Antonelli Completes Friday Sweep with Fastest FP2 at Austrian GP

Kimi Antonelli completed a dominant Friday sweep at the Austrian Grand Prix by topping FP2 ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, becoming the first driver this season to lead both practice sessions. The Mercedes-backed Italian underlined his strong pace at the Red Bull Ring while Cadillac's weekend went from bad to worse with repeated mechanical failures.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's double suggests Mercedes has unearthed genuine one-lap pace that could upset the established order in qualifying and the race. For Cadillac, the continued reliability woes represent a deepening crisis for the new manufacturer, with both cars sidelined by severe technical issues before the weekend's competitive sessions begin.

The details:

• Antonelli led FP2 from Piastri and Norris, backing up his FP1 benchmark to complete the season's first Friday double.
• George Russell finished sixth, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton slotting in between the second Mercedes and the McLaren pair.
• Charles Leclerc managed only eighth in the Ferrari SF-26, making him the slowest driver from F1's leading four squads.
• Sergio Perez stopped on track after just two laps despite an ECU change between sessions, bringing out a virtual safety car.
• Cadillac later confirmed neither Perez nor Valtteri Bottas would likely return after a floor fire ended Bottas' running in the MAC-26.

What's next:

With Antonelli carrying formidable momentum into Saturday, Mercedes looks poised to challenge for pole position at Spielberg. The rest of the field faces a compressed window to fine-tune setups in FP3, while Cadillac must address serious reliability questions before Sunday's race.