Mercedes leads Austrian practice
Kimi Antonelli Leads Mercedes 1-2 at Austrian GP Opening Practice, Outpacing Teammate Russell
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Key Points
1
Pierre Gasly was reinstated to third place in the Austrian GP opening practice after Alpine argued the pit-lane speed limit had been miscalculated in the Monaco incident.
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Lando Norris endured a hydraulic leak that kept him in the garage for about 45 minutes and limited his running, ultimately finishing seventh.
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Oscar Piastri experienced brake problems early on but recovered to finish third behind Antonelli and Russell.
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Max Verstappen’s upgraded RB22 initially suffered a clutch issue and he later cited limited grip and a poor feel from the revised package, finishing fourth.
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Arvid Lindblad finished sixth and Franco Colapinto eighth in the session, providing a notable result for Racing Bulls and Williams respectively.
Mercedes locked out the top two spots in opening practice at the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix on Friday, with 19-year-old championship leader Kimi Antonelli setting a best lap of 1:07.796 to edge teammate George Russell by just 0.040 seconds. The dominant display underlined Mercedes' standing as the class of the field heading into a pivotal weekend at the Red Bull Ring, F1i reported.
Oscar Piastri gave McLaren third place despite early brake trouble, while Max Verstappen — carrying a seven-part upgrade on his Red Bull RB22 — struggled to fourth. Lando Norris spent roughly 45 minutes stuck in the garage with a hydraulic leak and could only manage seventh, The Race noted.
Antonelli Leads as Mercedes Looks Untouchable in Spielberg
Antonelli described the W17 as "extremely stable through the high-speed sections" during FP1, according to F1.com. The Italian teenager holds a 41-point lead in the drivers' championship — and if he wins Sunday, that gap could stretch beyond 50 points. Russell was closely matched but reported a "weird throttle pedal feel" that hampered his Friday pace.
Mercedes arrived in Austria with revised front suspension and a narrower engine cover for better cooling in the Styrian heat. Air temperatures hit 31°C and track temps reached 48°C during Saturday running. Those conditions tested every team's 2026 power unit, but Mercedes handled them best, The Independent reported.
Red Bull's Massive Upgrade Package Fails to Impress Verstappen
Red Bull unveiled seven major changes to the RB22 ahead of their home race — covering the floor, sidepods, engine cover, rear suspension, rear wing, and exhaust — according to Crash.net. The goal was clear: close the 52-point gap to McLaren in the Constructors' Championship and stop the slide at a circuit Red Bull once dominated.
It did not go smoothly. Verstappen hit a clutch issue early and complained of "constant weird interference" over the radio. He cited limited grip and a poor feel from the revised package. Team boss Laurent Mekies urged patience, saying the focus was on "data correlation" rather than raw lap times, F1.com reported.
Norris Loses an Hour, Hamilton Stays Quiet Behind Ferrari
Norris had the worst Friday of the frontrunners. A hydraulic leak forced McLaren to keep him in the garage for around 45 minutes, costing him precious data on a new track surface. He completed just nine laps and finished seventh. McLaren needs every data point it can get as it fights to protect its lead in the Constructors' standings, The Race reported.
Lewis Hamilton, who won his first race for Ferrari in Barcelona on June 14, finished fifth in FP1 — 0.665 seconds off Antonelli's pace, The Independent noted. His camp stayed calm, pointing to Ferrari's strong tire management over long runs as their real weapon for Sunday. Hamilton moved up to third in FP3 on Saturday, just 0.115 seconds behind the Mercedes pair.
Gasly Reinstated, Rookies Shine in Busy Friday Session
Off the track, Alpine won a legal fight that handed Pierre Gasly third place in the FP1 standings. The team argued that a pit-lane speed limit had been miscalculated during a Monaco GP incident, leading to an unfair penalty. Officials agreed and adjusted the results after the session ended, The Sun Malaysia reported.
Among the younger drivers, Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad impressed with sixth place in FP1, while Franco Colapinto grabbed eighth. Dino Beganovic also drew attention with a ninth-place finish, seen as a strong showing for Ferrari's junior program. Their results are expected to fuel "silly season" chatter about 2027 seats, according to Yahoo Sports.
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