Styrian Grand Prix 2020 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Lewis Hamilton bounced back from his Austrian retirement to dominate the Styrian Grand Prix, leading home teammate Valtteri Bottas for Mercedes' first one-two finish of the season at the second consecutive race at the Red Bull Ring. The newly-christened Styrian Grand Prix marked the first time the Austrian circuit had hosted back-to-back races, a consequence of the pandemic-revised calendar. Hamilton converted pole position into victory with a commanding performance, controlling the race from the front.

The race began in dramatic fashion with a first-lap collision between Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel at Turn 3, eliminating both scarlet cars from the race in an embarrassing blow to the Italian team. The incident underscored Ferrari's struggles with their SF1000, which was proving to be their least competitive car in years. Max Verstappen salvaged third place for Red Bull, but was never in contention to challenge the dominant Mercedes duo. Carlos Sainz impressed by setting the fastest lap for McLaren, demonstrating the papaya team's improved form.

The race highlighted Mercedes' overwhelming superiority, with the W11 proving to be in a different league to the rest of the field. Hamilton's victory allowed him to take the championship lead after Bottas's opening-round win. The back-to-back Austrian races provided a stark illustration of Mercedes' dominance and Ferrari's decline, setting the tone for what would become one of the most one-sided seasons in recent F1 history.