The Expectations II

It cost him gearbox change that meant he would take a five-place grid penalty on the grid. Rosberg would start sixth, joining Sebastian Vettel similarly penalised Ferrari. Daniil Kvyat and Sergio Perez would experience additional suspension breakages during qualifying.

FIA tire pressures regulations also returned to the hot topic list. Beginning at Monza last season, starting tyre pressures have been checked by the FIA to enforce the minimum pressure limit. It was suspected that this season, teams were overheating the wheel hubs and brakes to transfer heat into the tires when fitted on the grid. Once the FIA had checked the tires for the correct pressure, the tires could be allowed to cool, resulting in lower tire pressures that created more grip and smiling drivers. For Austria, the FIA would now check tyres in their tyre blankets before being fitted to the car on the grid.