2020 Styrian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Formula 1 stayed at the Red Bull Ring for the first Styrian Grand Prix, but the second Austrian weekend had a character all of its own. Lewis Hamilton starred in soaking qualifying conditions before leading a Mercedes one-two on Sunday, while Ferrari‘s race unravelled almost as soon as it began.

Race Guide

Season: 2020 F1 World Championship
Race date: 12 July 2020
Race start time: 15:10 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Red Bull Ring
Laps: 71 laps
Circuit length: 4.318 km
Previous winner: None — inaugural Grand Prix

Pole position
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:19.273
Fastest lap
Driver	Carlos Sainz	McLaren
Time	1:05.619 on lap 68
Podium
First	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Second	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes
Third	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
10 July 2020	Practice 1	11:00 – 12:30
10 July 2020	Practice 2	15:00 – 16:30
11 July 2020	Practice 3	12:00 – 13:00 (cancelled)
11 July 2020	Qualifying	15:00 – 16:00
12 July 2020	Race	15:10

All times are local (UTC+02:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

Valtteri Bottas arrived as championship leader after winning the Austrian opener. Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris had joined him on that podium, while Hamilton was looking to recover from a penalty-hit fourth place. Holding consecutive championship races at the same venue gave the teams an unusual opportunity to apply what they had learned just one week earlier.

Race entries

The same 20 race drivers returned. Jack Aitken drove George Russell‘s Williams in FP1, while Robert Kubica took Antonio Giovinazzi‘s Alfa Romeo Racing for the opening practice session. Both regular drivers returned for the rest of the weekend.

Free Practice

Sergio Perez put Racing Point on top in FP1 with a 1:04.867, ahead of Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. Lando Norris received a three-place grid penalty for overtaking under yellow flags, while Kevin Magnussen‘s battery problems prevented him from setting a time.

Verstappen led FP2 with a 1:03.660, only 0.043s ahead of Bottas, with Perez third. Daniel Ricciardo crashed heavily at Turn 9 and brought out the red flags; he was checked at the medical centre and declared fit to continue.

Heavy rain forced the cancellation of FP3. With no Saturday morning running, teams waited to see whether qualifying could take place in the afternoon.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2020 Styrian Grand Prix FP1, 10 July 2020

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	1:04.867	32
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.096s	31
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.222s	31
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.253s	29
5	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	+0.529s	36
6	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	+0.616s	28
7	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	+0.735s	40
8	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.831s	27
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	+0.902s	31
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+0.903s	25
11	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	+0.948s	28
12	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.970s	28
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	+1.007s	35
14	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.041s	25
15	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.574s	23
16	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+1.579s	31
17	40	Roy Nissany	Williams	+1.901s	35
18	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.930s	31
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+4.731s	6
20	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas		3

Free Practice 2 Classification

2020 Styrian Grand Prix FP2, 10 July 2020

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:03.660	27
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.043s	36
3	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	+0.217s	43
4	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	+0.581s	43
5	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	+0.673s	45
6	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.688s	27
7	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	+0.777s	29
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.881s	31
9	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.046s	35
10	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	+1.086s	32
11	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.097s	37
12	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	+1.390s	34
13	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.492s	23
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.705s	36
15	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.928s	34
16	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+1.953s	40
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.995s	49
18	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	+2.130s	36
19	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+2.436s	38
20	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault		2

Free Practice 3 Classification

2020 Styrian Grand Prix FP3, 11 July 2020

This session was cancelled because weather conditions prevented safe running. No classification was issued.

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton delivered a superb wet-weather performance to take pole with a 1:19.273, a full 1.216s clear of Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz qualified third for McLaren, ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon, after rain delayed the start of the session.

George Russell reached Q2 for the first time, while both Ferraris struggled: Sebastian Vettel was tenth and Charles Leclerc 11th. Leclerc then received a three-place penalty for impeding Daniil Kvyat. Norris’s earlier penalty also altered the grid, and Romain Grosjean faced a pit-lane start following work on his car.

Qualifying Classification

2020 Styrian Grand Prix Qualifying, 11 July 2020

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:18.188	1:17.825	1:19.273	34
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:18.297	1:17.938	1:20.489	34
3	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	1:18.590	1:18.836	1:20.671	33
4	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:18.791	1:18.657	1:20.701	34
5	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	1:19.687	1:18.764	1:20.922	33
6	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:18.504	1:18.448	1:20.925	34
7	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	1:20.882	1:19.014	1:21.011	31
8	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:20.192	1:18.744	1:21.028	33
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	1:19.662	1:19.229	1:21.192	32
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1:20.243	1:19.545	1:21.651	33
11	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:20.871	1:19.628	—	24
12	63	George Russell	Williams	1:20.382	1:19.636	—	22
13	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	1:19.697	1:19.645	—	23
14	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	1:19.824	1:19.717	—	24
15	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1:21.140	1:20.211	—	22
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:21.372	—	—	12
17	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	1:21.607	—	—	12
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:21.759	—	—	12
19	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:21.831	—	—	12
20	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	No time	—	—	1

Lando Norris received a three-place grid penalty for overtaking under yellow flags during the first practice session.

Charles Leclerc received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Daniil Kvyat during qualifying.

Antonio Giovinazzi received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.

Romain Grosjean was required to start from the pit lane after his team broke parc fermé regulations.

As qualifying was held on a wet track, the 107% rule was not in force.

What happened in the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton turned his commanding pole position into a controlled victory, with Valtteri Bottas recovering to second ahead of Max Verstappen. Mercedes completed its first one-two of the season and Hamilton brought himself back into the championship contest.

Hamilton kept the lead at the start, but Ferrari‘s afternoon immediately went wrong. Charles Leclerc tried to pass Sebastian Vettel at Turn 3 and made contact, damaging Vettel’s rear wing and his own car. Vettel retired at once; Leclerc continued briefly before the damage also forced him out.

Once the early safety car withdrew, Hamilton began to move clear. Bottas and Alexander Albon passed Carlos Sainz, while Sergio Perez worked forward from 17th on the grid. The Racing Point driver supplied much of the race’s overtaking action as he recovered towards the leading group.

Verstappen stopped before Hamilton and Bottas, but could not turn the strategic difference into a sustained challenge for victory. Bottas ran longer and used his fresher tyres to close on the Red Bull Racing car during the final stint. After an initial exchange, he secured second and completed the Mercedes formation.

Perez passed Lance Stroll and Daniel Ricciardo before catching Albon in fourth. A late attempt to overtake ended in contact and front-wing damage, leaving Perez vulnerable over the final laps. Albon held fourth as the battle behind him tightened rapidly.

Lando Norris again saved some of his best work for the finish. He benefited from the contest between Stroll and Ricciardo, passed Stroll on the final lap and caught the damaged Perez at the last corner to take fifth. Perez, Stroll and Ricciardo then crossed the line almost together in sixth, seventh and eighth.

Sainz finished ninth after a slow pit stop had cost him ground, but a late tyre change helped him claim the fastest lap. Daniil Kvyat took the final point. Bottas remained championship leader, though Hamilton had reduced the gap to six points before the trip to Hungary.

2020 Styrian Grand Prix race results

The 2020 Styrian Grand Prix was held on 12 July 2020, with a scheduled start of 15:10 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	71	1:22:50.683	25
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	71	+13.719s	18
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	71	+33.698s	15
4	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	71	+44.400s	12
5	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	71	+61.470s	10
6	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	71	+62.387s	8
7	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	71	+62.453s	6
8	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	71	+62.591s	4
9	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	70	+1 lap	3
10	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	70	+1 lap	1
11	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	70	+1 lap	0
12	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	70	+1 lap	0
13	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	70	+1 lap	0
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	70	+1 lap	0
15	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	70	+1 lap	0
16	63	George Russell	Williams	69	+2 laps	0
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	69	+2 laps	0
Ret	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	25	Overheating	0
Ret	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	4	Collision damage	0
Ret	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1	Collision damage	0

Carlos Sainz earned the additional point for fastest lap.

2020 Styrian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	68	16:33:42	1:05.619	236.894
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	70	16:35:08	1:06.145	235.010
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	68	16:32:16	1:06.719	232.989
4	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	68	16:33:02	1:07.188	231.362
5	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	66	16:31:03	1:07.193	231.345
6	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	67	16:31:53	1:07.299	230.981
7	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	62	16:25:42	1:07.534	230.177
8	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	69	16:35:28	1:07.827	229.183
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	65	16:29:52	1:07.832	229.166
10	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	65	16:29:53	1:07.833	229.162
11	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	69	16:35:11	1:08.009	228.569
12	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	69	16:35:11	1:08.047	228.442
13	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	60	16:24:45	1:08.378	227.336
14	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	57	16:21:23	1:08.382	227.322
15	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	54	16:17:56	1:08.512	226.891
16	63	George Russell	Williams	36	15:57:27	1:08.601	226.597
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	68	16:34:38	1:08.806	225.922
18	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	22	15:40:17	1:09.321	224.243
19	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	3	15:18:15	1:35.379	162.979

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2020 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix.

2020 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	43
2	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	37
3	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	26
4	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	18
5	Sergio Perez	MEX	Racing Point	16
6	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	15
7	Carlos Sainz	ESP	McLaren	13
8	Alexander Albon	THA	Red Bull Racing	12
9	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	6
10	Lance Stroll	CAN	Racing Point	6
11	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	Renault	4
12	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Renault	4
13	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	2
14	Daniil Kvyat	RUS	AlphaTauri	1
15	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Ferrari	1
16	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	0
17	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
18	Kevin Magnussen	DEN	Haas	0
19	Romain Grosjean	FRA	Haas	0
20	George Russell	GBR	Williams	0

2020 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	80
2	McLaren	39
3	Red Bull Racing	27
4	Racing Point	22
5	Ferrari	19
6	Renault	8
7	AlphaTauri	7
8	Alfa Romeo Racing	2
9	Williams	0
10	Haas	0