Key events
Lap 14/71: Russell was hoping podium today and he is looking good in third, three seconds ahead of Sainz.
He will not be finishing first, however, because Verstappen is already five and a half seconds up on Norris.
Lap 13/71: Magnussen and Hulkenberg are now in a battle for 15th. Who will win?
Lap 12/71: Haas look like they have a plan involving a three-stop strategy as Hulkenberg also comes in.
Lap 11/71: Some pits already happening. Magnussen and Ricciardo come in for a meet and greet with the mechanics, exiting on hard tyres.
Lap 10/71: Despite being unable to keep up with Verstappen, Norris currently has the fastest lap.
Lap 9/71: Track conditions seem to be causing a bit of understeer making things a little trickier for drivers.
Hamilton let Sainz through to avoid any further action on an incident at turn one.
Lap 8/71: Verstappen is more than three seconds ahead of Norris now. Really does look like it will be a straightforward day out for the Dutchman.
Lap 7/71: Hamilton is looking to get beyond Sainz. He is right behind him and is pushing him on every turn. Sainz is battling away to fend him off the man who will replace him at Ferrari next season.
Lap 6/71: Stewards are looking at the incident between Piastri and Leclerc.
Lap 5/71: Perez has earned himself a couple of places, otherwise we are as you were at the start.
1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2 Lando Norris (McLaren)
3 George Russell (Mercedes)
4 Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
6 Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
Lap 4/71: Leclerc is back out way down in 19th. He made contact with Piastri who might still have a bit of damage to his car.
Verstappen seems to be growing his lead every lap.
Lap 3/71: Hamilton is chasing down Russell … and he goes past him but then Russell does the same. What a fun few seconds that was.
Lap 2/71: Leclerc has to get into the pit to get a front wing change. That has gone badly.
Verstappen is over a second ahead of Norris. Very much seems like Verstappen needs to make a mistake to give away the lead.
Lap 1/71: Verstappen gets off to a great start and maintains his first position. Hamilton and Sainz almost make contact a little way back but everyone seems to get through unscathed. Nope, Leclerc has lost a bit of his front wing.
Lights out
And away we go!
The Austrian national anthem and a few military helicopters. We must be close to race time. It sounds like a Christian rock song at this stage.
Jos Verstappen on Max: “He knows what to do, I don’t get involved.”
Martin Brundle gets onto the grid for a little wander. Hans Zimmer says “I am just about to ruin Mozart forever. If you come here, you might as well go for broke.” Something to look forward to.
“If you take Max out of the race, this would be compelling,” say Sky Sports. It’s not exactly a big sell.
The cars are on the track as the drivers make their final preparations for the race. The wind is picking up in Austria.
Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu is starting the race from the pit lane after making a few adjustments to his car.
We have a whopping 71 laps today. That makes pitting strategy crucial. This is the sort of race that can be won or lost in the pits. The pressure is on.
Where will Verstappen go next?
A day where you need a hat that provides shade.
Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has been fined €40,000 after he called a fellow Formula One driver “f****** retarded” in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Tsunoda, who competes for Red Bull’s junior team, RB, took aim at Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu over the radio after he believed he was obstructed in the pit-lane. “These guys are f****** retarded,” he yelled.
Tsunoda, 24, was hauled before the stewards who slapped him with a 40,000 EUR (£33,901) fine – with half of the sanction suspended until the remainder of the season.
A statement from Formula One’s governing FIA read: “He contended that his understanding of the words was different, but acknowledged that this should not be considered as an excuse for what he did.”
Sport pricing out its fans? Never!
George Russell fancies getting a on the podium today. It is a hot day in Austria which will make things a little less fun for the drivers.
Preamble
Max Verstappen in on pole so, in theory, everything is as it should be. There are, however, a few issue swirling around the Red Bull garage. Papa Verstappen and Christian Horner do not see eye-to-eye at the moment, making the backdrop to this grand prix more fun. Naturally, Verstappen will probably win this race and another title this season but that will only be part of the story.
The starting grid:
1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2 Lando Norris (McLaren)
3 George Russell (Mercedes)
4 Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
6 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
7 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8 Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9 Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
10 Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
11 Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
12 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
13 Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
14 Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
15 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
16 Alex Albon (Williams)
17 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
18 Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)
19 Logan Sergeant (Williams)
20 Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)