SPIELBERG, Austria — Sebastian Vettel led Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen by a narrow margin to top the final practice for the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday, while Formula One leader Nico Rosberg crashed heavily.
Rosberg’s crash caused the session to be red-flagged for 10 minutes. Rosberg was unhurt but his Mercedes was badly damaged ahead of qualifying later Saturday. Mercedes later said Rosberg will take a five-place penalty on the starting grid for a gearbox change.
Rosberg hit a curb, spun around, and hit the barrier, his left rear wheel suspension apparently damaged. His fastest lap before the crash ended up being the slowest in the 22-car field.
Four-time champion Vettel was .136 seconds faster than Raikkonen. But Vettel also will be dropped five slots on the starting grid because of an unscheduled gearbox change.
Two-time series defending champion Lewis Hamilton was third in his Mercedes, .210 seconds behind Vettel.
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were next.
Rosberg has won the Austrian GP the last two years since it returned to the schedule, and leads Hamilton by 24 points after winning five races this season.
