Valtteri Bottas has won the first Grand Prix of the season as he turned pole position into a race win in Austria.The Finn obtained pole on the Saturday, with teammate Lewis Hamilton finishing second, only to be demoted to fifth due to an incident that took place during qualifying.However, after second-placed Max Verstappen suffered engine failure early on in the race, it looked like it was going to be a comfortable afternoon for Toto Wolff's men... that was until Hamilton himself suffered a five-second penalty due to a collision with Red Bull Alexander Albon late on.After months of uncertainty, finally, the Formula One season was able to get underway this afternoon as the drivers took to the circuit in Austria to kick off the 2020 season and boy was it worth the wait!Due to the global pandemic caused by coronavirus, the F1 season, like most sports, was thrown into jeopardy, with several races cancelled due to safety fears.However, with social distance measures all in place, and limited staff members around the circuit, it was all systems go in Austria this afternoon.Going into the Grand Prix, there was plenty of hot discussion with regards to Hamilton's position on the grid, and also whether or not drivers would take the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.Ferrari youngster Charles Leclerc and Red Bull star Verstappen were two of several that didn't take the knee, but all drivers donned anti-racism shirts in support of the movement.
As for Hamilton, he saw his second spot in qualifying get demoted to fifth due to a penalty which was questioned by Red Bull, but it was his teammate Bottas that started on pole.
Race Review
The first bit of drama and controversy in the race occurred on lap 12 as second-place Verstappen lost all power in his car, dropping from second to last in a matter of seconds.
Speaking over his radio, the Dutchman was furious with his team, stating that every time he tried to get power, the car would stall.
After heading into the pit, it was decided to retire the car, putting an end to his race.
Just six laps later, Verstappen's former teammate Daniel Ricciardo joined him in the garage as his Renault car suffered mechanical issues.
A move to McLaren can't come soon enough for the Australian, who has struggled ever since swapping Red Bull for Renault.
Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen were two more drivers that retired early on.
One of the craziest stories from the race, however, came when Sebastian Vettel collided with Carlos Sainz... the man replacing him at Ferrari next season.
Maybe that was Vettel's congratulations gift to Sainz for taking his seat in 2021.
It was then George Russell and Romain Grosjean's turn to retire, taking it to six retirements in the first race of the season.
Six soon became seven as Kimi Raikkonen crashed on the main straight, with his wheel falling off his vehicle.
Just when it looked like Albon of Red Bull was guaranteed a podium, he then collided into Hamilton, sending him into the gravel and right to the back of the grid.
However, due to said incident, the Brit was then given a five-second penalty, pushing him further down the pecking order.
The ending to the Grand Prix was truly crazy and truly remarkable, and below you can see the final top 10 standings.
That's why we love Formula One and that's why we've missed it so much!