the title fight turned nasty after Vettel deliberately drive into Hamilton's car following a misunderstanding behind the safety car in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hamilton has accepted Vettel's apology for the incident and for accusing the Briton of 'brake-testing' him but is still unhappy at governing body the FIA deciding not to punish him further at a meeting on Monday.
Vettel was forced to apologise and warned there would be severe consequences if such an incident happened again but his punishment remains the 10-second stop-and-go penalty he was given in the race in Baku.
The German ended up finishing ahead of Hamilton and extending his lead by two points when the Mercedes driver was forced to stop to replace a loose head restraint.
In a BBC poll, 80% of those who voted believed Sebastian Vettel should have been disqualified from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix over his collision with Lewis Hamilton
Potential problems for Hamilton
Hamilton was quickest in both qualifying trim and on the race-simulation runs later in the session, when the cars run with a high fuel load, but his session was cut short because Mercedes needed to change a spark plug.
The three-time champion missed about 15 minutes before being sent on his way again but complained over the radio that there was still a problem. He returned to the pits with 10 minutes of the session remaining and investigations began into the source of the problem.
Despite his issue, Hamilton was comfortably quicker than both Bottas and Raikkonen when they were all doing race simulations on the ultra-soft tyre.
But Bottas' times were not representative because he damaged the floor of his car with his spin and Mercedes did not replace it.
Vettel did his race-simulation run on the super-soft tyre first so his times cannot be compared.
Hamilton said: "The guys did a great job to turn the car around and we still managed to complete our programme. Most importantly, the car feels fantastically fast here.
"This car is so quick in comparison to what we raced here last year. It's tricky, but a proper thrill to hook up a lap. The team is in good spirits and we're all up for another exciting fight with the Ferraris this weekend."
Spin, spin, spin
There was encouragement for McLaren, with Fernando Alonso eighth quickest using the upgraded engine that Honda have introduced for this race.
The new Honda is reputed to be about 25bhp more powerful than the previous version of the engine - which still leaves it just under 70bhp down on the Mercedes.
Kevin Magnussen also impressed in the Haas, to end the session seventh fastest.
The low-grip surface caused a lot of problems. Both Ferrari drivers spun, Sauber's Marcus Ericsson did so twice, Alonso had a rare off-track moment and spin in Turn Six, and a number of drivers ran wide as they explored the limits of the cars on the slippery track.
And Daniil Kvyat's session came to end with 10 minutes remaining as he was told to return to the pits with overheating brakes - which promptly caught fire in the pits.
Swami
Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Austrian GP: Lewis Hamilton to receive grid penalty for unauthorised gearbox change
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
Lewis Hamilton was fastest in both of Friday's practice sessions
Austrian Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Red Bull Ring Date: 7-9 July
Coverage: Practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra (online only), and race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Lewis Hamilton will receive a five-place grid penalty for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix as a result of an unauthorised gearbox change.
Teams must run a gearbox for six consecutive events but Hamilton's was changed before that period had expired.
Stewards have not confirmed the penalty but Hamilton's Mercedes team have accepted it is inevitable.
It is a blow to Hamilton's attempts to close the championship deficit to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
On Friday, Hamilton was fastest in the second practice session, ahead of title rival Vettel.
Hamilton was 0.147 seconds quicker than Vettel at the Red Bull Ring, with the second Mercedes of Finland's Valtteri Bottas 0.216secs off the pace.
Hamilton is 14 points behind the German heading into Sunday's race at the Red Bull Ring, having dropped two further points at the last race in Baku when he finished fifth, a place behind Vettel.
Hamilton was leading that race and was on course for victory but had to pit to have a loose head restraint fitted.
That was a significant blow because Vettel had been given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for dangerous driving after deliberately hitting Hamilton's car.
Hamilton's problem meant he returned to the track behind Vettel and was unable to pass.
Mercedes said the problem had not been caused by the incident with Vettel in Baku.
Hamilton, 32, said it was "important" to make up ground on Vettel in Austria and the British Grand Prix a week later.
"I've lost points in the last race and I need to reverse that," he said.
His expected penalty will make that task much harder as the highest place he can now start the race on Sunday is sixth on the grid.
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
- 12 minutes ago
- From the section Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton was fastest in both of Friday's practice sessions
Austrian Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Red Bull Ring Date: 7-9 July
Coverage: Practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra (online only), and race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Lewis Hamilton will receive a five-place grid penalty for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix as a result of an unauthorised gearbox change.
Teams must run a gearbox for six consecutive events but Hamilton's was changed before that period had expired.
Stewards have not confirmed the penalty but Hamilton's Mercedes team have accepted it is inevitable.
It is a blow to Hamilton's attempts to close the championship deficit to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
On Friday, Hamilton was fastest in the second practice session, ahead of title rival Vettel.
Hamilton was 0.147 seconds quicker than Vettel at the Red Bull Ring, with the second Mercedes of Finland's Valtteri Bottas 0.216secs off the pace.
Hamilton is 14 points behind the German heading into Sunday's race at the Red Bull Ring, having dropped two further points at the last race in Baku when he finished fifth, a place behind Vettel.
Hamilton was leading that race and was on course for victory but had to pit to have a loose head restraint fitted.
That was a significant blow because Vettel had been given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for dangerous driving after deliberately hitting Hamilton's car.
Hamilton's problem meant he returned to the track behind Vettel and was unable to pass.
Mercedes said the problem had not been caused by the incident with Vettel in Baku.
Hamilton, 32, said it was "important" to make up ground on Vettel in Austria and the British Grand Prix a week later.
"I've lost points in the last race and I need to reverse that," he said.
His expected penalty will make that task much harder as the highest place he can now start the race on Sunday is sixth on the grid.
Swami
Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Lewis Hamilton takes penalty for Austrian GP as Bottas takes pole
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at the Red Bull Ring
Austrian Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Red Bull Ring Date: 7-9 July
Coverage: Race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Lewis Hamilton will start the Austrian Grand Prix in eighth place with title rival Sebastian Vettel second behind Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.
Hamilton, who started the weekend knowing he would drop five grid places because of a gearbox penalty, had a scrappy session, with numerous errors.
It is the first race since their collision in Azerbaijan.
F1: Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel is on 'incredibly thin ice'
A handshake, but then a snub
Vettel publicly apologised for deliberately driving into Hamilton during the race in Baku upon his arrival in Austria, after governing body the FIA decided not to take any further action against the four-time world champion at a meeting on Monday.
However, Vettel has been warned that any similar incident of a loss of temper in the racing car could have severe consequences.
Hamilton sought out Vettel to shake his hand as they waited on the grid for their post-qualifying television interviews, but refused to shake it again when asked by the interviewer. Hamilton then beckoned team-mate Bottas over before heading to the garage.
Hamilton has said he has accepted Vettel's apology and that his main concern was that he withdraw the accusation made in Baku that Hamilton 'brake-tested' him.
When champions turn bad: who has seen the red mist over the years, and what did they do?
Why did Hamilton struggle to limit the damage?
The final battle in the dying seconds of the session fizzled out as Romain Grosjean's Haas ground to a halt with engine problems at the exit of the Turn Three hairpin.
But Hamilton had already probably thrown away his chance of qualifying fastest - and therefore starting sixth - with an error at Turn One, his Mercedes clouting the kerb on the inside, losing speed up the long straight that followed it and dropping 0.3secs in the final sector.
Hamilton, who was quickest in the first qualifying session, might have had time for another lap but Grosjean's stranded Haas put paid to that.
Hamilton had also had a scrappy first run, in which he was 0.173secs slower than Bottas, who takes his second pole of the session.
Vettel, who described the end of the session as "an anti-climax", missed out by just 0.042secs.
Verstappen had a disappointing end to qualifying, finishing sixth after a spin...
...there are one or two people in Austria hoping he'll have a better time in the race on Sunday
Hamilton's engineers have gambled on a different tyre strategy for the race - he will start on the super-soft tyre while all around him in the top 10 will be on the ultra-soft.
The plan is possibly to run a longer first stint and certainly be on the quicker tyre at the end of the race.
He said: "I hoped to be higher up but it wasn't to be. But I plan to be on the podium and make it a one-two with Valtteri."
He added that he did not think the tyre choice would make much difference.
"I don't think the tyre will make a big difference," he said. "It is a slower tyre. But lots of things can happen, rain, safety cars. We shall see."
Where Hamilton and Vettel have finished so far this season
A long race ahead
Being in eighth rather sixth means Hamilton has a tougher task getting into the podium positions.
He will have to negotiate a way past Force India's Sergio Perez, Grosjean and both Red Bulls before he gets in the mix with the other drivers in the top two teams.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen completed the top four but was 0.486secs slower than Vettel - a significant margin on one of the shortest laps of the year.
Raikkonen was only just ahead of the Red Bulls, with Daniel Ricciardo ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen for the first time since the Russian Grand Prix at the end of April.
Verstappen had a difficult session, a number of mistakes ending with a spin at Turn Five as he complained of a lack of grip and balance.
The Red Bull Ring is in Spielberg in south eastern Austria
What they said
Polesitter Bottas: "Really enjoyed it today and when you enjoy it usually the result is good. Got the car nice and stable for qualifying and was able to build up the confidence and this is a track where you really need it in the high-speed corners."
Vettel: "Q3 was pretty good. I was very happy with the lap. The story continues between us two. It is a short track, not easy to get everything right so overall I'm happy."
Hamilton: "No real issues. Car was good. Valtteri did a fantastic job. And I just didn't hook it up in Q3. Q1 and Q2 was good but Q3 was so-so."
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at the Red Bull Ring
Austrian Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Red Bull Ring Date: 7-9 July
Coverage: Race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Lewis Hamilton will start the Austrian Grand Prix in eighth place with title rival Sebastian Vettel second behind Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.
Hamilton, who started the weekend knowing he would drop five grid places because of a gearbox penalty, had a scrappy session, with numerous errors.
- 'You don't use your car as a weapon'
- 'Am I proud of it? No' - Vettel regrets Baku incident
- Austrian Grand Prix preview: What you should swerve in Spielberg
It is the first race since their collision in Azerbaijan.
F1: Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel is on 'incredibly thin ice'
A handshake, but then a snub
Vettel publicly apologised for deliberately driving into Hamilton during the race in Baku upon his arrival in Austria, after governing body the FIA decided not to take any further action against the four-time world champion at a meeting on Monday.
However, Vettel has been warned that any similar incident of a loss of temper in the racing car could have severe consequences.
Hamilton sought out Vettel to shake his hand as they waited on the grid for their post-qualifying television interviews, but refused to shake it again when asked by the interviewer. Hamilton then beckoned team-mate Bottas over before heading to the garage.
Hamilton has said he has accepted Vettel's apology and that his main concern was that he withdraw the accusation made in Baku that Hamilton 'brake-tested' him.
When champions turn bad: who has seen the red mist over the years, and what did they do?
Why did Hamilton struggle to limit the damage?
The final battle in the dying seconds of the session fizzled out as Romain Grosjean's Haas ground to a halt with engine problems at the exit of the Turn Three hairpin.
But Hamilton had already probably thrown away his chance of qualifying fastest - and therefore starting sixth - with an error at Turn One, his Mercedes clouting the kerb on the inside, losing speed up the long straight that followed it and dropping 0.3secs in the final sector.
Hamilton, who was quickest in the first qualifying session, might have had time for another lap but Grosjean's stranded Haas put paid to that.
Hamilton had also had a scrappy first run, in which he was 0.173secs slower than Bottas, who takes his second pole of the session.
Vettel, who described the end of the session as "an anti-climax", missed out by just 0.042secs.
Verstappen had a disappointing end to qualifying, finishing sixth after a spin...
...there are one or two people in Austria hoping he'll have a better time in the race on Sunday
Hamilton's engineers have gambled on a different tyre strategy for the race - he will start on the super-soft tyre while all around him in the top 10 will be on the ultra-soft.
The plan is possibly to run a longer first stint and certainly be on the quicker tyre at the end of the race.
He said: "I hoped to be higher up but it wasn't to be. But I plan to be on the podium and make it a one-two with Valtteri."
He added that he did not think the tyre choice would make much difference.
"I don't think the tyre will make a big difference," he said. "It is a slower tyre. But lots of things can happen, rain, safety cars. We shall see."
Where Hamilton and Vettel have finished so far this season
A long race ahead
Being in eighth rather sixth means Hamilton has a tougher task getting into the podium positions.
He will have to negotiate a way past Force India's Sergio Perez, Grosjean and both Red Bulls before he gets in the mix with the other drivers in the top two teams.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen completed the top four but was 0.486secs slower than Vettel - a significant margin on one of the shortest laps of the year.
Raikkonen was only just ahead of the Red Bulls, with Daniel Ricciardo ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen for the first time since the Russian Grand Prix at the end of April.
Verstappen had a difficult session, a number of mistakes ending with a spin at Turn Five as he complained of a lack of grip and balance.
The Red Bull Ring is in Spielberg in south eastern Austria
What they said
Polesitter Bottas: "Really enjoyed it today and when you enjoy it usually the result is good. Got the car nice and stable for qualifying and was able to build up the confidence and this is a track where you really need it in the high-speed corners."
Vettel: "Q3 was pretty good. I was very happy with the lap. The story continues between us two. It is a short track, not easy to get everything right so overall I'm happy."
Hamilton: "No real issues. Car was good. Valtteri did a fantastic job. And I just didn't hook it up in Q3. Q1 and Q2 was good but Q3 was so-so."
Swami
Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Lewis Hamilton battles back as Valtteri Bottas wins Austrian GP
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at the Red Bull Ring
Valtteri Bottas dominated the Austrian Grand Prix to take his second victory of the year ahead of Sebastian Vettel as Lewis Hamilton recovered to fourth.
Hamilton started eighth after a poor qualifying performance and a five-place grid penalty, and is 20 points behind Ferrari driver Vettel in the championship.
The Mercedes driver will be keen to start eating into Vettel's advantage at the British Grand Prix next weekend.
A largely soporific race came alive in the closing laps as Vettel closed on Bottas for the lead and Hamilton did the same to Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo for the final podium place, but the Finn and the Australian both just hung on.
Best result Hamilton could hope for
Bottas can consider himself a title contender now he's just 15 points behind Hamilton in the standings
From Hamilton's point of view, team-mate Bottas' accomplished victory at least limited the damage Vettel was able to wreak after a difficult weekend for the Briton.
The slow-burning race, perhaps the first of the year devoid of pretty much any excitement, meant the tension in the title fight never came into the equation.
This was the first race since Vettel deliberately drove into Hamilton in Azerbaijan.
Tricky one, after a pretty dull race. Not Daniil Kvyat for his ham-fisted mess of the start, that's for sure. Good drives by all the top four but let's give it to Valtteri Bottas for a supremely controlled win - and that electric start
What's next?
The British Grand Prix is next weekend. Hamilton has won the last three races at Silverstone and he really needs a fourth in a row to start clawing back Vettel's points lead. The Mercedes should be very strong around the fast sweeps there, and Hamilton needs to put together a good weekend - which he has not done too often this year.
What they said
Race winner Valtteri Bottas: "I had a bit of deja vu in the end from Russia. Vettel was catching up but the problem was I had a massive [tyre] blister.
"At the beginning, I could control the race but it was trickier towards the end.
"I'm really happy. It's only the second win in my career. I think that was the start of my life."
That's two career wins now for Bottas, level with Elio de Anglis - who won a classic Austrian GP in 1982, beating Bottas' compatriot Keke Rosberg by 0.05 seconds. Source: Forix
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel: "How would you feel if you were just shy of half a second behind the winner? It was very close.
"I was very happy in the second stint of the race. As soon as we put on the super-soft tyre, the car came alive. I think I needed one more lap because Bottas was really struggling to get up the hill."
Third-placed Daniel Ricciardo, who took his fifth consecutive podium finish: "It was a fun race. There were some decisive moments at the start and then it was about defending the last couple of laps.
"But I stuck to my breaking points and held off. Max Verstappen got the home podium last year and I was a bit envious, so it's nice to be up.
"The second last lap was the tightest and Hamilton got close but I was very pleased to see the chequered flag."
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at the Red Bull Ring
Valtteri Bottas dominated the Austrian Grand Prix to take his second victory of the year ahead of Sebastian Vettel as Lewis Hamilton recovered to fourth.
Hamilton started eighth after a poor qualifying performance and a five-place grid penalty, and is 20 points behind Ferrari driver Vettel in the championship.
The Mercedes driver will be keen to start eating into Vettel's advantage at the British Grand Prix next weekend.
A largely soporific race came alive in the closing laps as Vettel closed on Bottas for the lead and Hamilton did the same to Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo for the final podium place, but the Finn and the Australian both just hung on.
Best result Hamilton could hope for
Bottas can consider himself a title contender now he's just 15 points behind Hamilton in the standings
From Hamilton's point of view, team-mate Bottas' accomplished victory at least limited the damage Vettel was able to wreak after a difficult weekend for the Briton.
The slow-burning race, perhaps the first of the year devoid of pretty much any excitement, meant the tension in the title fight never came into the equation.
This was the first race since Vettel deliberately drove into Hamilton in Azerbaijan.
Tricky one, after a pretty dull race. Not Daniil Kvyat for his ham-fisted mess of the start, that's for sure. Good drives by all the top four but let's give it to Valtteri Bottas for a supremely controlled win - and that electric start
What's next?
The British Grand Prix is next weekend. Hamilton has won the last three races at Silverstone and he really needs a fourth in a row to start clawing back Vettel's points lead. The Mercedes should be very strong around the fast sweeps there, and Hamilton needs to put together a good weekend - which he has not done too often this year.
What they said
Race winner Valtteri Bottas: "I had a bit of deja vu in the end from Russia. Vettel was catching up but the problem was I had a massive [tyre] blister.
"At the beginning, I could control the race but it was trickier towards the end.
"I'm really happy. It's only the second win in my career. I think that was the start of my life."
That's two career wins now for Bottas, level with Elio de Anglis - who won a classic Austrian GP in 1982, beating Bottas' compatriot Keke Rosberg by 0.05 seconds. Source: Forix
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel: "How would you feel if you were just shy of half a second behind the winner? It was very close.
"I was very happy in the second stint of the race. As soon as we put on the super-soft tyre, the car came alive. I think I needed one more lap because Bottas was really struggling to get up the hill."
Third-placed Daniel Ricciardo, who took his fifth consecutive podium finish: "It was a fun race. There were some decisive moments at the start and then it was about defending the last couple of laps.
"But I stuck to my breaking points and held off. Max Verstappen got the home podium last year and I was a bit envious, so it's nice to be up.
"The second last lap was the tightest and Hamilton got close but I was very pleased to see the chequered flag."
Swami