Antonelli Leads Mercedes 1-2 in Disrupted Austrian GP Practice

Kimi Antonelli led a Mercedes one-two in a disrupted Austrian GP opening practice, edging teammate George Russell by four hundredths at a sweltering Red Bull Ring. The hour was marked by mechanical setbacks for rivals and mandatory rookie runs, with Antonelli's soft-tyre benchmark of 1m07.796s setting the pace.

Why it matters:

Mercedes laid down an early marker in Spielberg while championship rivals McLaren and Red Bull hit trouble. With extreme heat complicating running and upgrades being evaluated, FP1 hinted that the competitive order could be more open than recent form suggested.

The details:

• Antonelli and Russell traded fastest laps before the championship leader secured his edge on soft tyres, a margin that stood until the flag.
• McLaren had a rough start. Lando Norris lost most of the session to a hydraulic leak and managed only seventh on mediums, while Oscar Piastri overcame brake issues to take third, 0.117s off the pace.
• Red Bull's upgraded RB22 also struggled. Max Verstappen sat out over 20 minutes with a suspected clutch issue and poor grip, yet recovered to fourth. Isack Hadjar suffered an early engine problem and finished 12th.
• Lewis Hamilton took fifth for Ferrari, six tenths behind the Mercedes pair, while rookies Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto impressed in sixth and eighth.
• Mandatory rookie substitutes filled several cars, with Dino Beganovic fastest in ninth for Ferrari. The session ended early when Sergio Perez stopped his Cadillac at Turn 3.

What's next:

Second practice will be crucial as McLaren and Red Bull attempt to prove their issues were unrepresentative. All eyes will be on whether Norris and Verstappen can close the gap to Mercedes on soft tyres, as teams pivot to qualifying simulations and long-run planning for the weekend.