Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Verstappen ‘excited’ to debut new Red Bull upgrade in Austria.
Max Verstappen is heading into Red Bull’s home Grand Prix with a sense of anticipation and optimism, as the reigning world champion prepares to get his first taste of a significant new upgrade package at the Austrian Grand Prix.
24/06/2026
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Unsurprisingly, the Dutchman is excited to be back. "Austria is of course a home Grand Prix for the Team," Verstappen said. "It's been a great track for me in the past, and we have had really good memories there. It's a very interesting track, and all of the corners are quite different, so it's really important to get a good balance out of the car,” he added.

“You need both high-speed and low-speed performance, good traction, and now, with how energy-sensitive some tracks are, it is important to work to get on top of this. We have a new package we are bringing, so it is exciting to see how much this could look to give us in lap time. We are looking forward to see what we can do at the Red Bull Ring,” Verstappen concluded.

‘Excited’;

https://f1i.com/news/567278-verstapp...n-austria.html


Max Verstappen talks with Red Bull continue as Ferrari confirm power unit upgrade – RacingNews365 Review
Check out the biggest stories of the day with the RacingNews365 Review!
24 June 2026
Nick Golding
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen is set to continue talks this weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix as Red Bull seek a resolution over his F1 future. Verstappen currently has a deal in place until the 2028 season, however, performance-related exit clauses have left his whereabouts beyond the current season in doubt.

Ferrari has confirmed that it will introduce its first power unit upgrade at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc will sit out first practice. The Scuderia is set to use its first Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) token to upgrade its internal combustion engine at the Red Bull Ring.

‘Talks’;

https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...news365-review


Where Ferrari stands ahead of highly anticipated engine upgrade
25 Jun 2026
ROSARIO GIULIANA
The Race

Following confidential communications from the FIA between the Miami and Monaco Grands Prix regarding engine performance measurements across the field, Ferrari received confirmation that it qualifies for two in-season engine development tokens. According to information gathered by The Race, the performance deficit assessed by the FIA places Ferrari within a window believed to be between 6% and 8% off the benchmark, deemed to be Red Bull, granting Maranello additional development opportunities.

The significance of this goes beyond the two upgrade tokens themselves. Ferrari is also entitled to additional dyno hours and extra development budget, resources that can now be directed towards a more comprehensive engine evolution planned either immediately before or shortly after the summer break. The exact timing has not yet been finalised, as Ferrari now has greater flexibility to maximise the development programme following confirmation of the available concessions.

The specification introduced in Austria, internally referred to as "ICE ADUO 1", represents a different approach. Rather than spending both development tokens together later in the season, Ferrari has chosen to introduce an initial upgrade that has been under development since the winter months, while preserving scope for a more significant evolution later on. The revised combustion engine specification will also be accompanied by an updated Shell biofuel blend. The package will be introduced alongside Ferrari's third power unit allocation of the season, still within the four units permitted before grid penalties are triggered.

‘Engine upgrade’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...ngine-upgrade/


Ferrari downplays effect of 'minor' power unit update for the Austrian Grand Prix
24 Jun 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Ferrari is set to introduce an updated version of its power unit at the Austrian Grand Prix following Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Barcelona. However, the Italian team underlined that the change is only a minor update. Looking ahead to next weekend, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur stressed that the team is approaching the championship one race at a time.

He said: "We arrive in Austria encouraged by our positive showing over the past few races, even though we are fully aware that there is still a lot of work to do and that we must continue to focus on ourselves. We will approach this weekend with the same method and mindset that we have adopted since the start of the season aiming to put together clean sessions in every respect, from track execution to the strategic decisions taken on the pit wall. We know that every weekend has a different story to tell which is why we will continue to take the championship one race at a time."

‘Ferrari downplays effect’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...ian-grand-prix


Austrian GP predictions: Hamilton title talk silenced, Mercedes engine disaster, Leclerc revival
25 Jun 2026
Editor
PlanetF1.com

Talk of a Lewis Hamilton world title to go silent - By Michelle Foster: Do you hear that? No? Nothing…? That’s because all the talk post-Barcelona about Lewis Hamilton winning the world title will go quiet come Sunday afternoon in Austria. Hamilton’s victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix was a momentous occasion as it showed the world, and perhaps Hamilton as well, that he can still win if – and it’s a big if – the chips fall in his favour. But after two weeks of listening to every pundit and former driver with a podcast saying Hamilton is the fight for the world title and that Ferrari should ‘wingman’ Charles Leclerc to back the Briton, those voices will go silent on Sunday.

At least three Mercedes-powered cars to retire - By Oliver Harden: How will the Mercedes power unit fare in a European heatwave? That is perhaps the key question entering this weekend. With Merc cars suffering a cluster of reliability problems over recent races – most recently Kimi Antonelli’s stoppage in the closing laps in Barcelona – HPP may be looking ahead to this weekend with some trepidation. There is every chance that reliability will shape this year’s title battle between Antonelli and George Russell, whose battery suffered heat damage in his retirement at a relatively cool Canada.

‘Predictions’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/au...26-predictions

[Fortitude]

F1 - 2026 Austrian Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript.
Isack HADJAR (Red Bull), Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren), Pierre GASLY (Alpine), Nico HÜLKENBERG (Audi), George RUSSELL (Mercedes), Sergio PÉREZ (Cadillac).
25.06.26
FIA (Press Release)

Q: Oscar, let’s stay with you and can we talk about the McLaren? You didn’t look too comfortable last time out in Barcelona. Do you have reasons to be bullish about the car here, a track at which McLaren has got a pretty good record?
Oscar PIASTRI: 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 for us as a team here, you know, Ferrari took a good step forward in Barcelona, Mercedes is still the benchmark as well, and I’m hearing along the grapevine that Red Bull have got some big things as well. So, 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.

Q: Pierre, let’s come back to you. This is the best start to a season you’ve ever had. Just how much potential does this car have?
Pierre GASLY: Well, yeah, I must say that the team so far has done a good job in terms of reliability. They’ve really been faultless so far. I think the car performance, we’ve seen from the start of the year, we seem to be able to fight in the points pretty much consistently every weekend. The midfield is kind of swinging one way or another depending on the weekend, depending on the track. Sometimes we’re slightly closer to the top four. At the start of the year, now we kind of dropped slightly. The last few weekends have been slightly more complicated but we’re still there and we’ve been very consistent.

Q: What’s causing the fluctuation from one race to the next?
Isack HADJAR: Well, that’s what we are trying to figure out. It’s complicated. To make it clear, it’s not human error on my side, that’s for sure. I think the procedure is simple and I know how to achieve it. It’s just deeper issues. I told the guys it’s the main point to focus on the last week since Barcelona. It’s not the only thing, but they’ve been focusing very hard on it. Let’s see from FP1 how I feel, but in Barcelona the whole weekend, every time I dropped the clutch, it was going nowhere and it was like that the whole time. So let’s see how we did the last couple of days to try and understand and see if we apply it.

Q: George, if we could perhaps start with you. Toto referred to the recent Spanish Grand Prix as a reality check for Mercedes. Even with your pole position, what’s your view on that race weekend and the performance of the car?
George RUSSELL: Yeah, I definitely think it’s a reality check because Ferrari have clearly had a great chassis this whole season. Their power unit has been a bit behind us, quite a bit behind us, but suddenly in Barcelona they seem to have made a step forward. So, they were much closer to us in terms of their straight-line speed and, you know, they’re bringing a lot of upgrades, which has been quite surprising for us. You know, we’ve brought one upgrade this season so far. We’ve got some in the pipeline, but Ferrari and McLaren, every couple of races, are bringing bits to the car. So, you know, we need to keep on pushing and I think every time a team is bringing a new bit to the car, they’re making big steps forward.

Q: Nico, can we come to you now? Amid all the frustration of what happened in Monaco and Barcelona, what positives can you take from those races?
Nico HULKENBERG: I think just all in all, we’re making progress. The performance, you know, is there. We are competitive in the midfield and, you know, I feel both in Monaco and Barcelona, we were able to put it into the top 10 on merit. But yeah, both race weekends had circumstances that denied results on Sunday. I think, you know, I feel also on Sunday in Barcelona, we made life slightly difficult and hard for ourselves, but there are definitely positive signs. The car, if I compare it now to how it felt the first two, three races to where we are now, there’s definitely some good progress there. I think it’s just a matter of time and a matter of us putting it together and staying clean and staying focused.

Q: Checo, coming to you. Big weekend for the team here. You’ve got a substantial upgrade package. What are your hopes?
Sergio PÉREZ: Yeah, we definitely want to make good progress. You know, we can see that we are getting closer towards the midfield, especially over a lap. I think still we are lacking quite a bit on the degradation side with the tyres. We are bringing an upgrade here that hopefully can get us even closer. Once we are there, you know, it’s all coming down to the little details. I think operationally the team has been improving quite a lot, making really big steps so far. So yeah, hopefully this upgrade can put us a lot closer.

‘Press Conference Transcript’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2026-aus...nce-transcript


Pirelli expects one stop strategies at the Austrian Grand Prix despite heat and soft compounds
25 Jun 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

What does the past reveal about potential strategies? In 2025, most teams opted for two stops, with Soft and Medium tyres the preferred starting choices and the Hard compound used primarily for middle stints. This year, however, the tyre supplier expects the more robust behaviour of the compounds to open the door to longer stints, especially if track temperatures remain stable. High temperatures could push teams toward more conservative tyre management, while cooler spells or cloud cover may extend stint lengths and reinforce the one stop trend.

As teams prepare for another high intensity weekend in Spielberg, Pirelli’s early analysis suggests that tyre management will be less about wear and more about controlling temperatures and maintaining balance in the thin Alpine air. If conditions remain stable, a one stop race could become the strategic baseline—though, as always at the Red Bull Ring, the combination of short lap times, unpredictable weather and tight midfield gaps ensures that flexibility will be just as important as outright pace.

‘Pirelli expects’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28746


FIA declares heat hazard for Austrian Grand Prix
The FIA has activated Formula 1’s heat hazard rules for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix as Europe’s heatwave pushes temperatures at Spielberg into the thirties.
26 Jun 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

“In accordance with Article B1.5.10 of the FIA F1 Regulations, having received a forecast from the Official Weather Service predicting that the Heat Index will be greater than 31.0°C at some time during the Race at this Competition, a Heat Hazard is declared,” read a note from FIA F1 Race Director Rui Marques to teams. The ruling means teams must fit driver cooling systems to their cars for the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

The system can feed cooled fluid through a fireproof vest worn beneath a driver’s race suit, though the vest itself remains optional. Drivers who choose not to wear the vest must instead carry 0.5kg of ballast in the cockpit to offset the weight difference.

The heat hazard rule was introduced after the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where several drivers suffered in extreme conditions and required medical attention after the race. Austria is the first race of the 2026 season to be placed under the heat hazard designation, with Singapore and the United States running under the same rule last season.

‘Teams must fit driver cooling systems’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-a...-cooling-vest/


Kimi Antonelli and George Russell set for Mercedes team orders
After seven rounds of no rules between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, Mercedes has decided to intervene.
25 June 2026
Nick Golding
RacingNews365

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has revealed that he and George Russell will now be subject to team orders from Mercedes under one condition. "There was a meeting on the matter, and Toto was very clear," Kimi Antonelli said during an interview with Italian media, as quoted by Motorsport.com.

"If we find ourselves in a situation like Barcelona again, under pressure from our rivals, there will be a team order, especially if one of the two cars is showing better pace. If, on the other hand, we’re fighting each other without pressure from another team, we’ll be free to race, just as we were in Montreal."

‘Mercedes team orders’;

https://racingnews365.com/kimi-anton...es-team-orders


2026 Austrian Grand Prix start time: how to watch, live stream and F1 schedule
25 June 2026
Motor Sport
Motor Sport Magazine

Sky Sports F1 will carry every session live in Britain, with Channel 4 showing highlights of qualifying and the race for free. The grand prix gets underway at 2pm BST on Sunday June 28, but Saturday’s qualifying at 3pm is well worth your attention.

As a one-off, Apple is making the entire Austrian Grand Prix weekend available free to US viewers on Apple TV, with no subscription required. That includes practice, qualifying, and Sunday’s race, giving American fans a full view of F1’s new US broadcast set-up

‘How to watch’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a.../?nowprocket=1

[Mark]

Did not take long for Merc to put team orders in did it.

[Fortitude]

Antonelli leads Mercedes one-two in first Austrian GP practice.
Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fastest in first practice for the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday, with Mercedes teammate George Russell a close second (+0.040) as rivals suffered reliability issues.
26 Jun 2026
The Straits Times

McLaren's Oscar Piastri set the third-quickest time, 0.117 slower than 19-year-old Italian Antonelli, ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen (+0.281) and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton (+0.665). Racing Bulls' rookie Arvid Lindblad was sixth, with McLaren's Lando Norris seventh.

Red Bull, at their home circuit, had a difficult start with Verstappen suffering issues with his upgraded car while teammate Isack Hadjar's car needed a hurried engine change and he missed the first 35 minutes. Four-time world champion Verstappen complained that "the whole car is shaking under braking".

"At first we had an engine issue on Isack's car before the beginning of the session, so we had to do a very late call to change his engine," said team boss Laurent Mekies. "And then on Max, we also had a troubled start with a couple of software issues that got us stuck in the garage."

‘Mercedes one-two’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...an-gp-practice


F1 Austrian GP 2026 practice results
26 Jun 2026
THE RACE TEAM

Practice 1
1 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1m07.796s
2 George Russell (Mercedes) +0.040s
3 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.117s
4 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.281s
5 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.665s
6 Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +0.930s
7 Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.077s
8 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1.166s
9 Dino Beganovic (Ferrari) +1.258s
10 Ollie Bearman (Haas) +1.275s

‘Results from practice at Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...ctice-results/


Max Verstappen and Lando Norris suffer early Austrian GP setback
A disastrous start to the opening practice session in Austria for multiple drivers.
26 June 2026
RN365 Staff
RacingNews365

As the session started, Norris' car was seen up on the lift with technicians studying the MCL60 after spotting an issue. McLaren communicated that it was investigating a possible hydraulic leak. It adds to the list of issues that Norris has suffered in the opening phase of the season.

He wasn't alone when it came to issues, however, as both Red Bull cars faced problems in the first minutes. Isack Hadjar's car was not ready for the start of the session, as the team continued to work on it as the practice timer started.

Verstappen, meanwhile, was heard stuttering as he peeled into the pit lane before quickly coming to a stop. He stated over the team radio that he was getting anti-stall every time he activated the clutch.

‘Disastrous starts’;

https://racingnews365.com/max-versta...ian-gp-setback


FP1 Report: What Happened in First Practice at the Austrian GP
26 June 2026
John Smith
Total Motorsport

Kimi Antonelli⁠ delivered the first statement of the 2026 Austrian GP⁠ weekend as Mercedes⁠ finished first and second in a scorching FP1 session at the Red Bull Ring, while Red Bull⁠ endured a difficult start to their home race. The opening practice hour began in brutal conditions, with air temperatures approaching 30 degrees Celsius and the track surface close to 50 degrees before climbing to 51 by the end of the session.

Red Bull lose crucial upgrade running. Red Bull arrived in Austria with one of the largest upgrade packages of the weekend, but their session was disrupted almost immediately. Verstappen stopped in the pit lane after reporting anti-stall issues, forcing the mechanics to push him back to the garage. The Dutchman later returned and was the first driver to run the soft tyre, but he complained the C5 rubber was overheating quickly and offering little feeling.

Isack Hadjar⁠ also lost early running with a suspected hydraulics issue before heading out late on the softs. His mood was clear over team radio as he told Red Bull: “I don’t understand the balance at all… It’s a mess.” That left Red Bull’s upgrades only partly assessed by the end of FP1, making the afternoon session more important for both cars.

‘FP1 Report:’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/fp1...p-2026-report/


What happened in first practice at F1's Austrian GP
26 Jun 2026
JACK COZENS
The Race

Mercedes led the way in opening practice for the Austrian Grand Prix as defending Formula 1 champion Lando Norris and both Red Bull drivers missed out on significant track time. The Mercedes duo spent the majority of the session at the top of the times and it was championship leader Kimi Antonelli who ended up leading the way, setting a best time of 1m07.796s - around 2.2s off last year's best FP1 time.

George Russell was 0.040s off team-mate Antonelli on his own soft-tyre run midway through the session, suggesting the Mercedes might have a significant early advantage over its opposition at the Red Bull Ring. But two rivals did get closer in the latter stages of the session; Oscar Piastri ended up third, 0.117s off, with Max Verstappen also within three tenths of a second for Red Bull. The four-time champion's session was compromised early on by two failed attempts to leave the pitlane - Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies described these as software glitches - meaning it was 20 minutes before he took to the track.

It was another 10 minutes before the sister RB22 appeared, with Isack Hadjar delayed by an engine issue that Red Bull spotted prior to the session. He ended up 12th, 1.685s off the pace with 11 laps completed. Only Norris completed fewer laps - nine - in the session, as he was delayed by a hydraulic leak aboard his McLaren. Norris nevertheless ended the session in seventh, one second off the pace. Barcelona GP winner Lewis Hamilton was fifth, close to four tenths off Verstappen's time, as Ferrari began the weekend off the back of its 'big four' rivals. FP1 stand-in Dino Beganovic was ninth fastest in the second car.

‘What happened’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...e-austrian-gp/

[Fortitude]

Kimi Antonelli completes Friday clean sweep in F1 Austrian GP FP2.
Kimi Antonelli completed a clean sweep of Friday practice at the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, finishing two tenths of a second ahead of the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.
26 Jun 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week

It was Antonelli who secured the top spot for the second consecutive session, his time of 1:07.014, 0.237s ahead of Piastri’s McLaren. Norris was third, Verstappen fourth despite complaining of engine lag, while Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari completed the top six.

At the front of the field, Norris had a spin at Turn 3, but was able to continue, via a quick trip into the pits for a checkover after he launched off the kerbs.

‘Friday clean sweep’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...strian-gp-fp2/


Austrian Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results
26/06/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Austrian Grand Prix - Free Practice 2 results
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:07.014s 32
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.237s 32
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.325s 32
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.550s 29
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.597s 33
6 George Russell Mercedes +0.623s 25
7 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.744s 28
8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.841s 35
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.221s 34
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.286s 30

‘Full results’;

https://f1i.com/news/567420-austrian...results-3.html


Everything that happened in second Austrian GP F1 practice
26 Jun 2026
JACK BENYON
The Race

Formula 1 world championship leader Kimi Antonelli fought off a spirited challenge from the McLaren duo to top Austrian Grand Prix FP2 for Mercedes. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris both took turns at the top of the order, but Antonelli was able to go top with half an hour to go on the softs and before the long runs dominated. His Mercedes team-mate George Russell lost the first eight minutes of the session in what looked like a scheduled tweak to the car, but one that was clearly delayed and ate into the start of the session. He was only sixth in recovery.

So Piastri went second, 0.237s behind Antonelli, with Norris having by far the most eventful session. Like others, he struggled at Turn 3, with a quite surprising-looking spin where he appeared to be hitting the apex but the rear snapped around early in the session. Then he went straight on during his long run towards the end of the session. He also went onto the gravel at Turn 8, perhaps impacted by how little running he got in FP1 due to technical issues.

At risk of writing this whole report about Norris, he was also told to cool the brakes after the session finished and replied he thought they'd "been on fire for like five laps, mate". If Norris had an eventful session, the Red Bull team appeared to be rivalling him for a reward in this area. First, Max Verstappen was forced to stop in the pits because his seating position was too laid back! He managed to get up to fourth in the order, but like team-mate Isack Hadjar, who slid dramatically, both cars were struggling with driveability at Turn 3. Verstappen mentioned the RPM dropping, specifically. Then, an unsighted Red Bull ran wide at the final corner in the long runs and lost some bodywork. Not helpful with a big new upgrade installed.

‘Kimi Antonelli fought off a spirited challenge’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/e...p-f1-practice/


Impressive Kimi Antonelli leads McLarens as Cadillac catches fire in second F1 Austrian GP practice
Kimi Antonelli asserts himself at the top of the timesheet on Friday at the F1 Austrian Grand Prix.
26 Jun 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Andrea Kimi Antonelli made the perfect start to the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix weekend by topping both of Friday’s practice sessions. F1 championship leader Antonelli was fastest by 0.237 seconds from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, while reigning world champion Lando Norris took third, 0.325s down on the pace-setting Mercedes.

It was a tougher second practice for his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who was only sixth-fastest and over six tenths down after a scruffy lap on soft tyres. Max Verstappen put his upgraded Red Bull fourth, 0.550s adrift of Antonelli’s benchmark time, and ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who was fifth for Ferrari, nearly six tenths down.

Behind Russell came the other Red Bull of Isack Hadjar and Charles Leclerc, who returned to the cockpit of his Ferrari after sitting out of FP1 so that Dino Beganovic could complete a mandatory rookie outing. Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top-10 for Racing Bulls and Audi respectively. It was another dramatic session for Cadillac, with Sergio Perez losing power and stopping on track for the second time on Friday, following a similar problem which saw the Mexican break down in FP1.

‘Impressive Kimi Antonelli’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109948...nd-f1-austrian


Antonelli tops FP2 in Austria to send strong message to under pressure teammate Russell
26 Jun 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli stole the spotlight once again after setting the fastest time in FP1 earlier today. The Italian also put six tenths between himself and teammate George Russell, who struggled to put together a clean lap. Here's a full recap of everything that happened during FP2 at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The opening minutes were marked by technical issues for Sergio Perez, who was forced to retire from the first session after just ten minutes, parking his Cadillac and triggering a Virtual Safety Car so the stranded car could be recovered. Max Verstappen also ran into trouble, albeit of a different kind, after complaining that his seat felt uncomfortable. He returned to the pits, where the Red Bull mechanics removed the seat to fix the issue.

Midway through the session, Cadillac ran into more trouble, this time with Valtteri Bottas. The Finn suddenly slowed during his lap, with his car visibly scraping along the track, but unlike his teammate, he at least managed to make it back to the pits. With just under half an hour remaining, the qualifying simulations got underway, with Oscar Piastri the first to bolt on the soft tyres and go quickest with a 1:07.251, four tenths faster than Antonelli. Lando Norris went second, finishing less than a tenth behind his teammate. Lewis Hamilton soon crossed the line as well, ending up three tenths adrift of the Australian.

‘Strong message’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...ustrian-gp-fp2


Winners and losers from Austrian GP F1 practice 2026
26 Jun 2026
THE RACE TEAM
The Race

Loser: Red Bull (4th & 7th) - Red Bull debuted a brand-new upgrade package at the Austrian GP that it hoped would help it permanently leave its ‘fourth-best team’ island behind the top three. But the picture of how successful its upgrade has been was clouded by a number of issues (unrelated to the upgrade) that cost both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar valuable track time.
Winner: Kimi Antonelli (1st) - It's clear there is no sign of a post-Barcelona GP hangover for Antonelli, who looks in no way, shape or form unsettled by those lost points.

Loser (maybe?): Ferrari (5th & 8th) - Fresh from its victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix that has reignited Formula 1’s title battle, and unleashing an ADUO-assisted engine upgrade, Ferrari had grabbed the attention in the build up to the Austria weekend.
Winner: McLaren (2nd & 3rd) - McLaren was a really good Antonelli lap away from topping FP2, looks decent in long runs, and appears to be a frontrunning contender again in Austria.
Loser: Cadillac (21st & 22nd) - Where to start?! The most upgraded car on the grid - at least in terms of what’s listed in the FIA sheet to start the weekend - went 13th with Valtteri Bottas in FP1, which is very, very encouraging indeed. But it went off a cliff from there. Perez stopped on track in both sessions with electrical problems and managed 16 laps total on the day.

Winner: Jak Crawford (20th in FP1) - FP1-only drivers can't be judged too harshly when they're off the pace - as there's always a chance that's down to run plan, or programme, or instructions. But when they're firmly on the pace, that's inevitably a lot easier to take at face value.
Loser: Williams (17th & 18th) - Williams is a contender for F1's 'loneliest' team on evidence of Austria practice - it should be well clear of Cadillac and Aston Martin, but looks outmatched by the rest of the midfield it strives to join.

‘Winners and losers’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...practice-2026/

[Fortitude]

George Russell completes Mercedes F1 free practice rout at Austrian GP.
George Russell topped FP3 for the final session of the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix weekend, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton closing out the top three.
27 Jun 2026
Fleur Rogerson
Motorsport Week

Antonelli shoots to the top. However, Kimi Antonelli was on his first push lap of the session. The current championship leader is managing three purple sectors and has a comfortable 0.3-second gap to Norris in second. Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, slipped in behind his teammate, but it was short-lived as Charles Leclerc crossed the line to go just 0.018s faster than Russell.

The field came into the pits for a mid-session tyre change. With ten minutes left in the session, Antonelli still sat out front of the grid with Lewis Hamilton and Russell marking the top three. Leclerc was down in seventh, struggling to find the pace on soft tyres that were six laps old. With just three minutes left in the session, he was seventh. 0.4s separated him from Antonelli. However, in the final two minutes, Russell took the top spot from his teammate. With a time of 1:07.096s, putting him 0.038s out front.

‘Mercedes F1 free practice rout’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...1-austrian-gp/


F1 Full Results | George Russell secures top spot late on at Austrian GP FP3
27 Jun 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

George Russell has topped the timing charts in the final practice session at the Austrian GP, ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton.
Pos. Driver Team
Time
1 RUS MER 1:7.096

2 ANT MER 1:7.134

3 HAM FER 1:7.211

4 PIA MCL 1:7.344

5 NOR MCL 1:7.360

6 VER RBR 1:7.369

7 LEC FER 1:7.452

8 HAD RBR 1:7.912

9 LAW RCB 1:8.031

10 LIN RCB 1:8.109

‘Top spot late on’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...ustrian-gp-fp3


Austrian GP: P1 Russell question mark as Lewis Hamilton looms after FP3
27 Jun 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Kimi Antonelli thought he had done enough to make it a clean sweep of practice P1s, but George Russell struck late in FP3 at the Austrian Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli set the pace across Friday practice. The championship leader went into FP3 looking to rubber-stamp that authority ahead of qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton emerged as the closest challenger to Mercedes, sitting just a tenth back going into what looks set to be a thrilling qualifying. Hamilton did, though, request a Ferrari gearbox check after a late FP3 off. Antonelli’s inability to nail a final lap on fresh softs, leaves question marks over the true pecking order of the Mercedes drivers.

Lando Norris was downbeat about McLaren’s pace going into the Austria race weekend, but his 1:07.832 on the softs was a decent opening effort. Lewis Hamilton, who slotted into second, was three and a half tenths back. Norris was quickly back in the garage for a left mirror repair, as Oscar Piastri made it a brief McLaren one-two. A trio of purple sectors put Antonelli P1 by three tenths.

‘P1 Russell question mark’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/austri...ooms-after-fp3


F1 – Russell leads Mercedes one-two in final Austrian GP practice
27.06.26
FIA (Press Release)

George Russell set the pace in final practice for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, beating Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli by just 0.038s in a closely fought FP3 session at the Red Bull Ring. Antonelli had looked the benchmark for much of the hour, continuing the strong form he had shown across Friday’s running. The Italian was quickly to the fore, first moving ahead of the field with a lap of 1:07.533 before lowering the target to 1:07.134 on his opening set of soft tyres.

That effort appeared set to remain unbeaten as track temperatures climbed and several drivers struggled to improve on their second sets. However, Russell found more performance late in the session on a used set of softs, posting a 1:07.096 to move to the top of the order for the first time this weekend. Lewis Hamilton completed the top three for Ferrari, finishing 0.115s off Russell’s best, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris followed in fourth and fifth. Piastri improved on a second push lap to claim fourth, 0.248s from the front, with Norris just 0.016s further back.

Max Verstappen, who was the last driver to leave the garage, ended the session sixth for Red Bull, 0.273s down on Russell. Charles Leclerc was seventh for Ferrari after running wide during his late soft-tyre attempt, leaving him 0.356s adrift. Isack Hadjar placed eighth in the second Red Bull after early running on the hard tyre, recovering well after losing track time on Friday due to an engine change. Racing Bulls also showed encouraging pace, with Liam Lawson ninth and Arvid Lindblad 10th.

‘Mercedes one-two’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-russell-...an-gp-practice


George Russell bounces back as Ferrari close up in tight final practice at F1 Austrian GP
George Russell led a Mercedes 1-2 in final practice at the Austrian Grand Prix.
27 Jun 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Following a late set-up to his W17, Russell produced a 1m07.096s to pip Antonelli, who had made an ominous start by topping both practice sessions on Friday, to the fastest time. After looking off the pace on Friday, Ferrari reduced its deficit to Mercedes in the final practice before a crucial qualifying session.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton ended up 0.115s adrift of Russell’s benchmark in his Ferrari, which has been fitted with the Italian team’s first ADUO-influenced engine upgrade for the Spielberg weekend. Oscar Piastri was once again the lead McLaren driver in fourth, 0.248s down as he narrowly outpaced team-mate and reigning world champion Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen put his upgraded Red bull sixth, under three tenths back, while Charles Leclerc was a couple tenths slower than Ferrari team-mate Hamilton as he took seventh. Eighth place went to the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, while the Racing Bulls pair of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad completed the top-10 in final practice.

‘Bounce back’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109960...f1-austrian-gp


Hamilton requests Ferrari check while emerging as Mercedes' biggest threat in Austria
27 Jun 2026
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Lewis Hamilton was once again the closest challenger to the two Mercedes drivers ahead of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. However, after his final attempt, he asked his team to check his gearbox.

Hamilton finished third during the final free practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix. The Briton finished around a tenth behind George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but on two of his attempts, he experienced issues in Turn 3.

Over the radio, the Ferrari driver said: "I locked up in Turn 3, locked the rears. We need to check the gearbox. It said it was shifting but I was still in anti-stall." Hamilton's teammate, Charles Leclerc, also had similar issues in the same corner, where he locked up on multiple occasions as well. The Monegasque driver set only the seventh quickest time in today's first session.

‘Hamilton requests Ferrari check’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...eat-in-austria


What happened in final F1 practice at Austrian GP
27 Jun 2026
JOSH SUTTILL
The Race

George Russell pipped Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli with a late lap to lead the final practice session ahead of qualifying at Formula 1’s Austrian Grand Prix. Antonelli led the majority of FP3 as he set a 1m07.134s just past the halfway point of the session, a time he couldn’t beat on either of his subsequent runs.

But Russell did best Antonelli on his final flying lap in the session with a particularly strong final sector that gave him a 1m07.096s. That was still marginally slower than Antonelli’s FP2 benchmark from Friday, but was 0.038s quicker than Antonelli’s best Saturday lap. Lewis Hamilton was third on a stronger day for Ferrari with its upgraded engine. He was 0.115s off the pace.

The McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were fourth and fifth. Max Verstappen followed them in the upgraded Red Bull, but had to battle annoying radio interference problems throughout the session in his RB22. He was 0.273s off Antonelli’s benchmark, with Charles Leclerc in seventh, 0.356s off the pace. Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar struggled to get near Verstappen’s pace and ended up just ahead of the Racing Bulls, almost six tenths slower than Verstappen.

‘What happened’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...t-austrian-gp/

[Fortitude]

George Russell takes controversial pole position at F1 Austrian GP after Max Verstappen crash.
F1 championship hopeful Russell snatched pole at the very end of a dramatic Q3 with a lap that denied Charles Leclerc and Ferrari a first pole position of the season by 0.236 seconds.
27 Jun 2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

There was major confusion surrounding how Russell's lap was allowed to stand given that he improved after Verstappen went off and hit the barriers at Turn 9 in a heavy crash that led to yellow flags being waved at the final corners.

Russell was initially noted for a yellow flag infringement before being seemingly cleared of any wrongdoing when race control noted that the incident would not be investigated. As such, Russell and Mercedes started the celebrations after claiming a crucial pole at the Red Bull Ring.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff claimed Russell had a "massive lift" that cost him a tenth and a half in lap time, while Russell himself said he lifted for 100 metres at the final corner. Prior to Russell nicking pole, it appeared that Ferrari had locked out the front row of the grid, with Lewis Hamilton exchanging fastest laps at the end of qualifying.

‘Controversial pole position’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109970...rstappen-crash


Austrian Grand Prix F1 qualifying results 2026
27 Jun 2026
THE RACE TEAM
The Race

George Russell was fastest in Austrian Grand Prix qualifying - but his pole lap was briefly investigated for yellow flag infringement at the site of a Max Verstappen crash.
But he was quickly cleared, meaning his pole stands ahead of the two Ferraris and his championship leading Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
Here are the qualifying results:
1 George Russell (Mercedes) 1m06.113s
2 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.236s
3 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.295s
4 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.301s
5 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.362s
6 Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.389s
7 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.398s
8 Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.519s
9 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.842s
10 Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +0.894s

‘Qualifying results’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/a...-results-2026/


F1 - 2026 Austrian Grand Prix Post-Qualifying Press Conference Transcript
27.06.26
FIA (Press Release)

Q: George Russell, great job, great lap. It’s still under investigation because of the yellow flag but how do you feel?
George RUSSELL: 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, so it was a single yellow as well, not a double, so it should be OK. 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.

Q: Charles. So, let us know, how was your lap? And especially in the last few Grands Prix Ferrari made a huge step forward on the development. Are you happy with your lap and your position?
Charles LECLERC: Yeah, I’m relatively happy about today. Of course, the last few weekends have been quite tough, so I just wanted to have a clean weekend and most of all clean qualifying to start well for tomorrow. So, to start second is a good place to start. The team have been pushing massively in order to bring upgrades in Barcelona and again this weekend, and that pays off. If I’m completely honest, I didn’t think we’ll be starting on the front row until qualifying really, so it’s a good surprise that we are so far.

Q: Lewis, you probably lost a good chance to improve your lap time because the first push lap you braked maybe too late. Do you think it was possible to be better than third?
Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, well, firstly, thank you everyone for the good energy. No, I think to have the two Ferraris in second and third is fantastic, and it’s just a reflection of the amazing work that everyone’s doing back at the factory, because they really are continuing to push. We brought small bits here. Obviously, they worked hard to upgrade our engine for this track, so I’m just really proud of everybody because you could just see how hard everyone’s working. It’s really starting to pay off. I think my Q3, the weekend had been looking good. In Q3 run one, my mistake, and didn’t get the first lap, so then, yeah, that always affects the second lap. But nonetheless, even just to be still that close, given that I didn’t get the first lap, I’m really happy for that.

‘Press Conference Transcript’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2026-aus...nce-transcript


Russell: ‘Unbelievable’ Austrian GP pole lap came out of nowhere
27/06/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

George Russell was not about to let a cloud of controversy hang over his Austrian Grand Prix pole position on Saturday in Spielberg. The Mercedes driver produced a stunning final qualifying lap at the Red Bull Ring to snatch top spot from Ferrari, but his achievement immediately came under scrutiny after he crossed a yellow flag zone while pushing for the fastest time of the session.

With Max Verstappen stranded in the barriers after crashing at Turn 9, questions quickly emerged over whether Russell’s pole-winning effort would survive the stewards’ attention. But the Briton was adamant that he had handled the situation correctly and insisted the circumstances did not require him to abandon his final charge. "I didn't even see the car because the runoff is so far," said Russell.


Russell’s 1m06.133s lap proved enough to deny Ferrari a front-row sweep, placing him ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, with his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in fourth. Yet the drama surrounding the final sector became the immediate talking point. "I think in that instance, a single yellow was correct, because a double yellow is immediate danger,” George Russell said. “You're never going to be lifting 100 meters before a corner or lifting off with a single yellow, you're never going to lose control of the car."

‘Unbelievable’;

https://f1i.com/news/567603-russell-...f-nowhere.html


Mekies after Austrian GP qualifying: 'Apologise to Max'
27 June 2026
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl

Laurent Mekies, team principal and CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing, reflected on the Austrian Grand Prix qualifying and said: “The most important thing after this eventful qualifying session is that Max is okay. He delivered an excellent first run in Q3, and his final run was very fast until he lost the car in turn 9. The dynamic of the incident was quite unusual, and we lost aero performance on the rear of the car and it gave Max no chance to survive. As a team we take full responsibility for it and apologise to him.”

At Spielberg the RB22 received an upgrade. Mekies explained: “With any significant upgrade, it is never simply a case of plug-and-play. The real challenge is to understand the package, identify its optimum operating window and maximise its potential over the course of the weekend.”

“We are still learning but today was an encouraging first step. The improved pace we had demonstrated the progress we have made with the package we have brought to Austria. A huge thank you to everyone back at the factory. This large upgrade package, covering many aspects of the car and PU, is the result of the hard work across the entire team. Seeing that effort reflected in our competitiveness today is a well-deserved reward for everyone involved.”

‘Max is okay’;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/6202/


Verstappen slams double yellow flags delay as "crazy" after Austria GP qualifying crash
28 Jun 2026
Kieran Lynch
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen has called it "crazy" that double yellow flags were not deployed sooner after his high-speed crash at one of the fastest sections of the Red Bull Ring during Austrian Grand Prix qualifying. The decision not to immediately put out double yellows as been criticised due to the Dutchman being in the wall at a high speed section of the track. Asked for his reaction on only single yellow flags being initially shown, Verstappen told GPblog among other media outlets: "I only heard about that now, that's quite crazy."

The decision has also been a talking point with other drivers, with championship leader Antonelli saying he "doesn't know why" a double yellow flag was not shown straight away. Polesitter Russell said a single yellow was "correct", adding: “The only reason Verstappen was in the wall that far away is because he was attacking and lost the car. I think the single yellow was correct." A single yellow flag was immediately shown after Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull and crashed out of qualifying. A single yellow flag requires a driver to lift off and exercise caution, while a double waved yellow means a driver must slow down significantly and be prepared to stop.

After the crash, race control took time to assess the level of danger to determine whether the situation needed to be upgraded to a double yellow or red flag. According to the FIA, the double yellow flag came 15 to 20 seconds after the crash, after the point of which both Mercedes drivers had gone past the scene of the accident. The Dutchman appeared to have made a driving error for his crash, but it later emerged that an issue with his active aerodynamics caused him to have the heavy crash, making it impossible for him to keep control of his Red Bull.

"Crazy";

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/verst...alifying-crash