Feature
ICYMI - Behind the scenes in Austria
You can't be watching social media all the time, so let us help you catch up on some moments you may have missed over the Austrian Grand Prix weekend...
Danke Niki
It was a poignant return the Austrian Grand Prix for the first time since we lost the country’s greatest F1 export, Niki Lauda, back in May. And there were plenty of tributes to the three-time champion – including Turn 1 at the Red Bull Ring being renamed in his honour.
That’s a new line through Turn 7…
The Red Bull-backed Drift Brothers put on a smoking show for the crowds in their outlandish, high-revving drift machines.
Full GAS
He might be an F1 driver and used to extreme G forces – but Pierre Gasly looked like a man in need of a sick bag when he was taken for a spin by Red Bull Air Race ace Martin Sonka.
Albon… Alex Albon
We’re not sure Alex Albon is quite grizzled enough to play James Bond… but he clearly enjoyed seeing the Lotus Esprit from the movie The Spy Who Loved Me on display in Austria. Some top nerdy F1 knowledge by the Toro Rosso social media team too…
Les scooters
In F1, anything you can do to psych out your rivals is fair game – as Renault proved when they sent Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg out into the paddock on electric scooters to annoy Haas’ mechanics as they were practising pit stops.
Cal-Haas-thenics
Sorry. Here, those same Haas mechanics warm-up in the pit lane with some pretty resistance bands. Very 'modern dance'...
See you Lando
Euroformula Open driver and general legend Billy Monger frees up a seat at McLaren, with the help of Williams’ George Russell.
Verstappen keeps his cool
With temperatures hitting the high 30s over the weekend, staying cool was essential. Both Max Verstappen and this fan managed it with the high-tech help of... well, kids' paddling pools, basically.
Birthday boy
We’ve seen champagne cam on the podium – but now, Williams have unleashed ‘cake cam’, as their test and reserve driver Nicholas Latifi is treated to this chocolatey delight to celebrate his 24th birthday.
Clap your hands, say yeah
There was time before qualifying for a spot of traditional Austrian folk dancing (we’re assuming that’s what this is anyway). We like the journalist in the background giving it a half-hearted go, too.
The life of a crashed car
Hats off to Mercedes for taking us through the journey of a car and driver post-crash – this one being after Valtteri Bottas found the Turn 6 wall in FP2.
Snacking off
The Carlos/Lando bromance continues apace, as they sample snacks from each other’s cultures. We think Lando got the better end of the deal here…
Saving face
These George Russell and Robert Kubica masks will haunt us in our sleep…
Fly past
Red Bull boss man Dietrich Mateschitz is a big plane nut… and he pulled some of his favourite toys out of his Hangar-7 collection to entertain the crowd.
Hair today…
And finally, having secured his first F1 point, Antonio Giovinazzi was treated to a short back and sides courtesy of Fridal Vassoon (or team boss Frederic Vasseur) in the Alfa Romeo motorhome – much to the dismay of Giovinazzi’s fellow racer Sophia Floersch…
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