#1157 2026 Austrian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton believes the opportunity is there to challenge for title glory in 2026, even if Ferrari have a real battle on our hands to build on their recent strong form and overhaul early pace-setters Mercedes. Hamilton broke Mercedes’ winning start to the season with victory in Barcelona last time out, marking his first Grand Prix win for Ferrari, and banishing the demons of a difficult maiden campaign in red. Arriving in Austria, Hamilton is championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s nearest rival, sitting 41 points adrift, while Ferrari have cut the gap to Mercedes in the Teams’ Standings - 72 points separating the two squads. Ask on media day if he senses a chance to kick on and mount a title bid, with Ferrari’s recent car updates appearing to work, and an engine update due to be debuted at the Red Bull Ring, Hamilton explain cautious optimism.

"I think the opportunity is there, but it’s one thing being there and it’s another thing galvanising the troops and developing. You can hit plateaus in terms of development, so all we can do is take it one day at a time, and all we can do is really continue to bring everything. Everyone brings something to the team and everyone back at the factory is working so hard. They see what’s possible, and when you see what’s possible, it’s a north star, you know that’s the direction we need to go. Whether the team has had that for a while, I’m not sure, but last year we didn’t really have a north star, and this year we have it. This year, everyone is doubling down, everyone is putting that extra bit of work in even more than before. I think it’s starting to show, and the stuff coming this weekend, we do have a new engine. It’s a step, not the whole gap, but it’s a step. It’s one foot forwards, which I’m really proud and thankful for. Still, Mercedes are the team to beat, they’ve won everything else and they’ve been just incredible this year – a great car, an amazing team, a World Championship team. So, we have a real battle on our hands, and it’s going to take everyone for the rest of the year to even come close to competing with them, but I don’t think it’s impossible".

Hamilton is also ask how the narrative around his time at Ferrari, and the last few years in general, has shifted from talk of retirement to pushing for what would be an outright record eighth world title.

"It’s been crazy to see the flip and people changing their minds from the things they were saying previously. I don’t really take much notice of that. I think what I’ve seen, and most importantly for me, is the love from the fans and how people experienced it with me. That meant a lot. In terms of the championship, I’m not letting that stuff... I’ve been here before. I know what I have to do, and there’s a long way to go. We’re not arriving at this weekend thinking about the championship, we’re thinking about this weekend, executing the best we can. I think you saw Fred comments, because I guess everyone gets excited by this. It’s about: Calm down, feet on the ground, let’s keep doing our due diligence, let’s make sure we keep executing. There are no shortcuts to success. We all bring something to the table in the team, and I’m so proud of how hard they’re all working. We’ve just got to keep going, keep levelling up. That’s what I’m here to try and do".

Charles Leclerc has offered his thoughts on Ferrari’s chances at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, with the Monegasque anticipating a return to the podium as the team prepare to introduce an upgraded power unit. After a strong start to the season, Leclerc has endured a dire run over the last two rounds due to mechanical problems. At his home event in Monaco, brake issues saw him end the race in the wall, and his Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix was cut short by a power steering failure. His team mate Lewis Hamilton has contrastingly shown Ferrari’s progress in closing the gap to Mercedes, with P2 in the Principality and a spectacular victory last time out giving Leclerc hope that he can bounce back, especially with the latest upgrade.

"First of all, the team is doing an incredible job in pushing like crazy on every single component of the car. There’s the development of these pieces, but there is also the production of these pieces and everybody is just pushing to the maximum. I think this is the result of it. How much of a difference it will make is a bit more of a difficult answer to get, but surely it goes in the right direction. Mercedes have got a big advantage so that’s not the only thing we need. Everybody is aware and we’ll push to the maximum but anything we can take is a very big positive. I hope that the team will be rewarded, just like in Barcelona, with another win on Sunday".

Falling under the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) allowance, the Ferrari's new power unit could help them reduce Mercedes’ performance advantage and create opportunities to compete for wins more consistently. Prompted on whether it could make his team the favourites for this weekend, Leclerc responded: “I don’t think so. There are quite a few straight lines here and they’re quite long as well.

"I still believe that Mercedes have got the stronger power unit so I think they’ll get back a little bit of the advantage that they had before. Let’s wait and see. I hope we are closer than previously, than Barcelona, and we’ll see how it goes. I think we can be in the mix, especially in the race. I think in Qualifying we might be a bit more on the back foot".

Any return to the top-three in the Grand Prix will be a welcome one as Leclerc has not finished on the podium since the Miami Sprint, leaving him with a 40-point deficit to his team mate.

"I’m looking forward to just having a clean weekend. I think Montreal and Monaco have been difficult because the feeling just was not there, then we changed a few things for Barcelona and it was back there. The feeling is there which is a good thing. On the other hand, the last two weekends there were no points on the Sunday for mechanical issues so I just hope we get back to where we should be. Lewis has done an incredible job and the team have been pushing massively on new parts, so I’m really looking forward to hopefully being back on the podium, if not more from this weekend".

George Russell believes that Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are a big threat in the championship fight, though the Briton also acknowledged that Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli is still very much the driver out front. A solid run for Hamilton in Canada and Monaco - in which he claimed back-to-back P2 finishes - saw the seven-time World Champion overtake Russell for second place in the Drivers' Championship. His hold on the position was strengthened further in Barcelona, where the Ferrari driver scored his first win since the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix – while the victory also marked his maiden triumph with the Scuderia Ferrari. Championship leader Antonelli, meanwhile, was forced to retire from the race after his W17 suffered a mechanical issue, resulting in Hamilton closing the gap down to 41 points, while a P2 finish for Russell means that the Briton is only nine points behind his former team mate. Ask during Thursday’s media day at the Austrian Grand Prix if he now views Hamilton as a bigger title contender - or whether Antonelli is still the one he has to beat - Russell begin by praising Hamilton’s resurgence.

"It’s great to see Lewis back doing what he does best. I think that’s also just such an example of how challenging Formula 1 is, because the cars are so complex, the tyres are so complex, the power units are complex. Everything needs to click and if one thing isn’t clicking, you can’t get the most out of yourself. People were writing him off last year or even the year we were team mates in '24. You know, Is he too old? Is he this? Is he that? And then he goes and he’s been smashing it for the last four or five races. It just shows that you don’t forget how to drive overnight. You need yourself, your team, the set-up, the understanding of the tyres, everything just to click. And when it clicks, you fly. So that’s where he is at the moment and for sure he is a big threat. Ferrari are a huge threat. Kimi is still very much the driver out front and is performing really incredibly and consistently. But yeah, Ferrari feel like they’re coming and Lewis is at the forefront of that".

Russell and Antonelli have had their fair share of on-track battles in recent races - but when quizzed on whether he felt more nervous about an intra-team fight for the title or going head-to-head with someone from a rival squad, the 28-year-old says:

"Neither makes me nervous. It makes me excited, to be honest, because the more people you’re going head-to-head with, it’s less competition. And that is how it was for all of us when we were go-karting. You were never racing one competitor. There were three, four, five drivers who were all competing for wins. That’s how Formula 1 should be and that’s what excites us. So yeah, I’m looking forward to it".

Similarly, Antonelli also faced questions over whether he was more concerned about Hamilton or Russell - or even reliability - when speaking to the media himself.

"All of them. But it's not being worried or concerned. I'm aware that it's not going to be a walk in the park. It's going to be a tough battle because George is super quick, Lewis is in a great moment and is feeling the car and momentum. Definitely it’s going to be a tough battle, and that's why it's going to be important to maximise every opportunity because in Barcelona I had the issue at the end and lost a lot of points. So whenever I can, I just need to maximise everything because you never know what can happen. I wouldn't write off the others either. I think if you look at what Max did last year, coming back from so far, that's why it's important to always be present, stay focused and just do your best".

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff explained after the race in Spain that the team might need to look at how it handles an intra-team battle if another driver is in contention for the title, with Antonelli confiming a new approach this weekend.

"How we go racing, I think it will really depend on the situation. If we are under threat by other teams then we will race differently, but if it's just me and Russell we are going to be able to race free".

Lando Norris has expressed his view that McLaren are three months behind their rivals in the 2026 development race, highlighting the huge effort that will be required to get back to winning ways. Norris and McLaren entered the season as the reigning World Champions, but they have so far been limited to occasional podium finishes, with poor reliability also costing them valuable results and points. Barcelona appeared to mark a small step forward on Norris’ side of the garage, with the Briton lining up fourth on the grid and finishing the race in third - capitalising on a late retirement for Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Ask about team boss Andrea Stella’s comments that McLaren had definitely raised the bar in Barcelona, and how much more it can be raised in Austria this weekend, Norris replies: 

"For the time being, not a lot more. I think that was more a universal term for how we have to perform as a team - not just simply we raised the bar and we just did a better job because of that. P3 was great, but we still need to do a lot better than that, especially if we want to catch up. As a team, we’ve had to try and just extract more from every individual, including myself, so that’s what we did there already. That’s what we’ll continue to try and do".

Push on whether one effective upgrade might be enough to push McLaren back to the top of the pecking order this season, Norris continues: 

"No. One good upgrade, no. We need three, four, five, but it depends. Sometimes you take one little piece at a time, sometimes you try to make something so everything goes together because it’s a new philosophy. We’re like two, three months behind - that’s not one upgrade. That’s a lot of bits, so I don’t think we’re going to be quickest any time soon. Hopefully over the next three, four, five months, we can catch up and narrow the gap to be on pace with them our rivals. To catch up takes a huge effort from the team, which they’re doing, and everyone’s very excited and motivated because we know it’s possible. We’re like three months behind and that’s a hard task to overcome, but everyone at McLaren knows we can achieve that, and we’re excited to try and do it".

As part of that development push, Norris is set to trial a new experimental rear wing during Friday practice at the Red Bull Ring, though team mate Oscar Piastri has confirmed that the device will only be tested - and not raced - at this stage. Norris sits fifth in the Drivers’ Championship after the first seven rounds of the season, 83 points down on leader Antonelli, while McLaren are third in the Teams’ battle, holding 141 points to Ferrari’s 190 and Mercedes’ 262. McLaren are set to run an experimental rear wing during Friday practice at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri confirming that it will only be tested - and not raced - at this stage. In McLaren’s pre-weekend preview, Technical Director of Applied Engineering, Neil Houldey, pointed to several upgrades for the MCL40, as the reigning World Champions push to close the gap to the front of the field under F1’s new era.

"For this event, we’ve focused on minor detail updates around the car’s rear corners, as well as an experimental rear wing that will run throughout Friday’s sessions. While the overall package is lighter than some of our recent updates, these developments are all part of our season-long development pathway, and we’re continuing to look for every lap time opportunity wherever we can".

Ask during Thursday’s press conference if the rear wing will be raced at the Red Bull Ring, Piastri confirms:

"No, we won’t race it. I believe it’s on Lando car tomorrow. It’s to test out; it’s not ready to race at the moment. Obviously we’ve seen some of the creative solutions [from rival teams], and they don’t come without their challenges, clearly. It won’t be raced, but useful to try it out".

Piastri’s comments come after both Ferrari and Red Bull caught the eye with rotating rear wing designs aimed at maximising performance under F1’s 2026 regulations, which feature active aerodynamics. Ferrari initially debuted their flip-flop rear wing during pre-season testing in Bahrain, tested it again in China and then ran it throughout the Miami Grand Prix weekend, where Red Bull also rolled out a striking creation. Those experiments aside, Piastri is focused on getting his 2026 season back on track, after a tricky Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix that saw him qualify back in seventh and finish the race in a distant fifth position.

"I think on a personal level, yes, I’ve got a good understanding. We’ve done a lot of homework as to why the race in Barcelona was such a struggle for me. I think we’ve got a good idea why, and a good plan on how to not repeat that. I think Ferrari took a good step forward in Barcelona, Mercedes are still the benchmark as well, and I’m hearing along the grapevine Red Bull have got some big things coming as well. It’s not going to be easy for us. Yes, it has been a good track for us in the past, but there’s no illusion for us that we’re suddenly going to be amazing here and the team to beat - we’re definitely not going to be. Hopefully we can get close and kind of be in the position that we have been in at certain points, where we can capitalise on dramas for others, but I think to be able to do it on merit or pure pace is going to be a bit of a stretch. I’d like to be happily surprised".

Max Verstappen has reflected on his and Red Bull’s expectations for the upgrade package that they will run at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Dutchman admitting that the squad’s home race is always an important occasion. The outfit faced a tough weekend last time out in Barcelona as Verstappen and team mate Isack Hadjar were unable to match the pace of their rivals at the front, leaving Team Principal Laurent Mekies to label the event a reality check. However, with the RB22 set to feature updates at the Red Bull Ring, Verstappen was asked during Thursday’s media day about his hopes for what this might deliver.

"Hopefully of course it will be a bit better - that's what we are aiming for. We hope that it brings a bit more performance to the car, and then we'll see where that lines us up against the others. But that's been the story of the season - one week, one team brings upgrades, and then the next week, someone else. It's just a normal process, I guess".

The weekend marks a special one for Red Bull with it being the team’s home race, while the track is also one at which Verstappen has claimed victory on five occasions.

"It’s always very important. Luckily we've already had a lot of great results here, so we just come into this trying to do the best job we can. I know there are always a lot of Dutch fans as well, so it just makes it a very nice and enjoyable weekend, seeing the atmosphere, and then of course we focus on the performance and try to do the best we can".

The 2025 Austrian Grand Prix was not one to remember for Verstappen, who was forced to retire on the opening lap following a collision with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. With Antonelli arriving into this year’s event as the championship leader, Verstappen was quizzed on how it feels as a young driver to go up against more experienced names - a position he is familiar with himself after making his debut in the sport at 17 years old.

"At the end of the day, I guess that's also part of life. At one point you hope to be fighting in a title fight, but when you come in young, it's normal that you are then the young gun to fight against the older established people. But that's okay - he's doing very well, so there's no need for advice. He knows what he's doing and he's doing that very well, so I think it all looks pretty much under control".

A queue forms at the end of the pit lane even before the track opens at 1:30 p.m. local time, as nearly the entire field - which also comprises of six rookie drivers - heads out in the opening minutes to either perform installation laps or begin gaining valuable data as the temperature climbs. One driver unable to make it out on track though is Max Verstappen, the Dutchman's Red Bull coming to a stop in the pit lane before being wheeled back to the garage as the four-time World Champion complains his car keeps dropping into anti-stall. An attempt to get out on track 15 minutes later results in the same outcome, with Red Bull enduring a difficult session as Isack Hadjar is also unable to head out until just 24 minutes remain due to car issues. A hydraulic leak also hampers reigning World Champion Lando Norris, with the McLaren driver confined to the garage until the final 14 minutes. Russell soon occupies the top of the times with a 1m 10.407s, but the Mercedes driver states over the radio that the throttle pedal feels weird compared to last week, before Antonelli bests his effort with a 1m 09.119s on the medium Pirelli tyre. The championship leader soon suffers a lock-up at Turn 1 and takes to the run-off area, as do Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton at Turn 3. The Mercedes drivers continue to trade fastest laps in their own personal duel, Russell setting a 1m 08.898s before his Italian team mate responds with a 1m 08.448s. Verstappen is finally able to hit the track after the 20-minute mark and becomes the first driver to use the soft tyre, jumping up to third place but six tenths behind Antonelli, as well as complaining after several laps that:

"I have very little feeling, tyres feel hot".

With track temperatures reaching 50°C. Into the second half of proceedings, the Mercedes duo switches to the soft tyre with Antonelli setting a 1m 07.796s and 0.119s clear of Russell after their first attempts. Russell brings the gap down to just 0.040s, but is unable to best Antonelli as the Mercedes duo remains in control until the chequered flag, the session ending under a red flag as Sergio Perez's Cadillac comes to a halt on track with a mechanical issue. Piastri heads Verstappen, Hamilton and Arvid Lindblad's Racing Bulls machine, as the top 10 is completed by Norris, Alpine's Franco Colapinto, Dino Beganovic (in for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari) and Ollie Bearman's Haas.

After the championship leader leads the field during the first practice session, the drivers return to the track for Free Practice 2 at 5:00 p.m. local time, anticipating marginally cooler temperatures at the Spielberg circuit. Among those heading out are the six who vacate their seats in FP1 for rookies, including Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who makes way for academy driver Dino Beganovic as the team seeks to optimise their latest power unit upgrade. The Audi pair of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto are among the first on track, but the German is forced to abandon his flying lap almost immediately as he drives wide, suggesting that the braking issues many experience earlier in the day are still prevalent. Those who keep it within track limits waste no time in getting laps on the board, and it is McLaren’s Norris who initially sets the pace on the medium compound tyres, posting a neat 1m 08.000s to edge out his team mate by two-tenths. Further down the order, there is hope that Sergio Perez has recovered from the problem that ends his FP1 abruptly, especially with the team changing the ECU (Engine Control Unit) during the gap. However, he grounds to a halt after pulling to the side of the circuit at Turn 6, prompting a Virtual Safety Car. It is bad news for Cadillac’s plan to test their major upgrade package, but it is good timing for Max Verstappen, who has complained about the comfort of his seat and takes the short break to climb out of the car and have it readjusted. When the action gets back underway, George Russell’s first effort is only good enough for fourth place as the Silver Arrows struggle to beat Norris’ benchmark time. The McLaren man isn't having the easiest time either, spinning and bouncing onto a run-off area as he pushes to find a better lap. It doesn't take long for Antonelli to reclaim the top spot as he becomes the first driver to break into the 1m 07s bracket, cutting down his fastest time from FP1 in the process. 

There is also an improvement for Leclerc, who jumps up to P5 ahead of Verstappen, the second Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar. Approaching the halfway point, it is clear that Cadillac’s woes aren't over yet, with Valtteri Bottas reporting smoke in the cockpit before limping back to the pits. The team quickly puts out a fire on the floor of his car, rounding out a remarkably frustrating day for the American outfit. Next up for the remaining drivers are the crucial soft tyre runs, with McLaren continuing to impress as Oscar Piastri momentarily posts the fastest lap before Antonelli once again charges back to head the timesheets by a few hundredths of a second. The Italian ultimately prevails as he cuts his time down even more to end Friday’s running on top, with no one able to match his best effort of 1m 07.014s. Piastri comes the closest, finishing around two-tenths adrift while Norris takes P3, marking a strong FP2 for McLaren at the Red Bull Ring. Verstappen doesn't enjoy a straightforward session but winds up fourth ahead of Hamilton, Russell and Hadjar. The top 10 is completed by Leclerc, who is 0.841s off the pace, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Audi’s Bortoleto. Mercedes are braced for McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari to all potentially pose a threat as the Austrian Grand Prix weekend develops, despite their pace-setting start to the event with Kimi Antonelli on Friday. Antonelli clocked a best time of 1m 07.014s during second practice at the Red Bull Ring, putting him a few tenths up on McLaren rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, with a slightly bigger gap back to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Assessing Mercedes’ opening day, Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord expressed his view that the Silver Arrows have a fight on our hands to go on and claim pole position and victory.
 

"It’s interesting. Obviously after Friday in Barcelona, it looked like there was a bit of a gap back to Ferrari, yet they were right on the pace on Saturday, and very competitive on Sunday as well in the race. Our suspicion is that we haven’t yet seen everything that they’ve got to offer this weekend, and maybe they’re running in a new power unit quite conservatively today, and then we’ll see a bit more what they’ve got to bring tomorrow. Red Bull look in good shape as well with their big aero update, and as we’ve seen in the last few races, particularly the hot ones, McLaren are right there too. We’ve all got a fight on our hands, but that’s how it should be".

Lord then offered some insight into both Antonelli and George Russell’s respective experiences at the wheel of the W17, with the latter - who lost some track time in FP2 while mechanics worked on his car - winding up some six tenths off the pace set by his team mate in sixth place.

"I think just trying to get the balance right, basically, and tuning that. It felt a little bit oversteery in the low-speed, and a little bit too understeery in the high-speed. Some work to do, but the long runs look strong, and we know George historically has been strong here, so I’m sure he’ll be right there and on the pace come tomorrow. Kimi seemed comfortable straight away. He was up at the top of the timesheets pretty quickly as well. I’m sure there’s still more to come as they build confidence and understand just where the limit is. We know track limits can be a big topic here in Austria as well, so staying just the right side of the white lines is important, because it can be pretty costly if we don’t. I’m sure he’s got plenty of margin to nibble into tomorrow as it comes down to the end of Qualifying".
 

Russell himself suggested that he and Mercedes were slightly flattered in FP1 due to issues for rival drivers and teams - while namechecking the squad that particularly caught his eye.
 

"I mean, FP1 was a very strong session for us both, we looked really good. Then straight out of the blocks in FP2 McLaren looking flying, to be honest. Obviously a disrupted session on my side, but their race pace and their single lap pace looked pretty decent".

On his fall from second position in FP1 to sixth in FP2, he add: 

"I think it was more everyone else had a pretty troubled session. Every time I saw on the TV screens, it was drivers in the garage with problems. Lando only got out at the end, I think Lewis had some problems, Max had some problems, so I think that probably flattered our pace a bit in FP1, but things were feeling good. As I said, it was a real surprise just seeing the first lap of the McLarens in FP2, right at the top, and their race pace, especially on Lando’s side, looked a bit better than us".

Charles Leclerc is expecting Ferrari to struggle this weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Monegasque explaining the issues they faced on what he deemed as a particularly difficult Friday for the squad. After being absent from Free Practice 1 - to allow for rookie Dino Beganovic to complete another outing in the SF-26 - Leclerc returned to action in second practice, where he ranked in P8 on the timesheets and recorded the highest lap count of the session on 35 tours. However, while team mate Lewis Hamilton also racked up a good amount of mileage - as well as finishing fifth in both practice hours - the Scuderia did not appear to be quite on a par with Mercedes, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli topping each session.

"It’s not been an easy Friday I think, but not particularly from me. Yes of course I missed FP1 and that’s never ideal, but you can still recover from a few less laps in FP1. I think just as a team we don’t seem to be very competitive for now, so there’s a lot of work to be done on the car in order to make sure that we get back to a more reasonable place. But we’ll analyse and work very hard tonight, and hopefully tomorrow we can do a big step forward".

Ask if he was surprised by the team’s struggles on Friday - given that they have appeared to be on an upward trajectory of late amid Hamilton’s victory last time out in Barcelona - Leclerc responds: 

"As we’ve said I think yesterday, the straights are quite a lot and we are losing so much time down the straights. I think maybe we are a bit negatively surprised by our performance in the corners at the moment, because in the corners normally we are competitive and we are not that competitive at the moment, so this is the part to fix. I don’t think we have a fix though for the straight-line speed, and for that reason I think we’ll struggle this weekend. It’s been a particularly difficult Friday for the team again, so I don’t think either Lewis or me are happy with the car at the moment. But yeah, we’ll work hard and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day".

Team Principal Fred Vasseur echoed Leclerc’s sentiment, with the Frenchman conceding that the squad had faced a tough Friday.

"We struggled a little bit with the conditions, a bit extreme - the altitude, the temperature. It’s the same for everybody but it’s not fitting very well to us. It is like it is. We have the night to correct, to be ready for tomorrow, to put everything together. Let’s try to do a better job on Saturday".

Quizzed on how much their power unit update is helping, Vasseur answer: 

"We knew about ADUO two weeks ago or one week ago. You can’t expect to take a huge step forward. We put a new engine in and it’s another decent step".

Vasseur went on to admit that Ferrari’s target for the remainder of the weekend is to do our best, adding: 

"As usual, we’ll see the outcome on Sunday evening but so far we are far away from our potential. It means that we have to work on ourselves, to be focused on ourselves [instead of] thinking about the others, and to try and put everything together".

Oscar Piastri has conceded that while McLaren’s performance across Friday’s two practice sessions at the Austrian Grand Prix looked good on paper, they still have work to do to tackle Kimi Antonelli’s advantage. The Mercedes youngster set the pace at the Red Bull Ring, with Piastri finishing as the lead McLaren in P3 (FP1) and P2 (FP2) while Lando Norris faced disrupted running due to an early hydraulic leak.

They initially exchanged laps at the top of the timesheets in FP2 before Antonelli went even quicker on the soft compound tyre, ending up over two tenths clear of Piastri to leave the Australian wary of celebrating McLaren’s improvement too much. Ask how it felt behind the wheel, he says:

"It was a pretty good day. I think we’re a step behind Mercedes - or at least Kimi - which we expected. I think it’s been a pretty productive day, tried a lot of things. We had some homework to do on my side from Spain and I felt like we’ve been able to do a good job of trying to try some things. From that side, I think it’s been pretty good".

It was a day shaped by low grip and brake issues for many teams, and McLaren were no exception - Piastri reported having a very inconsistent brake pedal during FP1 and claimed that every time he hit it, it was a lottery as to how much travel. Paired with Norris’ problem that saw him confined to the garage for three quarters of the session, it made their showing in FP2 a welcome sign of progress, even though Piastri noted that it won’t necessarily translate to a direct challenge of Mercedes.
 

"I think for Kimi to do that kind of time on his second lap on the softs is quite impressive so we’ll have to wait and see. We can’t invent anything overnight but there’s definitely going to be areas for both of us to learn from each other, so we’ll just try to apply those bits and see where we end up".
 

McLaren’s Technical Director of Engineering, Neil Houldey, was similarly keen to manage expectations ahead of the rest of the weekend and added that their focus in FP2 was on adjusting the set-up for the Red Bull Ring. He says: 

"We’ve come away - I wouldn’t say happy, but knowing that we can go into FP3 with a little bit more opportunity for performance, again knowing that our competitors haven’t realised their potential fully yet either. I think Mercedes, and especially Kimi, are going to be very difficult to beat. I don’t think that Ferrari are going to suddenly be a lot slower than they were in Barcelona so I’m sure they’ll be there or thereabouts, and we know that Red Bull have got their upgrade package. It’s going to be super competitive, I’m sure, between those eight drivers. We hope to be towards the top but it really is very difficult to tell at the moment, as always".

Isack Hadjar was left to rue some struggles for Red Bull on the opening day of track action at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Frenchman stating that the car feels like the usual after a raft of updates were added for the event. It was confirmed earlier on Friday that the Milton Keynes-based outfit would be running a number of upgrades for their home weekend, including changes to the floor and rear suspension. However, it was not an entirely smooth day for the squad during the two practice hours, with Max Verstappen stopping in the pit lane early on in Free Practice 1 as well as experiencing a problem with his seat when second practice took place. The Dutchman ended both sessions in P4 on the timesheets. Hadjar, meanwhile, was also late to hit the track in FP1 due to car issues and recorded just 11 laps in P12. While he improved to P7 during FP2 - and completed a healthier 28 tours - the 21-year-old suggested after the session that the team have improvements to make. Ask if he had been able to get a read on the updates, Hadjar answer:

"No, it’s not a completely different car, to be honest. It feels like the usual, to be fair. We still have work to do to catch up. For some reason, we know in Free Practice we were quite slow to get started and the car comes alive sometimes in Qualifying, but we need to get it sorted because it’s quite tough".

Both Hadjar and Verstappen reported problems at Turn 3, on which Hadjar comments:

"It’s just no grip. We are struggling with grip, which is surprising. It’s a speed range we’ve been good at, so to have this behaviour from the car, I don’t understand".
 

Looking ahead to Saturday, the French racer was also quizzed on whether - after doing work overnight - the squad will only fully know where they stand when they get to Q1 of Qualifying.
 

"Yeah, but we want to make the car work in every session. We don’t want luck to be helping us - we want to do the job ourselves and, whatever the track gives you, you need to be fast".

Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache also acknowledged that the team had faced a tricky start to their running on Friday, but went on to voice his belief that the potential is there.
 

"We had some issues in the garage on both cars starting in FP1. It was quite difficult - after all, it is what you expect when you change so much on the car. We tried to recover. FP1 was a little bit limited in what we could do, especially on Isack’s car - he didn’t run a lot. We tried to understand the car, tried to understand the new package to see how it is. We modified some stuff on set-up for FP2 - maybe some were in the right direction, some not, then we tried to analyse that after FP2. Clearly we have some work to do - when you change a lot on the car like that, there is a lot to learn, but the potential is there I think, and we have a good path to Quali I hope".

Wache went on to admit that it is difficult to say how long it will take the squad to understand if either some or all of their new upgrade package has worked, but the Frenchman add: 

"As a full package, it looks like it is delivering what we expect. You don’t know - you know only your absolute performance, you don’t know relative to the others. The conditions are difficult also - this track is quite difficult. But it’s there, and we are quite happy with what we have".

In terms of whether Red Bull can get themselves into the fight with Mercedes and Ferrari during the weekend, Wache responds:

"I don’t know. I think the long run was quite promising, compared to what we had in Barcelona. Clearly in short run we still have to improve, and I hope we can be closer".

He also praised Hadjar for how he has been adapting himself to the car - despite his tricky start to the day - as well as stating that Verstappen is focused on what we can improve, with one of these areas being that we have to fix some parts of the balance.

Sergio Perez is the first to hit the track amid a quiet start to the session at 12:30 p.m. local time, the Mexican seemingly keen to gain some extra mileage after both he and team mate Valtteri Bottas experience issues that cut short their running in Free Practice 2. On another hot day at the Red Bull Ring - with air temperatures reaching 31 degrees Celsius at the beginning of FP3 - it is not until around 10 minutes into the hour that Perez has some company on the circuit, as a few other cars make their way out onto the track to put their early laps on the board. The action picks up as the session continues, with more drivers emerging amid a range of tyre compounds at play during the opening runs. Most of the pack has opted for the soft, however - including Lando Norris, who tops the timesheets after 20 minutes with a lap of 1m 07.832s in the McLaren. It does not appear to be entirely smooth sailing for the Briton, though, who is informed that his left mirror is completely broken before returning to the pits. Meanwhile team mate Oscar Piastri has slotted into P2 - only for both to be pushed down by Antonelli, who promptly goes quickest by nearly three tenths from Norris. Max Verstappen is the last to hit the track and moves into second place, but the Dutchman also reports that he is experiencing constant weird interference and needs to change his earplugs. As the hour moves towards its halfway point, Antonelli remains on top with his effort of 1m 07.533s, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc progressing to P2 and Russell in P3. Meanwhile Carlos Sainz - down in P18 for Williams - is shown a black and white flag for driving unnecessarily slowly. While Russell subsequently climbs to second place, another flyer for Antonelli sees the Italian improve his benchmark further to a time of 1m 07.134s, putting him just over four tenths ahead of his team mate. Red Bull looks to be running different programmes with their drivers, Isack Hadjar having spent many laps on the hard tyre while Verstappen continues on the soft. Elsewhere there are further troubles for Sainz, who slides off track entering into the final corner amid increasingly warm conditions. As the majority of the frontrunners bolt on a new set of soft tyres, all eyes are on the timesheets to see if anybody can topple Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton initially goes quickest of all in the first sector but ultimately ends the lap 0.77s adrift of the championship leader, while the other Ferrari of Leclerc suffers a lock-up into Turn 3. Despite remaining in P1, Antonelli does not improve on his previous effort - but Russell outpaces him to sneak into the top slot on a lap of 1m 07.096s, going 0.038s quicker than the other Mercedes. Hamilton, meanwhile, is 0.115s back from Russell in third, ahead of the McLaren pair of Piastri and Norris in fourth and fifth respectively. Verstappen winds up in sixth, with Leclerc, Hadjar and the Racing Bulls machines of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad rounding out the top 10.

After a trio of Red Bull Ring practice sessions topped by Mercedes (Antonelli leads the way in FP1 and FP2, and Russell in FP3), attention turns to the all-important Qualifying hour, and what promises to be one of the closest encounters of the season. As the green light switches on at the end of the pit lane at 4:00 p.m. local time, amid roasting air and track temperatures, plenty of drivers are unsurprisingly quick to leave their garages, head out onto the track and get some early banker laps in. Ocon is the first to get a time on the board, clocking a 1m 09.083s, which Hulkenberg dips under a few moments later, and Russell then comfortably beats with a 1m 07.811s - albeit still significantly away from the pace he sets in FP3. As the rest of the front-runners filter through and complete their opening runs, Antonelli moves to the top of the times on a 1m 07.083s, ahead of Norris, Hamilton, the Red Bulls, Piastri and Leclerc, with Russell dropping all the way down to eighth. After a very leisurely cool-down lap, Russell goes again on the same set of soft tyres, improving to a time of 1m 07.591s, but remaining in eighth position - around half a second adrift of his championship-leading team mate, and reporting four wheels sliding. Elsewhere, Gasly and Bearman occupy the final top 10 places over the Racing Bulls of Lawson and Lindblad, in an ultra-close midfield scrap, while Sainz, the Cadillacs, early runner Ocon and the struggling Aston Martins sit in the Q1 drop zone. 

As the session enters its final five minutes and the majority of drivers rejoin the track on fresh tyres, another flurry of personal best sectors lights up the timing screens, leading to more movement throughout the field before and after the chequered flag. While Antonelli remains in P1 with his earlier time, having backed out of a second run, Lawson leaps up the order to fourth, just behind Norris and Hamilton, and Russell gets a more competitive lap in to go fifth, from the Red Bulls, Piastri, Leclerc and Lindblad. At the other end of the order, Ocon makes a significant improvement to get himself out of danger, joining team mate Bearman, the Alpines and the Audis, with Sainz just missing out for Williams after experiencing a wild slide through the final corner. Albon dropping out in P18 makes it a double Q1 elimination for Williams, alongside the Cadillacs of Perez and Bottas, despite significant upgrades from F1’s newcomers this weekend, with Alonso and Stroll occupying their now usual positions at the very back. After a short break, the silence is broken by the sound of the 16 remaining F1 cars taking to the track for Q2, with Antonelli picking up where he leaves off and going quickest on a 1m 06.763s, marginally faster than Piastri, Leclerc and Hamilton. Verstappen and Hadjar are next up on used tyres, followed by Norris, Gasly (who runs wide at the final corner) and the Racing Bulls, leaving Colapinto, the Audis, the Haas cars and Russell - after running too deep at Turn 3 and backing out of it - in the drop zone.

"George, just drive".

Is the message from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff to Russell after that moment, bringing a much-improved 1m 06.979s on his next lap, which puts him fourth, behind Antonelli, Piastri and Norris, who also find a chunk of time. Hamilton and Leclerc safely progress in the Ferraris, along with the Red Bulls and Racing Bulls machines, though four-time World Champion Verstappen comes extremely close to a shock Q2 exit as the final laps come in - a few hundredths of a second saving him. Gasly is closest to overhauling the Dutchman, agonisingly missing out on a Q3 spot in 11th, with the Audis of Bortoleto and Hulkenberg, Haas duo Bearman and Ocon, and the other Alpine of Colapinto (via a moment at Turn 1) also being eliminated. With six more cars removed from the running, it is time for the main event: the pole position shootout.  Over the first runs, Antonelli pumps in a 1m 06.414s to state his intentions once more, edging out Russell on a 1m 06.457s and Verstappen on a 1m 06.475s - from Piastri, Leclerc, Norris, Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad and Hamilton, who goes off at Turn 3 and abandons his first lap. When it comes to the second runs, Ferrari makes the first move and sends the crowd wild with provisional pole laps from Hamilton and then Leclerc, while Verstappen is also on the money and looks set to topple the pair of them. However, as Verstappen throws his Red Bull into Turn 9, the rear-end gives way, dramatically sending him across the gravel and into the barriers at high speed, and also forcing Race Control to issue yellow flags to cover the incident.

Antonelli completely backs out of his lap, but Russell presses on - via a lift through the corner that catches out Verstappen - and subsequently goes a couple of tenths quicker than Leclerc and Hamilton, with Antonelli demoted to fourth. Verstappen places fifth despite his crash, followed by Norris and Piastri, with Hadjar, Lawson and Lindblad rounding out the top 10 positions. George Russell was left relieved after hearing that he would not be investigated for a yellow flag infringement in Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, meaning that the Briton retained pole position after what he deemed an amazing lap. Russell had appeared off the pace of Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli through much of the session, with the Italian also claiming provisional pole during the opening runs of Q3. However, the picture changed when it was time for the final laps. Max Verstappen suffered a crash at Turn 9 that put him out of the running - resulting in Antonelli aborting his own effort, having thought that double yellow flags were being waved instead of single flags. Meanwhile Russell was completing his closing run and lifted at the scene of the yellow flags - but it was still enough for the British driver to go fastest of all on a final time of 1m 06.113s, putting him ahead of the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton while Antonelli was left in fourth. Initially there was some doubt over whether Russell would hold onto his result, with a potential yellow flag infringement noted by the stewards. However, with it being a single yellow flag rather than double, they soon confirmed that no further investigation was necessary. Reflecting on his lap before hearing this news, Russell explain: 

"I feel incredible. It was such an amazing lap. I saw the yellow, I had a big lift into the corner - I was five tenths up, and I came out the last corner two and a half tenths up. It was a single yellow as well, not a double, so it should be okay. It was a tough day, but it was so special to get that lap and everything felt so sweet, so really proud of the job we all did".

After being seen talking with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in parc ferme, the 28-year-old subsequently says: 

"I just spoke with Toto, he said everything was fine with the yellow flag so that is good news. 100 metre lift before the corner, so glad to hear that".

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Russell is expecting a tough battle from his rivals.

"It’s going to be very hot. The Ferraris are looking incredibly fast - in the corners they’re the fastest team at the moment. They’re maybe a bit more draggy than us, which may help us to defend. Tomorrow is going to be a big fight - obviously Kimi in P4 is going to be super-fast, we know how strong he’s been, and Lando and the McLarens, so it’s game on from everyone".

Max Verstappen has admitted that he can’t really explain what caused his crash in the dying moments of Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen was wringing the neck of the upgraded Red Bull RB22 when he lost control of it through the Red Bull Ring’s high-speed Turn 9, sending him across the gravel trap and into the barriers at pace. Rather than potentially challenging for pole position, Verstappen had to make do with fifth on the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix, behind George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Ask how he was feeling after the crash, Verstappen comments:

"It was all good. It’s just always awkward to crash sideways. It’s never the nicest way of crashing in an F1 car".

Offering some more thoughts on what happened, he continues:

"The first two sectors were quite okay, but I knew that in the last sector Mercedes were very fast, and probably hard to replicate what they were doing there. I knew for myself there was margin still. I think even if we would have been P3, that would have been a very nice result for us. But on that final lap, I can’t really explain why it felt like that. Already in Turn 6 it was the same thing, on the long, combined entry. I had a big snap, a big moment, which was a bit odd, because that corner normally always understeers. I went into Turn 9 and the same happened... As soon as I turned the wheel it just completely snapped, and it was not even controllable anymore".

Verstappen will now turn his attention to a smoother race day at Red Bull’s home event, as he and team mate Isack Hadjar - who starts eighth - look to get some valuable points on the board.

"I think we’re a little bit behind Mercedes at least. I think in Barcelona as well it was quite close-ish in Qualifying, but then we were lacking in the race, because that’s still I think our weak point. That’s what we want to see tomorrow, if we have any kind of improvements in race pace".

Charles Leclerc has conceded he feels like I’m leaving a little bit of margin in Qualifying and that he hopes to regain confidence following a tough run of weekends, despite claiming P2 on the grid for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix. The Ferrari man will line up ahead of team mate Lewis Hamilton after Mercedes’ George Russell sealed pole amid a dramatic end to Qualifying - Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crashed out on his final effort while Russell’s was still good enough for top spot despite having to lift for the yellow flag that came out for the Dutchman. However, Leclerc’s P2 result marks a change in Qualifying fortunes after a challenging run of weekends, with the Monegasque crashing out on Saturday in both Monaco and Barcelona before mechanical issues denied him any points in those respective Grands Prix. With that in mind, Leclerc conceded he was conscious of having a clean weekend this time around at the Red Bull Ring as he looks to recover some lost levels of confidence.

"Yeah, I’m a bit happier but then I’m never really satisfied unless I’m on pole or I win. It’s been a long time as well so I just hope this changes very quickly. But, at the same time, it’s true in the last two weekends that on Saturdays it was tough but we had the pace I would say. But then, on the Sundays, we had mechanical problems. We didn’t score points and that kind of stays a bit in the head. I cannot lie, since then you have a bit of a mentality of just trying to do a clean lap and having a clean weekend - to start to score points again and getting into the rhythm again. I feel like I’m leaving a little bit of margin on the table in Qualifying, which is normal after the last few weekends. I just hope I get back to the level of confidence I had before to try and extract more from this car".

With team mate Hamilton behind in P3, and the Ferraris sandwiched between the two Mercedes of Russell and Kimi Antonelli in fourth, Leclerc vowed that he and the Scuderia would try everything to challenge the Silver Arrows in Sunday’s Grand Prix. However, the Monegasque also conceded that the Mercedes cars were going to be tough opposition in Spielberg.

"I think it’s going to be very difficult. They seem to be very strong and they were very strong on Friday but I don’t give up. I try everything tomorrow and we’ll see how it goes but at the moment I think Mercedes has an advantage".

For Hamilton, following his fairytale maiden win for Ferrari in Barcelona, P3 represented a solid performance particularly after a mistake on his first Q3 run ramped up the pressure to nail a solid a lap on his final attempt. However, he also agreed with Leclerc that his former team - where he won six of his seven World Championships - appeared to still have the edge despite Ferrari closing the deficit.

"I think we made progress overnight and we closed the gap a little bit - half the gap. We were six tenths down and now, today, we were just under three tenths so that’s a real positive. In terms of the race pace, I don’t know how it’s going to be and how we drive it tomorrow. Hopefully we can be closer to them tomorrow. Time will tell - the good thing is there’s two Ferraris there sandwiched between the two Mercedes so hopefully we can execute the strategy to really keep them on the heels".

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff heaped praise on George Russell following Saturday’s Qualifying session for the Austrian Grand Prix, describing his final Q3 effort as incredible and one that came from him using all his experience in F1. Russell trailed team mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli after the first Q3 runs, but the pole shootout was turned on its head across the second sequence of laps when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crashed heavily and brought out the yellow flags. While Antonelli backed out of his lap and failed to improve, Russell carried on (lifting through the Red Bull Ring’s Turn 9 where Verstappen had crashed) and ultimately secured pole position - his second in a row after Barcelona. Ask to reflect on Russell’s performance during post-Qualifying show, and whether he had any doubts about the lap standing, Wolff says:

"Yeah, of course I was in doubt, because what I saw is a yellow. I saw Kimi aborting, and that was pretty much the session done, and I was super angry about it. Then, George on pole. This is all his experience. His lap was incredible. He lifted at the right time, the necessary amount, and that’s the pole position".

As for Antonelli, and a chance at pole being missed, Wolff says: 

"He will be super frustrated, because he was the dominant driver throughout the weekend. Then, at the end, he missed out on that with the yellow. Having said that, I think George’s lap was quicker until then anyway".

Russell and Antonelli will be separated on Sunday’s grid by Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, with Wolff also sharing his views about what looks set to be another long, hot Grand Prix.

"I’m never confident. They’ve been really good in the heat, so you need to absolutely count on them tomorrow. I think it’s probably Kimi [who’s] the quickest in the long run, so we’re going to see how we can get him back to the front".

Antonelli heads into the race at the top of the Drivers’ Championship on 156 points, 41 clear of Hamilton and 50 ahead of Russell, while Mercedes hold 262 points to Ferrari’s 190 in the Teams’ Championship. Fred Vasseur has insisted he is taking the positives after Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified second and third in Austria, with Mercedes’ George Russell pipping them to pole despite having to lift for a yellow flag. Saturday’s Qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring came to a close in dramatic circumstances with Leclerc and Hamilton’s final efforts putting the Scuderia drivers in a prime position - sitting first and second with only a few challengers to come. However, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crashed out at the penultimate corner as he sought to challenge, with the incident bringing out a yellow flag for those behind to navigate. One of those drivers was Russell, who lifted off but still managed to post a time that usurped the two Ferrari drivers. As a result, they were left to settle for P2 and P3 on the grid as they were sandwiched between the two Mercedes of Russell and Kimi Antonelli, with the current championship leader qualifying in fourth. Speaking after the conclusion of the eventful Saturday session, Ferrari’s Team Principal is ask if he is disappointed with how it had all played out at the end with the yellow flag.

"No. First I’m taking the positive that we are second and third, that we are in the fight with Mercedes in the Quali and able probably to have good pace for tomorrow. This is most important. We still have 15 races to go and the most important thing is the performance. On the incident with the yellows you can discuss at length whether it was reasonable to not have double yellow in these circumstances when you deploy the Medical Car. Then we don’t have the data of the mini sector, we can’t check if you reduce the speed by five per cent or not, but we have to trust Race Control and I will do it".

Another positive for Ferrari was the performance of Leclerc, who bounced back after two disappointing weekends - he crashed out in Monaco and Barcelona Qualifying before mechanical issues forced him to retire from the respective Grands Prix as well. However, Vasseur was adamant that Leclerc’s pace was always there and there were no doubts he could return to form.

"It was more you journalists who were a bit worried. I was not, honestly. On his last lap in Monaco he was fighting for pole, he was two tenths in advance compared to Max. When he crashed in Barcelona he was also on a very good lap - the pace was always there. Now he was a bit under pressure when you start to do mistakes, and it’s good for him to come back, to do a good lap and to put everything together but the pace was always there".

With Hamilton sealing a spectacular first win for Ferrari last time out in Barcelona - and with the Scuderia’s impressive tyre management and three-stop strategy proving key - Vasseur also gave his take over what was possible in Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix as Mercedes appeared to be a step ahead of the Scuderia Ferrari.

"Even when they slow down they are faster than us. But each day it’s another story - it’s not because we had good tyre management two weeks ago that it will work tomorrow. We have to put ourselves in clean air, to pay attention to our car and our tyres and not to be focused on the fight or something else. It’s what we did in the last race and let’s try to do the same tomorrow".

Kimi Antonelli was left to rue a mistake that cost him a potential front row grid slot in Qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the championship leader now focused on maximising from P4. Antonelli had been on the pace throughout the weekend so far at the Red Bull Ring, topping both of Friday’s practice sessions before securing provisional pole during the opening laps of Q3 in Saturday’s Qualifying. However, as the final runs of the session played out, Antonelli opted to abort his lap when Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 9, the Italian going on to explain that he believed double yellow flags were being waved rather than single. As such, he was unable to improve on his previous effort and found himself falling back to fourth behind team mate George Russell - who claimed pole position, having lifted at the scene of the yellow flags - as well as the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

"It was unfortunate, but realistically it was a mistake from my side because I thought I saw double yellows and instead it was a single, so I completely aborted the lap when I could have just done a lift like George did. But yeah, I think I was a tenth slower than George up to that point, so it still would have been difficult to get pole but at least front row was there".

Given his speed across the weekend up until that point, Antonelli was quizzed on whether he still felt in the mix for victory in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

"Yeah, for sure. It would have been more ideal to start more at the front, but it is what it is and the most important is that tomorrow we try to get a good start and then maximise from there".

Lando Norris has conceded that McLaren had hoped for a little bit more in Qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Briton and team mate Oscar Piastri having to settle for P6 and P7 respectively behind several of their rivals. While Norris faced a tough start to the weekend in first practice - where his running was limited due to a hydraulic leak on his car - there were more promising signs to come for the papaya squad, Piastri and Norris ending Free Practice 2 in second and third on the timesheets. They went on to place fourth and fifth in Saturday’s final practice hour, but dropped back further when it came to Qualifying as the Mercedes and Ferrari cars - plus the Red Bull of Max Verstappen - recorded quicker times in Q3. Reflecting back on how the session had gone, Norris explain:

"I think it was okay, honestly. I thought we still did a good job - I thought my final lap was decent, maybe lost a little bit in the final sector, but otherwise I think it’s good. I think we maybe hoped for a little bit more - it was very close to some of the cars ahead, but there’s no reason why we should be ahead of some of the cars ahead. I think we’re happy with it, it just seems a bit further down the order than what we would have liked and where we’ve looked in FP3, FP2, FP1. But I think it’s more just the others are always saving more for Qualifying and this is realistically where we are".

Pushed on whether he could still be in a good position to fight for a podium on Sunday, the reigning World Champion - who took victory at the Red Bull Ring in 2025 - answer: 

"We’ll see. It’s a long race, it’s going to be hot so hopefully it favours us. We’re not as good as we used to be with the temperatures and controlling them, and that’s an area we really need to work on. But we’re close enough for battles ahead, for things to happen ahead for us to try and take advantage of. It’s normally a fun race at least, and a lot can be done with strategy tomorrow so we’ll be optimistic".

On the other side of the garage, Piastri acknowledged that there was some disappointment at dropping back to seventh - having placed as high as fourth following the first runs of Q3 - but went on to echo Norris’ view that the result perhaps reflects where the team are currently at.

"We’ve obviously been very tightly matched, me and Lando, the whole weekend. I think my last lap wasn’t… there are a few areas where I was pushing hard and maybe overstepped it a little bit, but I don’t think we had the pace to be able to do a whole lot more than that. It’s where we are at the moment - we know it, but we’re pushing hard to try and improve".

Like Norris, Piastri is also staying optimistic about the possibility of battling for a top-three finish on Sunday in Austria.

"I hope so. I think potentially we can. I think the pace of everyone at the front probably will be quite close, so we’ll have to wait and see what pans out tomorrow".

After an eventful end to Qualifying on Saturday at the Red Bull Ring, it is time for the drivers and teams to switch their attentions to Sunday’s 71-lap Austrian Grand Prix, marking Round 8 on the calendar. While Antonelli looks like the name to beat through much of the weekend so far, Russell is the one to grab pole position - the Briton still goes fastest despite lifting on his lap when yellow flags are waved at the scene of a crash for Verstappen. Antonelli, meanwhile, ends up in fourth, having aborted his final flyer after believing that double yellow flags are being waved rather than single. With the Ferrari duo sandwiched between the Mercedes team mates in the order, this all sets up for an intriguing battle on Sunday. Amid another day of scorching temperatures in Austria, there is early trouble for Lawson before the grid has even assembled as it is confirmed that the Racing Bulls driver will be investigated after the race for a practice start infringement. When all 22 cars take their positions and the tyre blankets are removed, it is revealed that 20 of them are starting on the medium compound - the exception being Bortoleto and Sainz, who have opted for the soft rubber from P12 and P17 respectively. As the lights go out in Spielberg, Russell leads smoothly away from pole, while Antonelli runs wide but rejoins in P4. The Italian goes on to have another wide moment during the lap, before Leclerc faces a challenge from Hamilton that sees the Briton overtake for P2. There is a third off for Antonelli when the next lap gets underway, forcing him to hand a position back - but this does not prevent the Mercedes driver from twice being noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Meanwhile Verstappen has climbed up to third ahead of Leclerc, while Bottas’ race comes to an early end as he retires his Cadillac in the pit lane. There appear to be similar concerns for Lawson, who reports that there is fire on his car - however, the New Zealander is able to continue running, losing out to Hadjar in a battle for P8. 

Race Control subsequently confirms that there is no further investigation into Antonelli, just as the championship leader is chasing after Leclerc in the fight for fourth place. Elsewhere there is worse luck to come for Cadillac, with Perez joining his team mate in retiring due to overheating brakes - before the Mexican is also noted for an alleged false start. As Lap 8 ticks down, Antonelli finally finds a way past Leclerc, while Verstappen has closed in to around half a second behind Hamilton. Three tours later the Dutchman initially takes P2 from his former title rival, only for Hamilton to retake the position - and after some feisty side-by-side action, the latter ultimately stays ahead. Moments after Verstappen voices his belief that Hamilton has warranted a penalty, the Ferrari driver makes a pit stop for the hard tyres on Lap 13 before emerging back on track in P11 behind Bortoleto. All eyes are on the Red Bull garage to see if the team responds - but they do not, with Leclerc instead being the next to pit for the hard rubber. This brings the Monegasque out in 11th, two places behind his team mate. With 15 laps on the board, Russell has extended his lead to just over five seconds from Verstappen, who is followed by Antonelli, Piastri, Norris, Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad, Hamilton and Bortoleto. There is further work for the stewards, who confirm that Hamilton has been noted for forcing a driver off the track in his duel with Verstappen, while they also announce that Perez will be investigated after the race for moving before the signal at the start. 

"I think it’s all surface overheating".

Russell radios in, the race leader suggesting that a one-stop strategy might be possible. Meanwhile Verstappen dives into the pits on Lap 19, returning to the track in sixth - behind Hamilton - with a set of hard tyres on. Russell follows one tour later, bringing him back out in third. Over at McLaren, Piastri pits but Norris is told that he himself is extending, the reigning World Champion responding that he does not have any more pace. The Briton then makes a pit stop, promoting Russell up into second place some 12 seconds behind Antonelli who is yet to stop. On Lap 22 the scrap between Verstappen and Hamilton is reignited - shortly after it is confirmed that the stewards will not investigate their earlier incident. Verstappen initially takes P3 from the Ferrari racer - and while Hamilton retakes the place, on this occasion Verstappen again gets himself ahead and stays there, promptly building up a gap. The yellow flags are waved on Lap 24 as Sainz comes to a halt on the main straight, with Williams later confirming that his car has suffered a suspected electrical issue. Antonelli subsequently makes his pit stop - but with this occurring just before a Virtual Safety Car is called, the Italian misses out on a free stop and emerges back on track in P5.

Hamilton takes the opportunity to make a second stop, returning in seventh place on the soft tyres. Meanwhile Antonelli asks:

"What is happening with the brakes?"

Over the team radio, leading Race Engineer Pete Bonnington to explain that the car is experiencing a brake split. Once the VSC ends and the race settles down again by Lap 30, Russell holds a lead of nearly five seconds from Verstappen, while Leclerc is being chased by Antonelli for third. Piastri is running in fifth, with Hadjar, Hamilton and Norris hot on his tail behind. Just as Antonelli grabs P3 from Leclerc - freeing the Mercedes driver up to work on closing the gap to Verstappen - Hamilton is also making moves after overtaking Hadjar for sixth place. Elsewhere, Albon and Stroll have both separately been noted for a yellow flag infringement. Hamilton is asked to use mode TS - and when the Briton asks why, the response comes that temperature is the reason. Meanwhile, by Lap 35, Russell’s lead over Verstappen has been cut down to 3.3s, while Antonelli remains around eight seconds adrift of Verstappen. Within two laps Verstappen’s deficit to Russell has dropped down to little more than two seconds, the Briton having seemingly run wide. A little further back, Piastri fights his way past Leclerc to move up into P4, the pair making light contact along the way - and things quickly get worse for the Monegasque, who is then overtaken by Hamilton. Leclerc subsequently visits the pits for a set of hard tyres, while Hamilton is being encouraged to go after Piastri. Elsewhere Alonso finds himself under investigation for speeding in the pit lane, leading to a five-second penalty - and back on the track Verstappen certainly seems to have a lot of speed himself, the gap between the Red Bull and Russell now down to 1.2s by Lap 42. There is soon plenty of action in the pits, with Piastri and Hamilton making their second and third stops respectively before Russell also takes on another set of hard tyres on Lap 44. Russell raises questions about the strategies of those around him as he continues to cut into the lead, the Briton suggesting that if Antonelli continues to extend, Verstappen will also:

"Think about extending and put us at risk".

While Stroll heads to the pits to retire with a suspected ERS issue – and Norris makes another stop, overtaking the Aston Martin at the pit entry - Verstappen pits soon afterwards, the four-time World Champion rejoining in third on the hard tyres and 10 seconds behind Russell in second. Antonelli remains in the lead - some seven seconds ahead of Russell - and is encouraged to stay focused by Race Engineer Bonnington. The Italian heads into the pits on Lap 52, bringing him back out in third - just before a brief Virtual Safety Car phase follows to clear a bollard from the track that has been knocked by Albon. With 16 laps to go, Verstappen is now eight seconds away from Russell - and Antonelli has closed to 4.8s behind the Red Bull. Amidst all of this, reports emerge that a small bit of rain could be on the radar for the closing stages of the event. A close battle plays out between Hadjar and Leclerc for P6, the Frenchman winning out to take the position. 

"These tyres are shit".

Leclerc comments over the radio. Within a few laps, the Monegasque loses another position to Norris – all while Verstappen has cut the gap to Russell down to less than six seconds. Leclerc heads to the pits for his third stop of the day to bolt on the soft tyres, bringing him back out in eighth. Further behind him, Lawson and Lindblad are running in ninth and 10th for Racing Bulls, marking another solid outing for the team. Antonelli has moved to within a second of Verstappen as the race enters into its final two tours, the championship leader seemingly flying - and this is cut down further to half a second on the last lap. However, Russell resists the pressure in the lead to seal victory by 1.611s from Verstappen, while Antonelli is only 0.375s behind Verstappen as the championship leader crosses the line. This result means that Russell is back in P2 of the Drivers’ Championship – and 40 points behind Antonelli. Piastri follows in fourth, ahead of Hamilton, Hadjar, Norris, Leclerc, Lawson and Lindblad in the rest of the points-paying positions.

George Russell hailed an incredible feeling as he returned to the top step of the F1 podium with a confident drive to victory in Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix. Russell, who last won at the Australia season opener back in March, and subsequently endured a tricky run of races, nailed his start, managed Virtual Safety Car periods and kept a charging Max Verstappen at bay to convert pole into the win. As a result, Russell reduced his deficit to Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli - who finished third - in the Drivers’ Championship, bringing the gap down from 50 points to 40. Speaking after the race, and reflecting on his afternoon at the wheel, Russell says: 

"It’s incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while, so I’m definitely going to enjoy this one this evening. A lot of hard work from my team to get us back on track. Obviously there was a tricky run of form at one point. Max and Red Bull were incredibly quick this weekend, so kudos to them, but thanks to everyone, thanks to the fans. It was pretty toasty out there, so I’m looking forward to a drink now".

Asked about running wide at Turn 3 late on, in an otherwise faultless drive, Russell continues: 

"I was having to push every single lap, and when you push those boundaries there’s bound to be a small mistake or two in there, and I know how quick the guys were behind. Obviously Kimi has been extraordinarily quick this whole season, so every lap I was looking at the timing board. We pitted on the early side, and I knew it was going to be a long stint, but the team timed it to perfection".
 

Russell went on to explain just how much of a boost the weekend as a whole - returning to P1 in both Qualifying and the race - gives him before moving onto his home event at Silverstone in a few days’ time.
 

"The tough races definitely test you psychologically, and these last two weekends for me have been vitally important to remind myself I can do it. Single lap, race pace, was very strong this weekend, and on a track that is probably not very well-suited to my style, so I’m looking forward to heading to Silverstone next week, seeing all the home fans. I’m sure it’s going to be great".

Kimi Antonelli admitted his disappointment as early mistakes affected his chances of chasing down victory in the Austrian Grand Prix, stating that he felt he didn’t drive well during the first stint. The Mercedes driver endured a shaky start to the race as he veered off the track multiple times on the opening lap whilst trying to improve from P4, and his brake issues ultimately led to him losing a position. As those up ahead struggled with tyre degradation and headed into the pits, Antonelli inherited the race lead before his own strategy saw him emerge in third place. Despite his best efforts, he ran out of time to pass Max Verstappen for P2 and crossed the line just a few tenths behind the Red Bull racer. Reflecting on the start, Antonelli says: 

"I was a bit too excited in the first laps and definitely didn't drive well. Too many mistakes and even in the first stint with the medium, I lost 3-4 seconds with mistakes. I was struggling with the brakes but after we changed tyre I reset and the pace at the end was very strong. It was a shame I joined the party a bit too late".

His experienced race engineer, Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington, informed him that he was suffering from a brake split that saw one brake get hotter than the other, but the problem seemed to ease as the laps ticked down. While P3 marks Antonelli’s lowest race finish of the season, the valuable points mean that he still leads his Mercedes team mate by 40 points in the standings, with George Russell also reclaiming second spot with his first Grand Prix win since the opening round. The Italian conceded that it would have been a lot of fun if a few more laps were on offer for him to fight for a better result, especially as Russell took the chequered flag less than two seconds ahead.
 

"Of course, congrats to George and Max. Really great weekend. From my side, there is a lot to improve but still minimise the mistakes".

Max Verstappen reflected on an extremely positive Austrian Grand Prix, as the Red Bull driver finished on the heels of winner George Russell in Sunday's race. Verstappen started P5 for the 71-lap Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring having suffered a crash on his final Qualifying effort, but the four-time World Champion soon began to make progress. The Dutchman disposed of Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes and Charles Leclerc's Ferrari in one move at Turn 4 on Lap 2 and moved ahead of Lewis Hamilton on Lap 22 after the first round of pit stops. Verstappen's pace moved him to within striking distance of Russell for the lead, but staying out longer before making his final pit stop meant he was left with too much work to do in the final stint, falling short by 1.6s at the chequered flag.

"I think it was of course a very good race for us," said Verstappen, who claimed his best result of the season so far with P2. The first few laps were quite fun and then it was trying to manage your tyres and honestly, I think the car was in quite a good window for I would say half of the race. Then we picked up let's say a few issues with the car which prevented me from basically finding that nice rhythm. But still, to be second and close to a win I think is extremely positive for us. So in that sense, I'm very happy".

Red Bull arrived in Spielberg this weekend with a raft of upgrades which seemed to make the RB22 competitive against the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. Verstappen's Red Bull team mate Isack Hadjar also enjoyed a productive Sunday, the Frenchman finishing sixth having moved ahead of Leclerc and McLaren's Lando Norris from his original starting position, claiming "the upgrades definitely kicked in this weekend, you could feel it.

"I think from P8 it was nearly the best that we could have done. I think we had a car to finish fourth but from P8 you want to be aggressive, pit early, I was running out of tyres at the end of each of my stints".

Toto Wolff expressed his satisfaction as Mercedes immediately returned to the top step of the podium at the Austrian Grand Prix following Lewis Hamilton’s victory for Ferrari in Barcelona. George Russell converted pole position into the race win at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday - also marking a comeback of his own after triumphing at the season opener in Australia and then enduring a difficult run of events. With Russell and team mate Kimi Antonelli taking P1 and P3, and Ferrari pair Hamilton and Charles Leclerc back in P5 and P8, the result also saw Mercedes stretch out their lead in the Teams’ Championship once more. Reflecting on the outcome during the post-race, Wolff says:

"We are Constructors’ Championship guys, that’s what we all stand for, the team in Germany, the team in England, and we’ve made a good jump in terms of points this weekend. Obviously doing that with a 1-3, bouncing back after Barcelona, feels good".

In terms of how Mercedes managed their strategies, with Russell making his stops earlier than Antonelli, around a couple of Virtual Safety Car periods, Wolff continues:

"We kept it cool. We wanted to not be undercut, but also with Kimi we were confident enough to stretch it, to have an offset. Both times we came out two seconds in front of the car that was the risk factor for us. The tyres held on well, they managed it well, I’m really happy. It was one of the good weekends".

Wolff then highlighted where he thought Antonelli missed an opportunity to make up more ground from his fourth-place grid slot, which the Italian youngster lined up in after being affected by the yellow flags issued amid Verstappen’s Q3 crash.

"I think, you know, he’s learning so fast. Maybe where the opportunity was, maybe where the race was lost, was full attack in the first few laps. Pushing the braking points beyond everything he’d done all weekend just didn’t work out in the way it should have, but he had the quickest race times from then on, and I’m just happy to see how he came back at the end, and that’s why he’s the championship leader at the moment".

With Verstappen splitting Russell and Antonelli in a heavily updated Red Bull, Wolff also shared his thoughts on the threat the Dutchman posed - particularly as caught Russell during the middle stint of the race.

"Yeah, I mean, he came in strong. Obviously the closer he got the more difficult it was to maintain the pace also, with the dirty air. It was exciting to see whether he would catch up at the end, and whether Kimi would catch up on him. Domenicali told me it was good TV".

Lewis Hamilton admits I don't know why we were so slow today after the Ferrari driver could only finish fifth in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. The seven-time World Champion entered the weekend with hopes of repeating his victory last time out in Barcelona - Hamilton's first with Ferrari - and he lined up third behind team mate Charles Leclerc and polesitter George Russell for the 71-lap race. Having got the better of Leclerc on the opening lap, Hamilton stayed within touching distance of Russell during the first stint but became the first driver in the leading group to make a pit stop for new tyres. Hamilton eventually slipped behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen before moving onto a three-stop strategy after making his second stop under a Virtual Safety Car. Having dropped to seventh, Hamilton recovered back ahead of Leclerc and McLaren's Lando Norris, admitting that he felt a three-stop was inevitable due to the hot temperatures and high tyre degradation.

"I don't know why we were so slow today. We really struggled on pace, degradation was really, really high, much worse than anticipated. I thought it was going to be like that and I told the team, they said it was going to be a two-stop and I was like: I don't think it's a two-stop today, I don't think I'm going to be able to make a two-stop work. Big deg in that first stint, trying to hold onto George [Russell] and then every stint, mostly we were just struggling with power".

Despite slipping away from the podium, Hamilton has been encouraged by the general performance of Ferrari so far this season, which allowed him to win in Barcelona and claim three further podiums from the opening eight rounds of the season.

"Definitely enjoying the battling. Of course, it's not where we want to be but this has generally been a bogie circuit for me. It's one of my worst circuits probably, so to get third in Qualifying yesterday I was like, 'that's not so bad', to get fifth today given Charles is usually strong here over the years, I'll take it".

Charles Leclerc feels that he was struggling a lot at the Austrian Grand Prix after he plummeted to P8, marking a stark contrast to the impressive Qualifying performance that earned him P2 on the grid. Ferrari arrived at the Red Bull Ring with plenty of anticipation around their latest power unit upgrade, which they hoped would further reduce the gap to Mercedes, and it looked like a fantastic start when Leclerc missed out on pole position at the last second to George Russell. However, the Monegasque saw his pace fade away during the 71-lap event and he gradually fell behind his rivals, losing out in every battle he encountered before eventually settling for a disappointing eighth place. Asked whether he was surprised at the sudden downturn, he says:

"Yes. Qualifying was a step forward yesterday. I felt a little bit better in the car and was getting a more positive feeling but today it’s kind of back to struggling. We’ve got to work and try to understand what’s going on there. I've been struggling a lot".

After losing a position to Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap, Leclerc was one of the first drivers to pit as everyone fought to manage the significant tyre degradation at the Red Bull Ring, dropping him to P11 in the early stages. Others followed suit and he improved back to P3 before coming under pressure from Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. The Mercedes driver got past cleanly but Leclerc’s next clash resulted in minor contact, which damaged his front wing and saw him immediately overtaken by Piastri and a charging Hamilton. Although he headed in for fresh tyres and found a way up the order once again, both McLaren racers sailed back through to demote him to P8 for good. He later stated that overheating was the biggest issue he faced, and says:

"Already from when I was starting to brake, I had a lot of overheating and I was struggling a lot".

The Austrian Grand Prix featured Leclerc’s first race finish since Round 5 in Canada, with his last two retirements causing him to lose valuable ground in the standings - he now sits sixth, level with Lando Norris and 46 points adrift of his Ferrari team mate. Oscar Piastri conceded that it was a a bit of a surprise that Ferrari were not stronger in the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Australian feeling positive after beating both of the Scuderia’s cars in P4 while Lando Norris had to settle for P7 following a tricky opening lap. The McLaren drivers appeared slightly disappointed after qualifying in P6 and P7 on Saturday, some way off the Ferraris in P2 and P3. However, Piastri was able to climb up the order to finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in Sunday’s race, who both appeared to be struggling for pace as well as each going onto a three-stop strategy. Ask after the Grand Prix if it was something of a surprise to move up to fourth, having started from seventh on the grid, Piastri answer:

"A bit, yeah. I think today was a really strong afternoon. I think it was a bit of a surprise that the Ferraris were not stronger, but on a personal level I thought it was a really good race. Barcelona was a big struggle and [we] had some things to learn and improve on from there, and I feel like this weekend’s been a massive improvement from that, in a race that in some ways was a bit similar. Overall very happy with today".

Despite this, Piastri admitted that it was very difficult to know whether their level of performance at the Red Bull Ring was track-specific - meaning that the team's position against their rivals is not totally clear.

"I think when it’s this hot, that seems to be beneficial for us at the moment. It has been in the past few years, and I think this year it’s still a bit of a trend, but we’re lacking the performance to go with it. So yeah, I think it was again a positive we’re able to beat Ferrari - we’ve still got a lot to find to catch Mercedes, and now Red Bull look very quick as well, so it’s going to be a constantly changing order, I think".

On the other side of the garage, Norris felt that his race was affected by losing positions on the opening lap but spoke positively about the pace of the car in clean air.

"I think the pace was okay, just track position dominated today, so I lost out on Lap 1 to a couple of cars and lost out to Hadjar in the first round of pit stops because they had to box Oscar first, which is the way that we do things. So yeah, unfortunate from my side, and just impossible to get back past a car that’s quicker. Max is P2 and almost winning the race, so the chance to beat Hadjar was not possible today from my side. But otherwise I think clearly the car in clean air was very strong, I just lost a little bit too much in the very beginning".

Pushed on how much work there is for McLaren to do in order to get themselves into the fight with their rivals, Norris responds: 

"Again it’s just a unique track. I think if we go back to some others, again, it changes a good amount and Ferrari are the quickest again, so I think this track layout seems to maybe help us a little bit more today. The fact we beat two Ferraris is a good thing, but we have a lot more work to do".