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Austrian GP: Rosberg wins, Vettel in crisis

SPIELBERG, Austria - Nico Rosberg won the 2014 Austrian GP in a Mercedes one-two finish on Sunday (June 22) to stretch his championship lead over team mate Lewis Hamilton to 29 points after eight races.

Williams drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa, who had started on the front row, finished third and fourth respectively.

The victory was Rosberg's third of the 2014 season and his team's seventh. It was also Mercedes’ sixth one-two finish of 2014 and came after Massa had ended their run of seven successive pole positions.

‘FANTASTIC TO WIN’

Rosberg, claimed his eighth successive podium finish and sixth career win at the 2014 Austrian GP,  said: "It was not the easiest of races, trying to manage certain things which were right on the limit on the car. But in the end I had a very, very fast car again.

“It was fantastic to win today. It was great also to get a one-two here in Austria. It's been great to come back here."

VETTEL’S MECHANICAL WOES

Red Bull, in the first Grand Prix held in Austria since 2003, were eclipsed at its own track with quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel retiring and Daniel Ricciardo finishing eighth.

Vettel had a poor start at Red Bull's home circuit. The defending champion suffered throttle issues from the first lap and lagged throughout. On lap 36, Vettel was told to retire from the race.

Rosberg has 165 points to Hamilton's 136 in the Drivers' championship standings. Mercedes have 301 points to Red Bull's 143 in the race for the Constructors' title, with 11 races remaining but with double points on offer in the final one.

The race was decided in the pitstops, with Rosberg starting in third place with Massa leading away from pole while Hamilton made a sensational leap from ninth to fourth at the end of the opening lap.

GREAT RACE FOR BOTTAS

Bottas, celebrating his first F1 podium, led for a lap after Massa's first stop that saw him drop down the order and was ecstatic with his team's best performance since 2012.

Bottas said: "It's been a long way for us since last year and many many years at Williams. Now it's so much better.

"The race was exactly what we needed at this point, clean, nice, everything went like planned. The car was good for a podium this time and I'm so happy."

Sergio Perez also led the field for Force India until Rosberg hit the front on lap 28 with Bottas caught in a Mercedes sandwich and making it hard for Hamilton to overtake.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso finished fifth, after also briefly leading, with Perez sixth and Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen seventh for McLaren.

Nico Hulkenberg was ninth for Force India after being overtaken on the final lap by Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen took the final point for Ferrari.

Click here for full results from the 2014 Austrian GP

Qualifying
Third practice
Second practice
First practice results

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Austrian GP weekend

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