Austrian GP FP1 report: Mercedes setting the pace while Red Bull and McLaren suffer issues. Kimi Antonelli topped the opening practice session for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.

Mercedes dominates Austrian GP FP1 as Antonelli goes fastest

Kimi Antonelli finished fastest in the opening free practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes one-two as Ferrari kept a low profile while focusing on development work. The young Italian set a best lap of 1:07.796 on the soft tyres, edging teammate George Russell by just 0.040 seconds.

Mercedes elected to complete its qualifying simulation early in the session before switching to a longer run on the medium compound during the second half of FP1. The Brackley-based team also ran without the controversial serrated diffuser that recently sparked widespread debate and was subsequently banned by the FIA. Russell’s race pace appeared marginally stronger than Antonelli’s, although the Italian had to contend with some minor brake issues during his run.

Behind the two Mercedes drivers, Oscar Piastri secured third place for McLaren, finishing just 0.117 seconds off the pace. Lando Norris, meanwhile, was only able to leave the garage during the final 12 minutes after a hydraulic problem kept him sidelined for most of the session. It therefore came as little surprise to see the reigning World Champion classified only seventh, exactly one second behind the session leader.

Red Bull unveils major upgrades but remains difficult to judge

Max Verstappen ended the session fourth, 0.281 seconds behind Antonelli, as Red Bull debuted a heavily updated RB22 that appears to have shifted away from its previous aerodynamic philosophy in favour of concepts more closely aligned with Mercedes.

The Dutchman was twice instructed to return to the garage immediately after leaving the pit lane, while teammate Isack Hadjar suffered a hydraulic issue similar to Norris’ and managed less than 30 minutes of track time before finishing 12th. Evaluating Red Bull’s true performance remains difficult, especially considering the team used two sets of soft tyres during the session.

Ferrari focuses on testing rather than outright pace

As for Ferrari, the team deliberately kept its true pace hidden. Both SF-26 cars were fitted with the updated power unit featuring the modifications permitted under the ADUO regulations. However, the impression was that the revised engine was never pushed to its full potential.

Lewis Hamilton and Dino Beganovic, who replaced Charles Leclerc for the opening practice session, dedicated much of their running to a comprehensive programme of aerodynamic and technical evaluations. Consequently, the gap of more than seven tenths to the fastest time—recorded by the Barcelona race winner—does not paint a complete picture of Ferrari’s competitiveness. Instead, the Scuderia used the session to test several experimental solutions that are not expected to be used during the remainder of the weekend while collecting valuable correlation data.

Strong performances from Lindblad, Bottas and Audi

Arvid Lindblad impressed for Racing Bulls, while Ayumu Iwasa drove the team’s second car during FP1. The VCARB02 also featured a revised diffuser, which has attracted FIA attention due to similarities with the Mercedes solution.

Lindblad finished an impressive sixth, ahead of Lando Norris and an encouraging Franco Colapinto, whose Alpine featured significant front-end upgrades. Dino Beganovic claimed ninth place and was the highest-ranked rookie in the session, while Ollie Bearman completed the top ten for Haas.

Toyota-backed driver Ryō Hirakawa ended the session 19th after completing Haas’ programme, finishing ahead of Aston Martin’s Jak Crawford in 20th and Fernando Alonso, who brought up the rear of the field.

Sergio Perez found himself sandwiched between the two green Aston Martins in the Cadillac. The Mexican also triggered a late red flag after his Cadillac-Ferrari MAC-26 suffered a technical failure and came to a halt before Turn 1 just minutes before the chequered flag.

Valtteri Bottas appeared revitalised in Cadillac’s second car. The Finn looked comfortable with the team’s latest upgrades and secured an encouraging 13th place, finishing ahead of Pierre Gasly. Audi’s extensive upgrade package also made a promising debut, with Nico Hulkenberg taking 11th and rookie Paul Aron finishing 17th.

Williams failed to impress, with Alexander Albon only 16th, while Luke Browning placed 18th after taking over Carlos Sainz’s FW47 for the opening practice session.

2026 Austrian Grand Prix – FP1 classification