The 2020 Formula 1 season officially begins at the Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend. It was status quo for the Mercedes drivers, who locked out the front row of the grid for tomorrow's race. However, it will be Valtteri Bottas leading the pack ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The sounds of roaring engines broke through the idyllic Austrian countryside. The noise felt even more pronounced due to the very notable absence of the cheering crowds of people who would normally flock to the track on a race weekend.

After a four-month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, the F1 season has finally started. The first qualifying session ended with Red Bull's Max Verstappen on pole. Just behind him, the two Mercedes drivers were waiting to pounce in their menacing new black livery for the season.

As predicted, the Ferraris were way off the mark and finished Q1 in the mid-field. It became clear how much trouble they are in when Sebastian Vettel failed to qualify for Q3. It was evident that there were massive problems in the car's grip, as the German's car was seen slipping and sliding all over the track. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, barely got into Q3 by taking the 10th spot.

Once Q3 was under way, the Mercedes drivers showed everyone that they have every intention of dominating this season just like the last one. Bottas took the top spot while Hamilton slotted in behind him. The Finn had a scary moment in the closing moments, as his car veered off the track and into the gravel. Luckily for him, he had already done enough in his previous run to secure pole.

Max Verstappen, who led in Q1, could only manage third place behind the Mercedes drivers. Lando Norris was the man of the hour after he managed to wrestle his McLaren into 4th place, splitting the Red Bulls.

Leclerc meanwhile, could only manage to bring his Ferrari up to 7th place. The prancing horse clearly has a lot to improve in the coming weeks, if they have any plans of fighting for the title. Red Bull looks promising, while McLaren is surprisingly very much improved. It remains to be seen if Norris can challenge for a podium position on Sunday.

Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas plots his pole position drive in the pits AFP / Mark RALSTON

To see the full starting grid for the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, click here.