Kimi Antonelli’s reaction after the Free Practice sessions at the Austrian GP: solid race pace, but a shame about the impeding from Lewis
The two Free Practice sessions of the Austrian GP have concluded, and Kimi Antonelli appears only partially satisfied. Mercedes responded well after their strong performance in Canada. The single-lap pace still needs improvement ahead of tomorrow’s Qualifying, but the race pace looks promising.
McLaren seems to have a slight edge, but the Brackley-based team has the tools to challenge their rivals and compatriots. Both George Russell and Kimi Antonell showed competitive speed at this circuit. It will be interesting to see if high temperatures are no longer a concern after earlier struggles in the European rounds.
Kimi Antonelli’s analysis
After completing Free Practice in Austria, Kimi Antonelli shared his thoughts on the results and early impressions. Mercedes appears competitive at the Red Bull Ring, but there are still some details to refine. The Italian highlighted how difficult it was to set a fast lap, in part due to impeding from Lewis Hamilton in Turn 4.
“On this track, it’s always difficult to put together the perfect lap. I didn’t manage to get a clean one. Unfortunately in FP2, after a strong start, I got blocked a couple of times. I must say the long run was positive, and now we’ll work tonight to be ready for tomorrow,” said car number 12.
Free Practice 3 will be crucial for Kimi to fine-tune his flying lap. This season, tyre preparation in Qualifying has been a key factor, and Mercedes has been working extensively on it.
For the race, much will depend on the temperatures. The early laps of both Mercedes drivers in race simulations looked solid, but as the stint progressed, lap times rose compared to McLaren. Red Bull with Verstappen and the two Ferraris remain question marks in assessing where the Anglo-German team truly stands against its main rivals.
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