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Buchignani: Lewis Hamilton on a high as F1 heads to hills of Austria

With Mercedes riding the momentum, Ferrari must find a way to excel this weekend and next to keep the Formula One championship close.

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That’s Lewis Hamilton for you. Just when you think he might be slipping, he turns around and shows you who’s boss.

The boss is back on top of the Formula One drivers’ standings after his dominant win at the French Grand Prix last weekend, reversing roles with Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel from the previous stop in Montreal.

Hamilton had a difficult outing at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, you’ll remember. He qualified fourth and finished fifth, his worst result of the season, and relinquished the championship lead to race winner Vettel, albeit by a single point.

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France was the opposite. Powered by an upgraded Mercedes engine, Hamilton comfortably took the pole position and the race win at Circuit Paul Ricard, while Vettel got himself into trouble with a first-lap collision from which he was unable to fully recover. This time, it was his turn to finish fifth.

That puts Hamilton 14 points ahead of Vettel in the drivers’ standings, while Mercedes leads Ferrari 237-214 in the chase for the constructors’ title.

And it gives Hamilton undeniable momentum going into this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, the middle stop in F1’s first-ever sequence of three races in three weeks.

For one thing, the tight turnaround between events leaves teams little time to try to improve their cars, so the squad that’s ahead stands to benefit.

Besides, the Red Bull Ring in the Styrian mountains has always been friendly to Mercedes. The Silver Arrows have won every race there since the venue joined the calendar in 2014, coinciding with the start of F1’s hybrid era.

Of course, that doesn’t guarantee Hamilton a victory on Sunday. Even if rival teams struggle to keep pace, there are two equal Mercedes cars in the field, the second steered by the capable Valtteri Bottas.

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Now, it’s true that Bottas has failed to meet expectations so far this season. The Finn has no wins after eight races, while his teammate has three at the wheel of equal machinery.

Bad luck has a lot to do with that. Remember his puncture while leading in Azerbaijan with three laps to go? Cruel.

Fate turned against Bottas again in France. He finished seventh after falling victim to the Lap One collision for which Vettel was assessed a five-second penalty.

Montreal native Lance Stroll continues to struggle in his Williams. His best lap time in Friday’s final practice put him 20th — and last — in the field.
Montreal native Lance Stroll continues to struggle in his Williams. His best lap time in Friday’s final practice put him 20th — and last — in the field. Photo by Patrik Lundin /Getty Images

But Bottas has had some success in Austria, so maybe luck will be on his side this weekend. He won there last year (Hamilton was fourth) and it’s where he scored his first F1 podium, in 2014.

Hard to believe, but that first podium came when Bottas was driving for the Williams team, where Montreal native Lance Stroll now finds himself spinning his wheels.

Or not. In France, Stroll’s left front wheel stopped spinning when the tire disintegrated on Lap 48 of 53. It marked the seventh time in eight tries that Stroll failed to score points, leaving him with just the four he collected amid the chaos in Azerbaijan.

As for Austria’s home team, Red Bull, the Red Bull Ring has not been too kind, accounting for just two podiums in the last four years. Then again, the squad has looked strong of late, with podiums in each of the last four races.

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Red Bull has two wins this season, both courtesy of Daniel Ricciardo, but you get the sense that Max Verstappen might be next to add to the tally. He was third in Montreal and second in France. Will he take the next step on Red Bull soil?

But watch Ferrari, of course. With Mercedes riding the momentum, the Italian squad can’t afford to lose much more ground in this trio of races, and must find a way to excel this weekend and next to keep the championship as tight as possible at the midway mark of the season.

It won’t be easy. Mercedes was planning to unveil another upgrade package this weekend — more substantial, we’re told, than what was introduced in France.

Initial indications look promising, or not, depending on your point of view. Mercedes topped the time sheets in both of Friday’s practice sessions, with Hamilton ahead of Bottas both times.

And next weekend is the British Grand Prix, Hamilton’s home race, where he’ll be extra motivated to show who’s boss.

walterb@postmedia.com

twitter.com/walterbF1

AT A GLANCE: Live coverage of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix airs Saturday at 8:55 a.m. on TSN 2 and 8:45 a.m. on RDS 2. Race coverage airs Sunday at 9:05 a.m. on TSN 2 and 8:50 a.m. on RDS 2. Check listings for extended coverage.

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