F1 LIVE: Follow all the action from FP3 at the Austrian Grand Prix here!

mercedes-antonelli-kimi-jpg
Photo: Race Pictures
Live
Updated: 12:24, 27 Jun
0 Comments
Hello and welcome to GPblog's live coverage of the final practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Stay tuned as we bring you every update and key moment as it unfolds from the picturesque Styrian mountains.
Friday's running was far from short of drama. From Red Bull Racing's upgrades failing to deliver the significant step forward many had anticipated, to Cadillac enduring persistent reliability issues, and Mercedes once again emerging as the team to beat, it was a day that provided a stark indication of the current pecking order despite the flurry of new parts introduced across the grid.
Both practice sessions on Friday were topped by Kimi Antonelli, with the young Italian seemingly putting the disappointment of Barcelona firmly behind him. Teammate George Russell finished second in FP1, ahead of Oscar Piastri, while Max Verstappen could only manage fourth.
max-verstappen-fourth-fp2-austrian-gp
Max Verstappen - Photo: Race Pictures
ADVERTISEMENT
However, FP2 brought a slight shake-up at the front as temperatures continued to rise. Antonelli once again led the way, but this time Piastri was his closest challenger, with teammate Lando Norris in third and Verstappen again fourth. Russell, meanwhile, slipped to sixth.
Amid the movement at the top of the timesheets, one thing that remained evident was Ferrari's struggle for pace. Lewis Hamilton could do no better than fifth in both sessions, while teammate Charles Leclerc, who missed FP1, was only able to muster eighth place in FP2.
With teams having had additional time to analyse the data and make adjustments to their setups overnight, the final practice session could yet bring another shift in the competitive order. Who are you backing to set the pace on Saturday morning?

Hamilton pinpoints 'small balance issue' behind Ferrari's difficult Friday in Austria

ADVERTISEMENT
Hamilton reflected on a "challenging" Friday at the Red Bull Ring, with Ferrari unable to replicate the competitiveness it displayed in Barcelona. The seven-time world champion admitted the Scuderia still has ground to make up after struggling to match the pace of Mercedes and McLaren across both sessions.
The Briton finished fifth in both FP1 and FP2, ending more than half a second adrift of pacesetter Antonelli on each occasion. Antonelli, meanwhile, appeared to have bounced back emphatically from his late retirement at the Spanish Grand Prix by topping both sessions in Austria.
Speaking after Friday's running, Hamilton described it as a solid but difficult start to the weekend, admitting the hot conditions made an already demanding circuit even tougher. While encouraged by the car's initial feel, the Ferrari driver explained that even minor balance issues were proving extremely costly around the Red Bull Ring, leaving the team with plenty of work to do overnight to improve the setup and unlock more performance ahead of qualifying.
ADVERTISEMENT

Don’t miss GPblog in Google

Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.

Add as a preferred / source on Google
loading
Austrian Grand Prix
Overview
Upcoming race
Friday 26.06.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 27.06.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 28.06.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM

Loading