George Russell identifies McLaren as major Austrian GP danger after tricky FP2

Russell’s sixth position on the timesheets in second practice did not appear especially encouraging at the Red Bull Ring, but the Briton was quick to stress that the result was not representative of Mercedes’ overall Friday. After a more straightforward FP1 where he was second-quickest, Russell said there was little reason to panic over his own single-lap performance.

Asked whether he knew where the time had gone, Russell confirmed there had been an error on his quick lap. “Yeah, there was a mistake. So it should be fine,” he said.

While Russell was relaxed about his own FP2 position, he was more cautious when discussing the competitive order. Mercedes arrived in Austria looking to build on recent momentum, but Russell believes McLaren who have been linked to Max Verstappen, and potentially Ferrari too, are firmly in the fight this weekend.

McLaren’s Friday pace has once again caught attention, particularly in warmer conditions. Russell believes that is no coincidence, pointing to a wider trend that has emerged across recent races. The Briton suggested McLaren have repeatedly looked stronger when temperatures rise, while Mercedes have not always been able to maintain their usual level.

Russell highlighted Miami and Barcelona as examples of McLaren’s strength in hotter races. “Miami was the first real hot race, and they arguably could have won. Barcelona, Lando was a similar pace to ourselves, Lewis. And then here they look really strong again,” he added.

For Mercedes, the challenge will now be converting Friday’s encouraging race pace into a stronger qualifying performance. Russell may not be worried by his FP2 lap time, but he is clear that McLaren’s speed in Austria cannot be ignored.